US news
2003 outdoor

adidas Outdoor Championships
June 13-14, 2003 at North Carolina State U., Raleigh NC

Previews


  • a new distance peak - by John Dye - You might have thought the high school distance running resurgence peaked 2 years ago with the graduation of Alan Webb, Dathan Ritzenhein, and Ryan Hall. You would have been wrong. This year's AOC distance fields may be the best ever assembled.
  • Michelle Carter: like father, like daughter - by Pete Cava - Michael and Michelle Carter are the only parent-child national record holders in US high school track and field. They may become only the third parent-child combinations in US Olympic history.
  • Boys - event by event, by Pete Cava
  • Girls - event by event, by Ricky Quintana

Boys

by Pete Cava

RALEIGH, June 6, 2003 --- The adidas Outdoor Track and Field Championships take place at North Carolina State University's Paul Derr Track, June 13-14. The event, held under the auspices of the National Scholastic Sports Foundation, serves as the unofficial high school championships. Here's an event-by-event look at the boys competition.

100m: Texans Ivory Williams and Willie Hordge are back. Williams, a junior from Beaumont Central, placed third at the 2002 meet while Hordge, a senior from Houston's Forest Brook, sat out the final with an injury. A month later, Williams and Hordge helped the USA 4x100 meter relay team to a world junior record (38.92) at the World Junior Championships in Kingston, Jamaica. Williams' best performance this year is a wind-aided 10.16 while Hordge, who's coming off another injury, is a 10.61 performer this year. Others to watch are junior Michael Grant (South Gwinn, Snellville, GA), and Travis Padgett (Crest, Shelby, NC). Grant's a 10.50 performer this year while. Padgett upset highly-regarded Xavier Carter at the May 31 Golden South meet and has a season best of 10.54.

200m: Junior Xavier Carter (Palm Bay, Melbourne, FL), who also stars in football and basketball, is the national leader at 20.69. Ivory Williams (20.85 wind-aided), last year's third-place finisher, is back along with Willie Hordge (21.34). Other top entries are Michael Grant (21.14) and J-Mee Samuels (20.99), along with senior Corey LaCour (Humble, TX) and junior Adian Sanderson (Ewing, Trenton, NJ). Samuels, a sophomore, won the 200m at the Nike Indoor Championships in Landover, Md., last March.

400m: Xavier Carter, whose 45.88 leads the national prep list, comes to Raleigh looking for a tough double. He's got his hands full. Senior Reggie Witherspoon (Wheeler, Marietta, GA), the indoor high school athlete of the year and a Florida recruit, comes in 46.25. Baylor recruit Mark Teter (Reagan, San Antonio, TX), has a season best of 46.15. Other sub-47 performers in the field are junior Ricardo Chambers (Dwyer, Palm Beach, FL) at 46.42, senior Lance Wigfall (Scott, East Orange, NJ) at 46.68, Adian Sanderson at 46.95, and Marvin Stevenson (Elsik, Alief, TX) at 47.03.

800m: Senior Russell Brown (Hanover, NH) came into his own this year and heads for Raleigh with the top seed time, 1:50.85. Brown won the Nike Indoor 800m title this year. Senior Jeremy Kruidinier (Central, Champaign, IL) is right behind him at 1:51.09. The best of the rest are Chris Patrick (Smiths Station, AL), Chris Nichols (Hillard Davidson, Hilliard, OH), Shannon Sherrer (Vineland, NJ), Phil Marlatt (Williamston, MI) and recently-crowned New Jersey Meet of Champions winner John Richardson (Ocean City, NJ).

Mile: A.J. Holzherr puts together the men's fields for the AOC, and he lights up when the subject turns to the mile event this year in Raleigh. "It's the best high school mile field ever assembled," says Holzherr. "A 'Who's Who' of prep milers." There's Rice signee Steve Magness (Klein Oak, Houston, TX), who ran 4:01.02 at the Prefontaine meet and leads the U.S. high school list. Arkansas recruit Adam Perkins (Liberty, MO), last year's runnerup, is back. So is Wisconsin-bound Chris Solinsky (Stevens Point, WI), last year's Footlocker cross country champ. Solinsky was fifth in last year's mile and second in the 2-mile. Among the other contenders are junior Erik Stanley (Klein, TX), Arkansas recruit Sam Vasquez (Flagler-Palm Coast, Bunnell, FL), Colorado signee Stephen Pifer (Edwardsville, IL), junior Leonel Manzano (Marble Falls, TX) and future Georgetown runner Matt DeBole (Mt. Tabor, Winston-Salem, NC). All are \capable of running under 4:08.

2-Mile: With Chris Solinsky concentrating on the mile, this race is up for grabs. Colorado recruit Brent Vaughn (Smoky Hill, Aurora, CO) is in the 8:50 range. He'll contend with North Carolina State signee Chis Kollar (Strongsville, OH), last year's sixth-place finisher in the mile, and juniors Galen Rupp (Central Catholic, Portland, OR), Joshua McDougal (Home, Peru, NY), and Chris Wagner (North, Columbus, IN). Wagner has posted times the Hoosier State hasn't seen since Hammond High School's glory days with Rudy Chapa, Carey Pinkowski and Tim Keough.

110m hurdles: There are four sub-14 second performers in the field, but the final shapes up as the rubber match between the nation's two top preps. Senior Kerron Clement (LaPorte, TX) is the defending champ and comes in at 13.52. The national leader is junior Jason Richardson (Cedar Hill, TX) at 13.51. They've split two meetings this year. Richardson won the state title while Clement, another Florida signee, won at the Great Southwest meet in Albuquerque on May 24. The best of the rest are Aries Merritt (Wheeler, Marietta, GA), Tyler Whitham (Cinco Ranch, TX), Brandys Green (Lawrence North, Indianapolis, IN), Kedrieck Gibbons (Shepard, Natchez, MS), Theodore Ginn (Glenville, Cleveland, OH), Irving Stills (Central, Trenton, NJ) and Basil Campbell (Ewing, Trenton, NJ).

400m hurdles: Kerron Clement's 49.77 last year is the No. 2 all-time U.S. prep mark. He could break the year-old national prep record mark (49.38) at this meet. Tennessee recruit Jeremy Burton (Stephenson, Stone Mountain, GA) comes in at 52.02, while junior Reuben McCoy (Winslow Township, Atco, NJ) is a 52.20 performer. Jason Richardson is another noteworthy entry.

2000m steeplechase: Senior Ryan Wilson (Wichita Heights, KS) was third a year ago. Junior David Holliday (Ledyard, CT) comes in with the nation's top prep time, 9:25.67, followed by senior Miguel Reyes (North Rockland, Thiells, NY) at 9:29.7.

Walk: Nike Indoor walk champ Zach Pollinger (Mahwah, NJ), winner of the open walk event at this year's Millrose Games, is the favorite. Joe Trapani (Centereach, NY) leads the current high school mile walk list and should finish near the top..

4x100m relay: Bowie (Arlington, TX) has dipped under 41 seconds three times this year, with a best of 40.06. Their anchor leg, junior Ryan Palmer, is a 10.40 sprinter.

4x200m relay: Bowie is one of the top entries here, too. They come in at 1:24.13, followed closely by defending champ Reagan (Austin, TX) at 1:24.95.

4x400m relay: A.J. Holzherr calls this event "The Shoot-out at OK Corral." With the Nos. 1-2-5 teams from the U.S. prep list entered there should be fireworks. Humble (TX) is the national leader at 3:10.69. Second is Reagan at 3:10.78, while Winslow Township (Atco, NJ) comes in with a best of 3:10.70. The New Jersey squad won this title in 2002. Another Garden State quartet, Willingboro, comes in at 3:11.24.

4x800m relay: More loaded than a baked potato at a greasy spoon diner, this event features six teams in the sub 7:48 range. Midlothian (VA) leads the way at 7:42.93, followed by Wadsworth (OH) 7:43.20, Willingboro at 7:43, Hoover (North Canton, OH) at 7:44.96, Cumberland Valley (PA) at 7:48.11 and Mount Lebanon (Pittsburgh, PA) at 7:48.55. Liberty (MO) could contend. Liberty, third here last year, has run 7:49 without Adam Perkins, a top mile entry. NSSF's Jim Spier estimates the Missourians could produce a 7:40 with Perkins in the lineup.

4xMile relay: A wide-open race, this one features Klein Oak (TX), Red Bank (NJ), Shenendehowa (Clifton Park, NY), Mainland (NJ) and Don Lugo (Chino, CA), all at 17:41 or better.

Sprint Medley Relay: Here's another event where the national record is in danger. The chief contenders are defending champ Vineland (NJ) at 3:24.44, Willingboro (NJ) at 3:24.93, Winslow Township (Atco, NJ) at 3:26.75 and Transit Tech (Brooklyn, NY) at 3:28.55. Deep Creek (Chesapeake, VA) and Mt. Tabor (Winston-Salem, NC) could surprise.

Distance medley relay: Another cloudy event, since the DMR is rarely run. North Forsyth (Winston-Salem), Saline (MI), Warwick Valley (NY), Lawrence North (Indianapolis) appear to be the chief contenders.

High jump: The field includes seven jumpers over 7-feet, three of them at 7-2 or better. Tops among the entries is Florida recruit Mike Morrison (Willingboro, NJ), who took third a year ago. Morrison, a 7-4 performer this season, won the Nike Indoor title last March. Right behind him is Scott Sellers (Cinco Ranch, Katy, TX), whose best of 7-2.75 is a sophomore class record. Rounding out an excellent field are Jarod Van Mannen (Lynchville-Sully, Sully, IA), Arthur Hinton (Cedar Shoals, GA), Dakota Dunn (East Montgomery, Biscoe, NC), Adam Linkenauger (Lord Botetourt, Daleville, VA) and Jerome Miller (Colonial Forge, Stafford, VA).

Pole vault: Arkansas State-bound Chase Shealy (Brookland-Cayce, Cayce, SC) checks in at 17-1, the best qualifying mark. Other too entries are Josh Oberleas (Smoky Hill, Aurora, CO) and Andrew O'Connor (Archbishop Molloy, Jamaica, NY).

Long jump: Defending champ Anthony Miles (Winslow Township, NJ) returns. He's a 24-6.5 performer this year. Miles has his hands full with Ramonce Taylor (Belton, TX) whose 25-0.75 this season is the nation's top prep mark. Mike Morrison, trying a tough double, has a best of 24-3.5.

Triple jump: Terrance Wheatley (East, Plano, TX), a 50-1 performer who'll compete next year for Colorado, is the lone 50-footer in the field. Others to watch are Mike Whitehead (Norristown, PA), Terry Wood (North Rowan, Spencer, NC), Lazaris Evans (Mays, Atlanta, GA) and Ryan Fleming (Roanoke, VA).

Shot put: Seven of the eight athletes over 63-feet this year will attend the adidas meet. Kentucky signee Joshua "Andy" Fryman (Mason, Maysville, KY) leads the way at 65-7.75, followed by Nate Englin (Mounds View, St. Paul, MN) at 65-6, Adam Kellermeyer (Pickerington, OH) at 64-10.5, Justin Clickett (Union City, PA) at 64-5.75, William & Mary recruit Steve Huntzinger (Robinson, Fairfax, VA) at 64-1.5, Joe Thomas (Brookfield, WI) at 63-6, Cory Martin (Elletsville, IN) at 62-7, Tyree Suber (Glen Mills, Concordville, PA) at 62-2.5, Cory Mills (Christian Brothers Academy, Memphis, TN), at 60-11.5 and Jake Dunkelberger (Lovett, Atlanta, GA) at 60-1.75). Fryman ambushed Huntzinger at the Nike Indoor Championships last March with a personal best. Thomas was fifth here last year.

Discus throw: There are four preps over 200 feet this year, and two of them are coming to Raleigh. Western Michigan recruit Joe Hover (Lakeshore, Stevensville, MI) checks in a 204-0, while junior Westley Stockbarger (Charlotte, Punta Gorda, FL) has a best of 202-8. Nate Englin and Jarrod Avegalio (Kahuku, HI) could surprise. Englin recently threw 194-4 and Avegalio is an Arizona signee.

Hammer throw: Senior Dan Godin (Bishop Hendricken, Warwick, RI) leads the way with a 2003 best of 216-6. Challenging Godin are two more 200-footers, seniors Jake Dunkelberger (207-2) and Cory Martin (203-10). Dunkelberger and Martin are also leading entries in the shot put.

Javelin throw: No clear favorite in the field.

 

Girls

by Ricky Quintana

RALEIGH, June 6, 2003 --- The adidas Outdoor Track and Field Championships take place at North Carolina State University's Paul Derr Track, June 13-14. The event, held under the auspices of the National Scholastic Sports Foundation, serves as the unofficial high school championships. Here's an event-by-event look at the girls competition.

100m: Cleo Tyson( Huntsville, TX), Kristin Lacy(Skyline, Dallas, TX ), Gloria Asumnu (Elsik, Alief, TX ), Jessica Onyepunuka( Peoria, AZ ), Mary Ann Erigha (Chamblee, GA ), Tiaerra Mc Laurin, (Northwestern, Rock Hill, SC), Jenna Harris( Franklin Township, NJ), Stephanie Smith( Northeast, Macon, GA ), Janice Davis (Natchez, MS), Judith Onyepunuka (Peoria, AZ), Shana Cox ( Holy Trinity, Hicksville, NY ), Bianca Knight, ( Pearl,MS), Virgil Hodge (Washington Irving, New  York, NY), Christina Grove (Middleton, OH) and Tianna Madison(Elyria, OH) are the leading entries.

Tyson posted a windy 11.40 at the 4A Texas state meet and comes in with the fastest time under all conditions. Sophomore Lacy, posted a 11.44 the following day in the 5A Texas State meet and has the fastest legal time of all the entrants. Lacy reminds one of a young Marion Jones in stature and presence. Asumnu, a Tulane signee,  took second to Lacy by a mere 0.05  posting a 11.49 at the Texas 5A State Meet. Former 2001 World Youth Games member and South Carolina signee, Stephanie Smith, will be stepping down in distance after her sensational national leading 400m time of 52.14 at the Golden South Classic in Orlando, FL on May 31st. Her best of 11.74 came in placing second to Georgia 5A 100m State Champion Courtney Champion of Suwannee , GA at the Taco Bell Invitational in Columbia, SC.  Fellow World Youth Games team member, Mississippi State 100m Champ and Stanford signee, Janice Davis had the 2nd fastest 60m time indoors and comes in with a best of 11.75. McLaurin, a soph, is a transfer from Wolfson in Jacksonville, FL and finished 4th at the USATF Junior Olympic 100m in the intermediate division.  Jessica Onyepunuka , 5A Arizona State 100m Champ and 2002 USATF Junior Olympic 100m IM Division Champ, Hordge , has a best of 11.89, Madison, 3rd at NIKE Indoor Championships(NIC), and Harris posted season bests of 11.74 and 23.87 to win the New Jersey Meet of Champions, round out a tough field.

Last summer Onyepunuka got the best of Tyson and McClaurin at the USATF junior Olympics 100m IM dash final. Tyson has improved a whopping 0.7 seconds since that race is the slight favorite. Lacy has won the big ones, Texas Relays and the Texas 5A State Champs.

This race is too close to call. Lacy, Tyson, and Onyepunuka have been selected as US representatives for this summer's IAAF World Youth Games. The event, the third annual, will pit 17 and under years from all over the world in a four day track and field competition. This year's event will be held in Sherbrooke, Canada. The Adidas Outdoor Championship(AOC) meet record is 11.39 set last year by American Junior Record 400m Holder and Track and Field News Female Athlete of the Year, Sanya Richards, of St. Thomas Aquinas, Ft. Lauderdale, FL and is in jeopardy with such close knit field. Richards won 0.19  and the top three are separated by 0.09 .

200m: Cleo Tyson( Huntsville, TX), Stephanie Smith( Northeast, Macon, GA), Shana Cox (Holy Trinity, Hicksville, NY),  Mary Ann Erigha ( Chamblee, GA ), Alexandra Anderson ( Morgan Park, Chicago, IL ), Juanita Broaddus ( William Penn, Philadelphia, PA), Courtney Champion(Collins Hill, Suwannee, GA), Virgil Hodge ( Washington Irving, New York, NY), Jessica Onyepenuka, Peoria, AZ), Cynetheia Rooks, Northampton West, Gaston, NC), Janice Davis( Natchez, MS), Francena McCrory ( Bethel, Hampton, VA ), Jenna Harris ( Franklin, Somerset, NJ), Bianca Knight, Pearl, MS ), Tiaerra McLaurin, Northwestern, Rock Hill, SC ), Tiarra Jordan (Flushing, MI ), Chanelle Curry( Skyline, Dalls, TX), Christina Grove(Middleton,OH) and Judith Onyepunuka, Peoria, AZ ) are the leading entries.

Tyson, a junior , had a sizzling Texas 4A State meet winning the 100m and then the 200m, 23.39, in her best times. Both times were set in windy conditions, but her 200m time was just 0.3 over the allowable 2.0mps needed for record purposes. Broaddus, a Barton CC, KS recruit, is a two time NIC Champ at 200m and finished second last year in the 100m. Her coach, the venerable Tim Hickey, retired after the regular season after 29 years. His record for that stint was an outstanding 546-5 in duel meets. This will be his last meet.

At NIC, sisters, Judith and Jessica Onyepunuka took 2nd and 4th. Jessica took 4th at AOC last year. Cox, a Penn State signee, had the second best 200m indoors, holds the 200m indoor junior class record and had the best time in the 300m during indoor season. She placed 2nd here last year. Champion, also a junior, was 3rd fastest indoors and ran her best of 23.90 in the heats of the Georgia State meet.  Davis is a Stanford signee, and Erigha, a Notre Dame signee. Davis placed 5th at last year’s AOC. Harris posted season bests of 11.74 and 23.87 to win the New Jersey Meet of Champions. Knight, an eighth grader, won the Mississippi State 4A title in 24.54. She also gave a scare to Broaddus in the 100m at the Golden South Classic with her 11.86. Broaddus was timed in 11.82. The freshman record is held by four time NCAA 100m Champion, Angela Williams (Chino, CA), 11.24(1995) and the 14 year old record is held by Alexis Joyce(Washington, Denver, CO), 11.52A(1998).

Last summer at the USATF Junior Olympics IM division 200m Final, Jessica Onyepunuka defeated Tyson and Champion. Champion and Anderson have been named to this year's World Youth team. The meet record was set by Marion Jones in 1991 which is the longest standing record in meet history. With such a strong field, the meet record is in jeopardy.

400m: Stephanie Smith ( Northeast Magnet, Macon, GA ), Shana Cox( Holy Trinity, Hicksville, NY), Jerrika Chapple( Lancaster, TX ),Brandi Cross(Missouri City, TX ), Natasha Hastings ( AP Randolph, New York, NY ), Okechi Ogbuokiri ( Willingboro, NJ ), Fareign Giles( Tallwood, Virginia Beach, VA ), Cynetheia Rooks ( Northampton West, Gaston, NC) and Jennifer Hunt(Skyline, Dalls, TX) are the leading entries.

Smith ran the national leading time, 52.14, at The Golden South Classic on May 31st to hold off a late run by Cox , the defending AOC Champ.  Chapple, a 2001 World Youth Games member and Texas signee, held the best time prior to Smith’s performance in winning the Texas 4A State title in 52.77. She sliced 0.58 off her 2002 best. Hastings, a junior, had a great indoor season setting the national record for the 500m,1:11.84. An injury late in the indoor season slowed the start of her outdoor season, but she seems to be back in form as she is just slightly off last year’s best of 53.42. She has been named to this year's World Youth team. Ogbuokiri, was 3rd last year, had the 2nd fastest 400m time indoors and at the New Jersey Meet of Champions set a season best of 54.19. Giles was 2nd in the 400m at NIC. Hunt was 3rd at the Texas 5A Champs in a time of 55.03. Giles placed 2nd in the 200m and 3rd in the 400m at the Virginia State 3A Meet.

The meet record, 52.56, was set by Montclair, NJ’s  Mikele Barber in 1998. This could be the third meet record erased from the books.

800m: Katya Kostetskaya (Jonesboro, AR), Mackenzie Pierce ( Forsyth Country Day, Lewisville, NC), Heidi Magill ( Mountain View, Orem, UT),Trisa Nickoley( Shawnee Heights, Tecumseh, KS ),Shannon Leinert( Eureka, MO), Leslie Trehearne ( Western Branch, Chesapeake, VA), Georgia Kloss ( Pace Academy, GA), Andria Smallwood ( Ballou, Washington, DC) , Caitlin Klass, ( Hatboro-Horsham, PA), Kimarra Mc Donald ( Merion Mercy Academy, PA ), Dacia Barr ( Lake Travis, Austin, TX ), Selena Sappleton ( AP Randolph, New York, NY ), and Devon Williams ( St. Ursula, Parkville, MD ) are the leading entries.

Kostetskaya, the multi talented sophomore Russian exchange student produced the nation’s leading time, 2:06.44, at the Arkansas Meet of Champions, in rainy conditions. She also ran the 100mH in 14.89 in the same meet. At her state meet, the week before, she recorded the following performances: 100mH(1st place), 14.57, 100m dash, 12.23( 2nd place), 300mH( 1st place), 44.20, 800m( 1st Place), 2:15.33 and long jumped(2nd place), 19-00.75 to score 46 points. Her school, Jonesboro, scored 53 and won the 5A State title. She also won the 5A State Cross Country title as a freshman and was a “successful ballroom dancer” in Russia before that. Her mother, Olga Dvirna, set the third fastest, 3:54.23, non Chinese 1500m meter runner of all time in 1982 and was also the European Champion in the 1500m that same year. Her father is Aleksandr Kostetskiy, who was a 1:45.17/3:38.59 performer in the Soviet Union in 1984.  She is coached by a former world and 1978 European 400m hurdles Gold medalist, Tatyana Zelentsova, who is married to the brother of former world class pole vaulter, Earl Bell. After AOC’s, Katya will fly to Russia for the World Youth Games trials to compete for a birth on the Russian team which will compete in Sherbrooke, Canada in July.

Pierce, also a soph, hails from a small town which is 100 miles from Raleigh,NC, the site of the AOC Championships. Virtually unchallenged all year, she set the then-national leading time of 2:06.67 on May 1st. She finished 7th  at AOC last year in 2:12.24. She is coached by former Wake Forest Coach, Noel Ruebel.

Magill, a junior, ended her soph season without competing in any postseason meets after running a sensational 2:06.34 at the Arcadia Invitational. Entering this season, she had hopes of running sub 2:05. She set her season’s best of 2:07.88 at Arcadia after a running a sub 30 first 200m. Afterwards, she said she needed to pace herself better and looked to the remainder of the season saying “they’ll be other races.”

Nickoley, led her team to the 5A Kansas State Championship with wins in the 400m(57.08), 800m (2:08,41, a meet record) 1600m(5:21.04) and 4x400m team(4:00.86) where she ran a 56 leg. She was 3rd at last year’s AOC. She has been selected to the World Youth team.

Smallwood, a freshman, will move up in distance after winning four events to lead her team to it’s sixth straight Washington DC Public School Championships. The quick freshman posted marks of 12.23 for 100m, 24.54 for 200m, 54.83 for 400m, and 44.73 for 300H. Her best in the 800m is 2:10.22.She placed 2nd at NIC’s in the 800m in March.

The race is loaded with 8 runners under 2:10.30, the NCAA automatic qualifying standard and includes: Klass, 5th at NIC and a 2:10.68 performer outdoors, Sappleton, a 2:11 performer and 2003 World Youth Games member, Williams, a 2:11.73 performer, Barr, 1600m(5:01.14) and 800m(2:13.82) 4A Texas State Champ, Kloss, 1600m(4:58.87) and 800m( 2:10.25) Georgia 2A State Champ,Trehearne, Virginia 3A State 800m(2:10.06)Champ, and McDonald, 3A Pennsylvania State 800m(2:10.86) runner-up.

The meet record is 2:04.55 set by Tameika Grizzle in 1996. With three runners so close, they could go under 2:05 and possibly a record.

Mile: Ari Lambie ( Bromfield, Harvard, MA ), Megan Kaltenbach (Smoky Hill, Aurora, CO ),Sarah Bowman, Fauquier ( Warrenton, VA ), Nicole Blood(Saratoga, NY), Elizabeth Maloy ( Holy Names, Albany, NY), Megan Owen ( Killingly, Danielsen, CT ), Liz Lange( Pius X, Lincoln, NE ), Katie Harrington ( Carmel, IN), Maggie Infield( Beaumont, Cleveland Heights, OH) and Lindsay Donaldson ( Lincoln-Sudbury, MA) are the leading entries.

Last year’s battle pitted Kaltenbach and Molly Huddle. After a fast solo two mile effort, 10:01.08, Huddle didn’t have enough left in the tank to challenge Kaltenbach’s great finish. A rested Huddle, still would have had trouble with Kaltenbach whose scorching last 400m left her just 0.58 off on Erin Donohue’s 2001 meet record, 4:42.96. This year, Kaltenbach has had mixed performances. During the cross country season, an upper respiratory infection interrupted her training. The highly sought after recruit visited all the top distance programs in the nation fitting recruiting visits into her already jammed schedule. At the Great American Cross Country Festival, she suffered from a cold and finished far back. After that race, she visited her eventual college choice, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill.   At Footlocker Nationals, a favored Kaltenbach was with the leaders early and struggled home 20th. During the indoor season, she was near the lead in the NIC mile until the final two laps and finished 3rd. Early in the outdoor season she traveled to California after her annual spring break trip to Cancun, Mexico. She ran cautiously and posted an easy looking win at the Arcadia Invitational. Afterwards she spoke of extending her season as in the past she ran best towards the end. She also mentioned possibly making an attempt on the 3k US junior record at the USATF Junior Championships in Palo Alto, CA a week after AOC’s. She had one more bout with an infection late in the track season, but still went out and won the 1600m and 800m Colorado state titles which capped off a 4 year unbeaten streak in cross country and track in Colorado. She also led her team to the state record, 9:01.83, in the 4x800m to raise her number of state titles to 14.

Lambie’s route was similar to Kaltenbach’s during cross country. After a seemingly easy win over super freshman, Nicole Blood, at Footlocker Northeast Regionals, Lambie entered Footlocker Nationals as one of the strong favorites. An inopportune cold left her supine during Friday’s course walk through and on Saturday, Lambie did her best , but faded to finish 22nd. She rebounded in indoor track to take 2nd place to Blood in a thrilling race in the Millrose Mile before a national television audience. She won the 1k at her in a US leading time of 2:45.46.  Outdoors she ran the 12th fastest time ever, 4:42.21, to beat down Bowman at the Penn Relays. At her sectional meet, she posted an evenly paced 4:44.03. She also has a 3200m best of 10:11.9 which set the Massachusetts state record this track season. Heading into this weekend's Massachusetts State meet, she was unsure of her strategy with the AOC looming a week later and the possibility of her team winning the 4x800m title. But she went through the half mile so fast that she bore down all the way to win in 4:37.23, US#4 all time. Moments later, she brought her 4x800 relay team from 50 meters behind with a 2:06.1 anchor split. Lambie will attend distance power Stanford next year.

Soph Bowman, last year’s freshman AOC mile champ and this year’s surprise NIC mile champ, has continued to impress outdoors as she has posted three sub 4:50 times this season.  Her speed is the best of the top three as she boasts a low 57 best in the open 400m. She also high jumps and has a best of 5-05. Remarkably, she competes regularly in two or more events per meet and records exceptional marks.

One forgets that Blood is only a freshman, considering that she has led perennial national #1 cross country Saratoga since the 7th grade. Her resume right now is as good as any senior  and includes the following: a win at the prestigious Great American Festival, a 9th place and All-American finish at Footlocker Nationals, a win at the Millrose Mile, and a win in the two mile at NIC. She defeated Lambie at Millrose with a fast last few laps. In the Penn Relays DMR, she burned a 4:50.6 1600m split to catch Bronxville's Catha Mullen, a 4:50 1600m runner, and moved her team from 6th to 2nd. She finished 4th in the AOC mile last year and recorded a win over last year’s second best miler, Molly Huddle at the Louck Games.

Owen finished 3rd behind Lambie and Bowman at Penn Relays in a personal best of 4:50.58. During cross country, she finished 8th at Footlocker Nationals to cap off a great year. Owen won both the 1600m, 4:57.92 and the 800m, 2:16.75 to win the Conneticutt Class MM state meet. Prior to that she ran a spectacular double of 4:51.81 and 2:13.36. Owen will join Kaltenbach at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill next year.

Lange, a junior, broke the Nebraska state 1600m record with her 4:58.09. She also won the 800m there in 2:17.12. She has a best of 4:50.8c.

Infield took second to Bohnsack at the Roosevelt Memorial with a time of 4:56.80. She registered her best of 4:51.06 for 1600m at Districts. She also ran 2:13.28 in the prelims and 2:13.96 in the finals to win the 800m.

The rest of the field may be the fastest ever and includes: Harrington, 2nd at NIC and a Footlocker National Cross Country finalist, Maloy, 4th at NIC and Georgetown signee, Donaldson, a best of 4:53.75, and Olding, 10th at Footlocker Nationals and a best of 4:55.

2 miles: Amanda Trotter(Red Bank, NJ), Katie Harrington ( Carmel, IN), Sunni Olding( Minster,OH), Jennifer Beury ( Hidden Valley, Roanoke, VA ) Joy Griffith ( ACA, AL ), Nikki Bohnsack ( Rockford, MI), Alissa McKaig, (Concordia Lutheran, Ft Wayne, IN ), Katelyn Kaltenbach ( Smoky Hill, Aurora, CO), Francis Koons, Allentown, PA), and Kathleen Trotter ( Red Bank, NJ) are the leading entries.

Katy Trotter culminated her outstanding cross country season by finishing a somewhat surprising 2nd at the Footlocker National Cross Country Championships. After opening the indoor season very strong, she and her coach decided to forgo the indoor national championships. She said later that the break from racing was what she really needed. At her first big meet, she used a remarkable second 800m to win the Arcadia Invitational 1600m in 4:48.62, a personal best. She has a modest season best of 10:44.8 for 3200m entering, but will be a strong favorite to win.

Amanda Trotter missed qualifying for the Footlocker Cross Country finals after running with her identical twin, 2nd place at the Footlocker, Katy for almost all meets during  the season. She has equally as fast times as her sister this year in track.  Her fastest this year, 10:28.31, came in finishing 4th at the Arcadia Invitational. She also won 1600m and 3200m at the New Jersey Meet of Champions in 4:52.78 and 10:45.90. Both Trotters will attend Stanford in the fall.

Harrington has steadily improved since last year’s 7th place finish in the mile at Golden West, 4:56.04 and her season best of 10:48.5c two mile from last year to become one of the top runners as a junior. She finished 17th at Footlockers Cross Country Nationals, 2nd in the mile at NIC and 2nd at the Arcadia Invitational where she posted a best of 10:27.12.

Olding has had a big year so far as she ended her cross country season with a 10th place finish at Footlocker Nationals. This track season she has posted a best of 10:32.75 at the Roosevelt Memorial Invitational. She’s also a two time Ohio state titlist in cross country, and in the 1600m and 800m in track. Not bad for someone not listed in the mile or two mile on Dyestat.com’s 2002 elite list.

After a great freshman year where she helped set the Colorado state 4x800m track record, Katelyn Kaltenbach, sister of Megan, made immense progress in cross country in the fall. She ended the season with a 7th place and All American finish at Footlocker Cross Country Nationals. This track season, she ran her best 3200m time 10:37.60 to finish 6th at the Arcadia Invitational. She has improved her 1600m time to 5:00.40, won her first individual 3200m Colorado title, and helped lower the 4x800m record to 9:01.83.

Bohnsack was sensational her freshman year, but a growth spurt hindered her progress. Now, her coach Brad Prins says, she's become accustomed to the changes and is beginning to show the promise she once showed. She had a gritty anchor leg to hold off Bayshore in the 4x800m at NIC's for the win and posted a sub 5:00 leg in the DMR to set lead her team to a meet record 11:56.87 in the DMR. Outdoors, she won the 1600m, 4:55.06, the 3200m, 10:57.03 and anchored her team to victory in the 4x800m.

McKaig has a best of 10:37 for 3200m. Koons took second in the 3200m with a 10:40.88 at the Pennsylvania 3A State Championships.

Molly Huddle set the meet record of 10:01.08 last year and there is a possible record assault with such a great field.

100m Hurdles: Alandra Sherman( Eisenhower, Houston, TX ), Porscha Dobson( Kent Place, NJ), Ashlee Brown(JW North, Riverside, CA),Candice Davis ( Pioneer, Ann Arbor, MI), Ronetta Alexander( South, Williamsville, NY ), Pavi’Elle James (Northwestern, Miami, FL), Rachel Wilson, ( Groves, Garden City, GA ), Jessica Ohanaja ( Westbury, Houston, TX ), Tiffany Mc Donald, ( Peoria, AZ ), and Shantia Moss( Pompano Beach, FL ), are the leading entries.

Sherman, a junior, enters as the favorite after registering a 13.25 at the Texas 5A meet. She backed that up with a win and MVP honors at the Great Southwest Classic in Albuquerque, NM. Her time at both those meets rank her #1 in the US and is tied for the fifth fastest time ever.

Dobson moved to US #2 after her sensational 13.50 breakthrough performance at the New Jersey Meet of Champions on June 5th. Prior to that performance, Dobson had posted a 13.79 best in the prelims of the New Jersey Parochial B Championships. She also won the 200m there. She will attend the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill in the fall.

Brown posted a windy 13.54 at California southern sections. The wind was just 0.1 over the allowable. She will attend Penn State in the fall.

Davis is the 60m hurdles NIC Champ , Alexander, had the fastest 60m hurdle time indoors, McDonald was 4th at NIC, James, a sophomore, broke the Florida State Meet Record with her 13.69 and has been selected for the 2003 World Youth team, and Moss, 2A Florida State Champ complete the strong field.

Joanna Hayes( JW North Riverside, CA) set the meet record in 1995 and one can expect Sherman to slip under that. The national record, 12.95 by Candy Young(Beaver Falls, PA) may be in Sherman’s sight next year.

400m Hurdles: Nicole Leach( West Catholic, Philadelphia, PA ), Katya Kostetskaya (Jonesboro, AR), Christina Smith(William Penn, Philadelphia, PA ), Sierra Hill( Landmark Christian, GA), and Rachel Wilson( Groves, GA ) are the leading entries.

Leach, a sophomore, blazed to a 2nd place finish and US #1 time of 59.00 at the Penn Relays. She has been selected to the World Youth team. Smith ran her best, 59.33, at Morgan state, placed 4th at Penn in 59.89 and placed 2nd to Kostetskaya with her 1:00.50 at the Golden South Classic. Kostetskaya won the Golden South Classic easily in 59.26. She also ran 59.36 in the prelims. Her 41.57 at Fort Smith, AR is the second fastest 300m hurdle time in the US. She is a very intense competitor and one should pay attention to her near hour long warm-up which includes a lot of stretching and full speed runs through two flights of hurdles.

Tawana  Watkins(JFK, Paterson, NJ) set the meet record of 57.48. That may be possible as Kostetskaya looked easy winning Golden South.

2000m Steeplechase: Erin Demchko( Pearl River, NY ), Katie Dobransky ( Clarkstown South, NY) ,Toni Lynn Salucci( Shoreham-Wading River, NY ), Courtney Hall (Bishop Kenny, Jacksonville, FL) are the leading entries.

Demchko won the Loucks Games over Salucci by 2.58 seconds.  Dobransky finished 4th last year. Hall is a two time Florida 3A State 1600m Champ and placed 2nd at the Golden South mile in a personal best of 5:00.08.

The meet and national record, 6:52.25, was set by Liz Gesel( Central, Manchester, NH) which is an average of 1:22.45 per lap or 5:29.80/5:31.72 1600m/mile pace. This could be in the range of many of the entrants in this rarely contested event.

4x100m Relay: Elsik( Alief, TX), Skyline( Dallas, TX) Peoria(AZ), Collins Hill( Suwanee, GA), Franklin( Somerset, NJ), William Penn( Philadelphia, PA), Northwestern(Miami, FL) and Evanston( IL ) are the leading entries. Elisk has been on a tear this season posting wins at the 5A Texas State meet and the Great Southwest Classic. Their non altitude best of 44.90 at the Texas state meet ranks them 2nd All-Time.It is 1.1 seconds faster than their winning performance as last year’s AOC. They posted an AOC meet record of 45.47 in the AOC prelims. Their altitude best is 44.63. The team of Gloria Asumnu, Chantelle Willard, Francheska Ketchum and Jamee Jones will certainly threaten their own meet record of 45.47 and possibly
the national record set by St. Bernard,(Playa del Rey, CA) set in 1997. Skyline placed 2nd to Elsik at the 5A Texas State Champs in 45.51. They won three relay titles, the 4x100m, 4x200m and the 4x400m, at the Texas Relays, a sensational feat in relay strong Texas.

Collins Hill, Georgia 5A State Champion, Peoria, 2nd at Mt. Sac and 5A Arizona State Champs, William Penn, 5th at the Penn Relays, Evanston, Illinois 2A State Champs, Northwestern, Florida 4A State Champions and  Franklin, 4x400m and 4x100m NJ State champs round out the field.

4 x 200m Relay: Elsik( Alief, TX), Skyline( Dallas, TX), Evanston( IL),Franklin(Somerset, NJ), Morgan Park, ( Chicago, IL) , William Penn( Philadelphia, PA) and  Wilbur Cross(New Haven, CT ) are the leading entries.

Elsik again beat out Skyline at the Texas 5A State meet to post their best mark of the season, 1:34.51. That mark erased the national record of 1:34.60 set by Westbury (Houston, TX) in 1998. They were second last year at AOC.

Skyline won the Texas Relays and their mark of 1:35.95 set at the Texas State meet is tied for #5 All Time.  Evanston won the Illinois 2A State title with Morgan 2nd. Franklin was an indoor “power” as well as the Connecticut Group L Team State Champions, Wilbur Cross, powered by top 2 placers in the 100m and 200m( 24.77 and 24.89), Shanea and Shantea Calhoun , and William Penn with the duo of Christina Smith and Juanita Broaddus, round out the field.

4 x 400m Relay: Elsik(Alief, TX), Skyline(Dallas, TX ), Willingboro( NJ) and Northwestern(Miami, FL) are the leading entrants.

Elsik completed their sweep of the relays at the Texas 5A state Championships with their 3:43.01 win over Westbury(Houston, TX) and Skyline, 3:44.49. The time was slightly off their 3:42.95 at the regional meet. Skyline swept the three relays at the Texas Relays. Willingboro is powered by New Jersey 400m Class III State Champ, Ogbuorkiri, who scored 34 of her team’s 46 points for state runner-up honors. They finished 3rd at last year’s AOC. William Penn, Philadelphia Public League Team Champions who are anchored by All-Americans Christina Smith and Juanita Broaddus were 3rd  at NIC this year and 2nd at AOC last year. Northwestern was 3rd at the Florida 4A State Championships.

4x800m Relay: Bronxville( NY), Saratoga(NY), Voorhees(NJ), and Bay Shore, NY are the leading entries.

Last year at AOC’s, Bronxville came in and set the national record in the 4x 1 mile. Kate Ogorzaly, 5:09.5, Caroline Mullen, 5:08.2, Catha Mullen, 5:02.4 and Michelle Rorke 4:51.5  stunned the early  Saturday morning crowd by lowering the national record by  13 seconds to 20:11.56. Afterwards, they hurried through awards ceremony and photo opportunities so that two of runners, Ogorzaly and Rorke could get back for their graduation ceremony in New York. With those two gone, a big void was left  to be filled. In stepped in Liz Bergold( 2:10.2) and Beth Butler(2:17.8). The pair have added a new dimension and now have Bronxville threatening the 4 x 800m meet record, 8:50.60(2001), and national record, 8:50.41(2002) set by Boys and Girls( Brooklyn, NY). Their best of 8:53.3 was set in less than favorable conditions. They have two more performances under 9:00; 8:57.90 at the Louck Games and 8:59.7 in the New York Sectionals. With two meets remaining, the New York State meet and AOC, they may have a good shot at lowering the record. Also of note, Bronxville’s 4x mile quartet average 1500 on the SAT’s last year. The Mullen sisters will attend Princeton in the fall.

Tradition rich Saratoga enters with a best of 9:03.33 which was good for fifth place at Penn. They won the 4 x  mile at NIC and have a young group which includes sensational froshes Nicole Blood and Lindsey Ferguson,  and Ruby Solomon and Kirsten Hornbach.

Voorhees enters with the top three in the 800m from the New Jersey Group II State Champs; Lindsay Owen, 2:18.30, Sara Best, 2:19.82, and Lauren Rugge, 2:20.24. Bayshore lost by 0.05 seconds in a close battle with Rockford(MI) to place 2nd at NIC. They will have Footlocker All –American, Laura Cummings on their roster.

4x Mile Relay: Saratoga(NY), Bronxville(NY), Turpin(Cincinnati, OH ), Iowa City(IA) and Canyon (Canyon Country, CA ) are the leading entrants. Saratoga just missed Rockford’s national indoor record of 20:23.24 with their 20:24.37 at NIC’s. Again they will have Nicole Blood available, but she is also entered in the two mile and this would make three races. Outdoors, they could possibly threaten the 20:11.56 set by Bronxville in 2002.

Bronxville, the national record holders, enters with a outdoor best of 20:31.4 for the 4x1600m. They had the nation’s third best time indoors using a different line-up than the 4x800m national leading team; Hiller Burton and Helen Millson. Turpin set the next best time, 20:50.52(20:44.52 for the 4x1600m) at Dayton.

Sprint Medley Relay: Willingboro(NJ), Beaumont ( Clevland Heights, OH), West Catholic(Philadelphia, PA)and Southern Regional( NJ) are the leading entries.

Beaumont enters with a projected time of 3:55, which is just outside the meet record of 3:54.39 set by William Penn(Philadelphia, PA) in 1997. Last year, they came extremely close, running 3:55.95. They have Carrie Gladstone, 58.65 performer, Britney Cofield, a 25.83 performer, Ruby Pickens, a 13.08 100m, Robyn Ray, a 1:00.87 400m runner, and Infield, a 2:13 performer on their roster. Willingboro had a US #2 SMR time indoors and Southern Regional has the 2nd fastest time of all the entrants outdoors.

Distance Medley Relay: Red Bank(NJ), Eureka(MO), Saratoga(NY), Rockford(MI), Bronxville(NY), Marquette(MO), Voorhees,(NJ), Bay Shore(NY) , Iowa City (West, IA), Pearl River(NY), Beaumont(Cleveland Heights,OH)and San Marcos(CA) are the leading entrants.

Red Bank set the meet record and just missed the San Lorenzo Valley CA national record, 11: 41.28 (2000) with their 11:42.17 at last year at AOC’s. They lost two members from that team. They have several up and comers to go with bookends, Amanda and Katy Trotter; frosh Christina Nelson a 5:06.79 1600m runner and 2:25 800m runner and 1:08.89 400m hurdler, Beth Mayer and a 1600m relay team which boasts a 4:01.20 best.  At Penn, Amanda Trotter led off with 3:34.6, was followed by Beth Mayer’s 61.8, Christina Nelson’s 2:20.3, and Katy Trotter’s 4:49.9. Their final time of 11:46.59 is their best this season.

Saratoga Springs set their best, 11:56.39, in placing 2nd to Red Bank at the Penn Relays.  Ruby Solomon, 3:42.1, Kirsten Hornbach 63.1, Lindsey Ferguson 2:20.6,  and a 4:50.6 from anchor Nicole Blood brought them from 6th to 2nd.

Bronxville was third a Penn in 11:57.08; Caroline Mullen, 3:39.5, Beth Butler,60.7, Elizabeth Bergold, 2:14.8, and Catha Mullen 5:02.1. 

Eureka comes in with a projected time of 11:52, the second fastest of the field. They had an added surprise this past Monday as Meredith Snow( Millard West, NE) moved into their district after the state meet making her eligible for the DMR team. Snow placed 2nd in to Lange in the 1600m, 4:58.89, and won the 3200m,10:48.86. She will join soph Shannon Leinert, the Missouri State Class 4 800m Champ, 2:09.88, and junior 1600m state champ, Kasey Kimball, 4:59.26, a 62 second quarter miler to shore up an already strong team.

Rockford won the 4x800m and placed 2nd in the 4x mile at NIC. They have 4:55.06 1600m runner Nikki Bohnsack who has recovered from a lingering hip/lower back injury suffered last summer that limited her progress. Beaumont(Cleveland Heights, OH) comes in witha projected time of 11:52.

High Jump: Ashley Robbins( Mc Mullen County, Tilden, TX), Maura Burk ( Freehold Township, NJ )and Debra Vento( Freehold Boro, NJ) are the leading entries.

Robbins, a Texas A&M signee, is defending USATF Junior National Champ and was 2nd at last year’s AOC’s. She won the NIC title, has a best mark of 5-11 this year and a lifetime best of 6-00.25 from last year, and won the Texas 1A State Championship with a 5-10 clearence. Robbins had arthroscopic surgery on her knee in December.

Debra Vento was 3rd at NIC and New Jersey Group II champ and is a Duke signee. Burk, a junior, was Group IV New Jersey State Champ . Both jumped 5-10 at their state meets to win.

Pole Vault: Jenny Green(Central Catholic, Grand Island, NE), Anna Mc Farlane (Concord, MA ), Julene Bailey ( Skyview, Nampa, ID), Sara Young (Thornwell, SC ),Ashley Nolet(Lowell, MA ), Ashley Laughli (Marble Falls, TX ), Melanie Buczko (Butler, PA ),Natalie Moser( Wharton, Tampa, FL,)  and Britni Lawrence( Buda Hays,TX) are the leading entries.

Green cleared her best height, 13-03, at her Nebraska district meet; the clearance equaled the best mark in the nation at that point. She also has a 13-02 mark to her credit. She broke her own meet record, 12-10, with her 13-0 vault to win the Class B Nebraska State Championship. Indoors she won the NIC’s. She was 4th at last year’s AOC. She will attend Nebraska in the fall.

McFarlane’s best, 13-01, was set indoors. She placed 2nd at NIC. Her outdoor best , 11-06, was set in placing 2nd at the Penn Relays. She was 12th at last year’s AOC.

2001 World Youth Games and 2002 World Juniors team member, Bailey, had a indoor best of 13-03A on Feb. 7th. She had trouble finding good weather early in the outdoor track season as wind and cold wreaked havoc at her meets. On May 6, she finally got was she was looking for, a 13-0 jump. She will attend Brigham Young in the fall.

Lawrence cleared her best height, 12-10, at the Texas Relays. She claimed the 5A State title with a 12-06 jump and won the Great Southwest Classic at 12-9. Indoors, she was 6th at NIC.

The field also includes; Young, 4th at NIC, Nolet, 6th at NIC, 7th last year at AOC, and Moser, the Florida State 4A State Champ.

The meet record, 13-01.5 was set by reigning 2003 NCAA Indoor Champ, Lacy Janson ( Cardinal Mooney, Sarasota, FL) in 2001 and could be threatened this year.  The national record of 13-08 set by Shayla Ballentine( Morro Bay,CA) in 2001 could also be in jeopardy.

Long Jump: Gayle Hunter(JW North, Riverside, CA), Erica Mc Lain( East, Plano, TX ), Tianna Madison(Elyria, OH), Francheska Ketcham(Elsik, Alief, TX) and Deborah Hawkins (Lower Richland, SC ) are the leading entries.

Hunter, a junior, has the best mark in the nation, 20-8.75 which she set at Mt. Carmel on March 29th. That’s nearly two feet better than her best indoor performance in March. She had a windy best last year of 20-00.5. Ketcham defeated McLain at the 5A Texas State Track meet with her season best of 20-00.75. Ketcham had the US # 2 performance last year with her windy 20-08.5 jump to win the Texas 5A State Champs.

McLain won USATF Juniors last year and finished 12th at the World Junior Champs. She was 4th at last year’s NIC and 3rd this year. She placed 3rd in the 5A Texas State Track meet.

Hunter and McClain have been selected to this year's World Youth team. Madison won NIC in 2002 and was 2nd this year. She was 2nd at AOC last year. Hawkins won the South Carolina 4A State Champs with a leap of 19-01.

The meet record is 20-03.75 set by Kim Jones( Grimsley, Greensboro, NC) in 1999 and could go down.

Triple Jump: Cassie Gullickson (Brentwood, TN), Erica Mc Lain( East, Plano, TX ), Lauren Stewart( Brentwood, TN), Michelle Rogers( Dacula, GA), and Deborah Hawkins( Lower Richland, SC)are the leading entries.

Gullickson was 3rd at NIC’s with a 40-11.75 jump. Since then she has improved a startling 2 feet to with her 43-00.25 best at her regional meet. She won the 3A Tennessee State meet with 41-11.75 jump. She also won the pentathlon with a new state meet record of 3687 points, the long jump, 18-02.25,placed 2nd in the high jump, 5-06, and  placed 2nd in the 100m hurdles, 14.33 to account for 46 of her team’s 120.5 points. She will attend Notre Dame in the fall.

Her teammate, Stewart, a sophomore, finished 2nd at state in the triple jump with her season best equaling 41-07, 2nd in the pentathlon, 3415, 1st in the high jump, 5-08, and  6th in the 100m and 300m hurdles, 15.19 and 46.96 to score 32 points. Between the two, they scored 78 of their team’s 120.5.  Their coach is the 1988 USATF Decathlon Champ and Olympic Team member, Gary Kinder.

McLain won the Texas 5A State meet and the NIC meet. She finished 2nd at last year’s NIC’s and was 2nd at USATF Juniors. Her best this season, 42-00 was set in slightly windy conditions; 0.2 over the 2.0mps allowable for record purposes.

Rogers has improved immensely over her 39-01 mark from last year. Her best of 40-09.75 was set at the Coaches’ Invitational on March 22. She placed 2nd at the Georgia 5a State Champs  with a 38-05.5 jump. Hawkins was 3rd at the South Carolina 4A State Champs with a leap of 39-08.25.

The meet record,41-10.75, was set in 1999 by Jodi Schlesinger ( Clarkstown, SW Nyack, NY) and could be beaten by either of the top three.

Shot Put: Michelle Carter(Red Oak, TX ), Liz Podominick ( Lakeville, MN), Michaela Wallerstadt (Burke, Omaha, NE ) and Della Clark, Marietta, GA (44-7) are the leading entries.

Carter has had a memorable senior season. She won her fourth consecutive shot put title at the Texas Relays and fourth consecutive shot put and discus Texas Class 4A state meet titles. The daughter of 1984 Olympic Silver Medalist, Michael Carter, set the national outdoor mark of 54-4.5 at the Texas 4A Region 2 Championships to better the 20-year-old high mark of 53-07.75 set by Natalie Kaaiawahia (Fullerton, CA) and broke it again at the state meet with a 54-10.75 heave. That goes with her national indoor mark of 54-09.50 set at the NIC’s  on March 16th.  She was silver medalist at the 2001 World Youth Championships in Debrecen, Hungary,  won the shot put at Golden West and AOC last year and placed 3rd  in the shot put at the USATF Junior Champs. She will join the strong freshman incoming freshman group at Texas in the fall.

Podominick finished 2nd at AOC’s last year and was 1st in 2001. She is a Minnesota signee.

Clark was 5th at NIC’s, is the 5A Georgia Shot put State Champion and has signed with Clemson, and Wallaerstadt is the Nebraska Class 1A state shot put champion and was selected to the World Youth team. Carter fell short of the meet record last year with her 51-01 performance.

Laura Gerraughty (Nashua, NH) set the record in 2000 with her 51-11.25 mark. Carter will most likely improve that and may have a shot at improving on her national record.

Discus: Liz Podominick( Lakeville, MN), Lindsay Grigoriev( Atholton, Columbia, NJ), Michelle Carter(Red Oak, TX ) and Amy Bilmanis(Thomas Stone, MD) are the leading entries.

Podominick placed 2nd last year at AOC’s and enters with a best of 160-08. Carter was 3rd, Grigoriev, 6th and Bilmanis, 8th at last year’s AOC. Grigoriev won her second straight Penn Relays this year with a meet record 160-5.

Hammer Throw: Kristen Callan( Monroe-Woodbury, NY ), Marie Stinger( Lovett, Atlanta, GA ), Danielle Dufresne(Toll Gate, Warwick, RI) and Kelly Reynolds(Toll Gate, Warwick, RI ) are the leading entries.

Callan won the 4th last year and won the weight throw at NIC’s in March. Stringer was 9th at last year’s AOC and placed 3d at NIC in the weight throw. She will join throw power Florida next year. Dufresne was 6th last year and placed 5th at NIC in the weight throw. Reynolds was 3rd last year and 4th at NIC in the weight throw, won the Golden West Invitational, and will attend Duke next year. Callan’s season best of 182-04 is close to the meet record of 187-10 set by Maureen Griifin( Pocatello, ID) in 1997). Stringer’s best of 179-06 is a very close second. The two could challenge the record.

Javelin: Ruby Radocaj (Williamsport, PA), Ashley Keats(Salina, KS ), Kelly Robinson( Raritan, Hazlet, NJ)and Amanda Harmata( Raritan, Hazlet, NJ) are the leading entrants.

Harmata and Robinson went 1-2 at the NJ Group II State meet. Rodocaj is the Pennsylvania Class 3A State champion and finished 4th at last year’s AOC. Keats is the defending AOC Champ and won the 5A Kansas State Championship. She will attend Virginia Tech next fall.

 

a new distance peak
sub-4:00, sub-4:40, sub-2:05? it could happen this year

by John Dye

RALEIGH NC 5/21/2003 -- You might have thought the high school distance running resurgence peaked 2 years ago with the graduation of Alan Webb, Dathan Ritzenhein, and Ryan Hall. You would have been wrong. This year's AOC distance fields may be the deepest ever. With 2-mile and cross country king Chris Solinsky dropping to the mile, meet managers are even daring to think of a sub-4 minute mile -- it has only been done once before in a high school only race (Jim Ryun in Kansas in 1965).

Meanwhile, the girls distance stars just keep on coming in waves every year. Ari Lambie's 4:42.21 at Penn Relays was the fastest high school girls mile in 18 years and made her the 8th fastest ever. Sub-4:40 has only been done by two girls, both in 1982 -- Polly Plumer CA 4:35.24 and Kim Gallagher PA 4:36.94 -- and both did it one more time that year. Perennial champion Megan Kaltenbach is still around, along with rising stars Nicole Blood, Katie Harrington, and Sarah Bowman.

A sub-2:05 girls 800m has happened only once in the last 18 years. It could happen again this year or next with three undergrads topping the US charts.

Some of the top entries 3 weeks before the meet:

BOYS
GIRLS

Mile

  • Matt DeBole NC - 4:09.64 1600m winner of North Carolina 4A.
  • Steve Magness TX - front running 4:01.58 1600m at a district meet was one of the fastest ever.
  • Leonel Manzano TX - Texas Relays winner in 4:06.29 1600m .
  • Kyle Miller TX - 4:09.06 1600m in Texas Relays and Texas 5A 2-mile champion.
  • Adam Perkins MO - 4:10.12 mile at Kansas Relays; running unattached this year.
  • Stephen Pifer IL - turning heads with 4:05.25 1600m and 8:57.80 3200m in local meets.
  • Chris Solinsky WI - fastest 2-miler in the US the last 2 years and Foot Locker cross country national champion
  • Eric Stanley TX - ran second to Magness in district meet in 4:03. 77.
  • Sam Vazquez FL - 3:47.63 1500m at Florida State Relays and Florida 3A 1600m champ.

Most notable omission is Bobby Curtis, most consistent winner in the country for 3 years, who is scheduled for the Golden West June 15.

2 Mile

With Solinsky dropping down to the mile, the field is diminished, but not by much.

  • Mark Alizzi NY - 8:59.63 in Arcadia 3200.
  • Nef Araia IN - 4th, Foot Locker CC nationals
  • Brian Dalpiaz NY - 8:28.16 300m winner at Penn Relays
  • Hakon Devries NY - Foot Locker CC national finalist
  • Steve Hassen FL - 8:52.75 in Arcadia 3200; 8:57.40 2nd in Nike Indoor Championships.
  • Galen Rupp OR - 8:14.00 3000m at Oregon Twilight; 9:00.89 3rd in Nike Indoor Championships, Foot Locker CC national finalist
  • Brent Vaughn CO - 8:45.60 2nd in Arcadia 3200m; Colorado 5A champ
  • Christian Wagner IN - popping great times in Indiana local meets, including 8:56.40 3200m.
  • Alec Wall OR - 8:14.77 3000m indoors; Foot Locker CC national finalist

Mile

  • Nicole Blood NY - 4:52.00 winner of Millrose Games indoor; 4:50.15 3rd at AOC Raleigh last year; 4:50 split in Penn Relays DMR this year.
  • Sarah Bowman VA - fast rising sophomore star; 4:46.73 winner of Southern Classic; 4:48.69 2nd to Lambie at Penn Relays.
  • Katie Harrington IN - 2nd in both mile and 2-mile at Nike Indoor Championships at 4:51.18 and 10:31.70; 10:27.12 2nd in Arcadia 3200m.
  • Megan Kaltenbach CO - 4:43.54 winner of 2002 AOC mile; Nike Indoor mile in March was her only loss on the track in her entire high school career. She has also won at Penn Relays, Arcadia, and the Golden West.
  • Ari Lambie MA - sensational senior year before heading to Stanford; record setting 4:42.21 win at Penn Relays.

800 meters

  • Katya Kostetskaya AR soph - 2:07.23 at Kansas Relays; 2:07.57 indoors at AR state meet; Russian-born exchange student is just a sophomore and has multi-event versatility.
  • Heidi Magill UT jr - 2:07.88 winning at Arcadia for 2nd straight year; 2:06.34 at 2002 Arcadia was US fastest of year; after running 2nd in Foot Locker cross country West regional, Heidi declared her goal in 800 this year is 2:02.
  • Mackenzie Pierce NC soph - 2:06.66 in a local meet shot her to the US#1. Her previous best was 2:12.24 at last year's AOC (7th). She also has a 4:59.01 mile at the Taco Bell meet (1st).
Names are listed alphabetically. No ranking is intended.

 

Michelle Carter: like father, like daughter

by Pete Cava

INDIANAPOLIS, May 29, 2003 --- In more than a hundred years of American Olympic track and field history there have been just two parent-child combinations.

The first was Alice Arden and her son Russ Hodge. Arden was a high jumper at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin while Hodge competed in the decathlon at the Tokyo Games in 1964.

Next came Charlie Jenkins, a gold medallist in the 400 and 4x400 relay events of the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne. In 1992 his son, Chip, won gold as a member of the U.S. 4x400 meter relay at the Barcelona Olympics.

Will Michael and Michelle Carter become the next members of this elite cadre? Michael won a medal at the 1984 Olympics. Michelle is one of the America’s top track and field prospects and ranks among the top entries for the adidas Outdoor Championships at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, June 13-14.

The Carters have already made history as the first father-daughter record holders in high school track and field. Michael says Michelle’s dedication and passion for the sport will determine the Carter family joins the list of parent-child Olympians. Michael is surprised that so few children of Olympic track athletes have followed their parents to the Games. “That’s a special group,” he says. “You’d think there’d be more. When your parent is an Olympian, you have guidance and know how to avoid the pitfalls.”

In 1979, when Michael was a senior at Jefferson High School in Dallas, he set a national record of 81 feet, 3.5 inches with the high school shot. Still on the books, the record may be as untouchable as Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point single-game scoring binge in 1962.

On April 26 Michelle, a senior at Red Oak, Texas, High School, put the shot 54-4.5 at the Texas 4A Region 2 Championships. Michelle’s toss bettered the 20-year-old high mark of 53-7.75 by Californian Natalie Kaaiawahia.

Michelle broke the record a second time on May 9 at the state meet in Austin with a heave of 54-10.75. She already owns the national prep indoor mark, 54-9.5 at the Nike Indoor Championships last March in Landover, Md.

Michelle has dominated the prep girls weight events in Texas, winning the state shot and discus titles four years in a row. “It means a lot to me,” she says of her double four-peat. “I haven’t heard of too many people who win both events all four years. I was kind of happy to do that.”

Michelle is part of a strong group of homegrown talent recruited by Bev Kearney at the University of Texas. Kearney, the 2000 U.S. Olympic women’s coach, has also corralled sprinter/long jumper Marshevet Hooker (Southwest, San Antonio) and sprinter Jerrika Chapple (Lancaster).

“Michelle had no intention of signing with Texas, but Bev asked her to visit,” says Michael. “She was all set to sign with Tennessee when she went to Austin. Texas won her over when she looked at the whole program, the athletics and the academic side.”

Michael Carter went to Southern Methodist University, where he starred in track and football. He won seven NCAA shot put titles for the Mustangs and earned all-conference honors in football. In 1984 he placed second in the shot put at the Los Angeles Olympics. Less than a week later he was playing football for the San Francisco 49ers.

Carter went on to become an all-pro nose tackle in the NFL. During a nine-year career with San Francisco he played in three Super Bowls (1985-89-90). He’s one of a handful of athletes --- Jim Thorpe, Ollie Matson and Bob Hayes come to mind --- who distinguished themselves in the Olympics and professional football.

Most two-sports stars gladly abandoned their track careers for football glory. Carter, on the other hand, wanted to continue a dual career in sports. “If the rules barring professionals in track changes,” he told reporters after the Olympics, “my shot putting might not be over.”

The big guy (6-2, 275 when he competed in the Olympics) feels he could have done better if he’d been able to concentrate on track. “If I was strictly a shot putter, and not splitting my time with football, I would have set the world record,” he says.

Michelle took up sports at an early age. But she chose basketball and soccer over track. When Michelle switched from a private to a public school, she didn’t make the basketball team. Wanting to stay active in sports, she told her parents she was going to try putting the shot.

“I was really surprised,” says Michael. “It wasn’t going to come from me. I wasn’t going to push her.”

Michelle says her father never mentioned his track and field exploits. “He never did push it,” she recollects. “He never threw it in my face. I didn’t hear much about his track career until my freshman year, and then I heard about it from other people. Then I asked him, and he told me stories about it.”

Michael says Michelle and her sister D’Andra, also a promising high school thrower, have rarely seen his Olympic medal. “All my awards are still at my mother’s house,” he says, “so they don’t see it.”

While maintaining a low-key profile, Michael has played an important part in his daughter’s track career. Red Oak High School coach Hope Porter described Michelle to USA Today as “the cream of the crop” when it comes to technique and fundamentals.

Michelle won a silver medal at the 2001 World Youth Championships in Debrecen, Hungary. Last year she won the shot at the Golden West Invitational in Sacramento and took third behind a pair of collegiate throwers at the U.S. Junior Championships at Stanford. She heads to Raleigh as the defending shot put champ in the adidas meet. She also placed third last year in the discus.

Michelle says she always competes against herself during meets and, unlike most young athletes, she has no idols. “I don’t look up to anyone,” she says. “If I look up to anyone, it’s my dad. He worked hard and was very dedicated.”

Still, Michelle insists that she’s not following in her father’s footsteps. “He did his own thing, and I’m doing mine,” she says. “But it’s nice to use his career as a guideline.”

Michael says his daughter’s future is completely in her hands. “I’m not one of those parents who’ll stand behind her with a whip,” he says. “I’ll guide her and point her in the right direction. But it’s got to come from her. She’s got to have the heart for it.”

Can Michelle surpass her father’s achievements with an Olympic triumph and a world record?

“Everything is in her lap right now,” says Michael. “It’s going to be a lot of pressure on her. She has to do the work, learn the technique and get rid of her faults and train properly. If she has the love and compassion to do it, it’ll get done.”

 

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