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USATF Junior Olympic Championships

Tues.-Sat., July 24-29, 2007

Mt. San Antonio College, Walnut CA


DyeStat On-Site with Doug Speck, Rich Gonzalez and Mike Kennedy

Day 2

Full Results - Rich Gonzalez Story - Mike Kennedy Sums -

Doug Speck Photo Album
- DyeStatCal Coverage -

Highlights
  • Texas Stars TC, with World Youth team member Howard Shepard, plus Eric Gosset, Jodale Burkley and Kourtney Payne, set a meet and national record in the Intermediate Boys 4x800 at 7:41.30
  • United Stars TC, with US#1 and #3 all-time Chanelle Price on the anchor - plus Syeeda Gee, Ije Iheoma and Bonita Taylor - broke their club's own meet and national record in the Young Women's 4x800, hitting 8:50.72
  • Daniel Gooris NM rallied from third in the final three events to win the YM decathlon with 6,850 points
  • Victoria Dunlap TN took the YW heptathlon with 4,929 points. Oregon's Andrew Gay (6,300) and Shanay Briscoe of the Northwest Flyers (4,779) won the Intermediate Divisions.
  • The Iowa TC, led by anchor Aaron Stockstell, led 3 teams under 7:45 in the YM 4x800, with a 7:40.50. Track Eastern NC with Anthony Hendrix, went 7:43.30 to nip Hummingbird TC with Kelly Thibou 7:43.60.
  • Roberto Vergara TX moved to #5 all-time in the 3000m racewalk, winning the YM division over brother Ricardo, 13:21.31 to 13:59.80.


 
 
Daniel Gooris NM, YM decathlon winner - Photo by Doug Speck
 Roberto Vergara TX now #5 all-time in the 3000m racewalk
Photo by Doug Speck
 Victoria Dunlap TN grits out her YW heptathlon win - Photo Doug Speck


Day 2 Recap - Gooris Rallies To Win YM Deca

By Rich Gonzalez, DyeStat.com

WALNUT (July 25, 2007) -- Competing in only the second decathlon of his life, Andrew Blaser had already drawn halfway toward the esteemed 7,000-point barrier and an upset of the nation's top youngsters. One couldn't blame Blaser if he was caught waiting for the shoe to drop on his dream.

But literally?

Blaser's early command of the 10-event challenge hit a sudden roadblock in the first event of Day Two as the Idaho state hurdling champion saw one of his spikes became dislodged during the high hurdles, sending him to the finish line much slower than anticipated. But even the Day One leader's sudden loss of event momentum was not the full story as New Mexico's other decathlete enjoyed a sensational closing to win the two-day challenge in Wednesday's multi-event highlights at the USATF Junior Olympics meet at Mt. San Antonio College,

Daniel Gooris (Albuquerque TC) posted the best mark in two of the final three events to rally from third place to the top spot with a winning total of 6,850 points. University of Texas-bound Kenny Greaves was second (6,683) and Southern California's DeShawn Shead (Highland HS/Desert Lightning Track) enjoyed a lifetime best 6,361 to claim third. New Mexico's Curtis Beach, who placed fourth in the rarely contested octathlon at the recent World Youth Championships in the Czech Republic, did not finish as a mild first-day ankle injury, and the overall wear of a long season, caused him to elect to pull out after Day One at the slight urging of three of his event coaches.

Gooris, a junior-to-be at New Mexico's Cibola HS, emerged as the favorite after his training partner (Beach) pulled out, with the 6-foot-3 star not disappointing. Gooris, a mid-16-foot pole vaulter, cleared 15-05 here in the event and then the off-season cross-country runner posted a competition-leading 4:37.57 for 1500 meters under very hot (90-degrees plus) conditions to seal the decathlon win.

Six of the top eight placers achieved career-best point totals, with several competitors participating in only their second lifetime 10-eventer. Among those to watch down the road may be Virginia's John Morris II, who arrived here with two lofty goals -- place in the top eight (All-American status) and score 6,000 points. With a strong effort in the javelin, Morris eventually placed 8th with 6,001 points. Making the performance more commendable was that his family drove for two full days straight to make the meet (citing lucrative $800-per-airline-ticket prices as prohibitive), thus deadening his legs somewhat for the competition.

Victoria Dunlap (Continental T-Bells) of the multi-events hotbed state of Tennessee won the Young Women's Heptathlon with a career-best 4,929 points, with any reality of a pre-meet goal of 5,000 points going by the wayside under the searing temperatures. Regardless, a strong showing by her in the long jump (18-00.75) was key in propelling her to a 163-point heps win over runner-up Chelsea Carrier of West Virginia). Oregon's Andrew Gay posted a very nice score of 6,300 to claim the Intermediate Boys division win on the decathlon, with Shanay Briscoe of the Northwest Flyers winning the division's heptathlon counterpart with 4,779 points.

The big highlights in the ever-popular relays were a pair of sizzling record performances in the Intermediate Boys and Young Women's divisions of the 4x800. Howard Shepard and Co. of the Texas Stars TC sliced nearly 13 big seconds off the meet and divisional record to win the 8-lap challenge in 7:41.30, while two-lap international star Chanelle Price of Pennsylvania keyed a stunning 8:50.72 meet/divisional record for the United Stars TC in their 4x800 affair.

Thursday's Day Three action will focus heavily on qualifying in the track events plus several selected field event finals.




Mike Kennedy's Event-by-Event Summaries

Young Men - Intermediate Boys - Young Women - Intermediate Girls


Young Men (17-18)

Decathlon
Finals

Standings after First Day

1. Andrew Blaser (Team Idaho/Meridian, Id.), 3,576; 2. Isaac Teichgrab (Pacific Northwest/Stanwood, Wa.), 3,518; 3. Daniel Gooris (Albuquerque TC/Cibola, Albuquerque, N.M.), 3,454; 4. DeShawn Shead (Desert Lightning/Highland HS, Ca.), 3,388; 5. Morrey Brown (Pacific Northwest/Kentridge, Kent, Wa.), 3,328. 6. Kenny Greaves (Texas Express/Coppell, Tx.), 3,308.

Andrew Blaser had the second best 110 hurdles mark at 15.46, worth 795 points and a total of 4,371, that kept him in first by 155 points but in the next two events he threw the discus just 99-3, worth 470 points, and vaulted just 10-6, worth 406 points, and dropped of the top four for good. DeShawn Shead threw the discus 122-6, worth 611 points and moved into lead by 12 points.

Daniel Gooris and Kenny Greaves both cleared 15-5 in the pole vault, worth 819 points and took over the top two spots with 5,656 and 5,554 points, respectively with two events remaining. Gooris moved from third to first and Greaves from fourth to second. Shead was in third with 5,374. The two remained that way with Gooris scoring 6,850 points and Greaves, 6,683. Shead dropped to fourth, by 45 points, when Isaac Teichgreb threw the javelin 156-7, worth 555 points. However, a 4:55.23 in the 1,500, worth 588 points, moved him back into third with 6,361 points.


Intermediate Boys (15-16)

Decathlon
Final


Standings After First Day

1. Neamen Wise (Lake Brantley, Fl.), 3,068; 2. Thomas Filer (Bellevue Breeze/East, Bellevue, Nb.), 3,033; 3. Andrew Gay (Putnam, Milwaukie, Or.), 2,988; 4. Dakotah Keys (Sweet Home, Or.), 2,968; 5. Kennedy Daugherty (Speedsters, Tx.), 2,857; 6. Shawn Wilson (Finger Lakes, N.Y.), 2,814.

Neamen Wise kept the lead by 84 points with the best 110 hurdles time of 15.57, worth 782 points, but Andrew Gay moved from third to second with his 15.60, worth 778 points before taking over the lead for good with the best discus throw of the competition—a 156-2 worth 821 points and a seven-event total of 4,587.

Wise dropped to second with a 113-8 effort worth 531 points and a total of 4,407. Gay improved his lead to 377 points with the best pole vault of the competition at 12-9 ½, worth 590 points. Guy maintained his position with a 155-3 javelin throw, worth 549 points and a 5,726 total. Dakotah Keys had the best javelin throw of 170-11, worth 620 points and a 5,392 to move from third to second.

Keys ran 4:43.87 in the final event of the competition, the 1,500, but his 656 points was not enough to catch Gay, who ran 4:57.58, worth 574 points and a winning total of 6,300. Keys finished at 6,048 and Wise finished third by 348 points.


Young Women (17-18)

Heptathlon
Finals


Standings After First Day

1. Victoria Dunlap (Continental T-Bells/Brentwood Academy, Brentwood, Tn.), 3,103; 2. Chelsea Carrier Capital City/Buckhannon-Upshur, Buckhannon, W.Va.), 2,997; 3. Kiani Profit, Pasadena Running Roses/Muir, Pasadena, Ca.), 2,831; 4. Akira McSwain (Hunters Lane, Nashville, Tn.), 2,828; 5. Jessica Flax (Texas Storm, Pearland, Tx.), 2,823.

Victoria Dunlap looked good for taking a run at 5,000 points after an event-leading 18-3 ¾ long jump, worth 723 points, and a five-event total of 3,826. Chelsea Carrier maintained second with a 16-11 ¾ effort worth 603 points and a 3,600 total. Jessica Flax jumped from fifth to third with a 17-1 ¼ jump, worth 617 points and a 3,440 total.

Dunlap and Carrier maintained their positions with throws of 105-4 and 97-10, worth 517 and 473 points respectively, but in the case of Dunlap, who had a six-event total of 4,343, it made the big goal tougher. She was assured of setting set a personal best after the final event, the 800, but would probably just fall short of 5,000 points.

Running in temperatures in the mid 90’s, Dunlap finished in 2:38.88, worth 586 points and a total of 4,929. Carrier checked in with a 2:30.00, worth 693 points, and a total of 4,766. Kiani Profit had the best time at 2:21.52, worth 803 points to move from fourth to third with 4,648 points. Jessica Flax ran 2:25.68, worth 748 points and a 3,596 total that dropped her from third to fourth.


Intermediate Girls (15-16)

Heptathlon
Final


Standings After First Day

1. Shanay Briscoe (Northwest Flyers/Cypress Christian, Houston, Tx.), 3,020; 2. Taylor Johnson (Together Elite/Oak Park, Ca.), 2,807; 3. Precious Selmon (Team Missouri/Crystal City, Mo.), 2,866; 4. Loraine Graham (Vision Elite, Tx.), 2,824; 5. Nefertiti Smith (Norfolk Real Deal/ MS, Chesapeake, Va.), 2,807.

Shanay Briscoe maintained her lead with a 17-1 ¼ jump worth 617 points and a 3,639 total, but it was eight-grader Nefertiti Smith who made the big noise with a legal 19-0 ½ jump worth 789 points and a total of 3,596 to move from fifth to second. Taylor Johnson dropped from second to third despite an excellent 17-9 ½ worth 789 points and a total of 3,574.

Johnson took over the lead after six events with a event-leading 107-7 javelin throw, worth 530 points and a 4,104 total. Briscoe managed just 83-7, worth 391 points and a 4,028 total. Smith threw 80-9, worth 375 points and a 3,971 total.

Briscoe had the best time in the 800—a 2:25.47 worth 751 points and a final total of 4,779—to retake the lead in the final event. Smith moved up one place to second with a 2:44.62, worth 521 points and a 4,492 total. Precious Selmon also moved up one place to third with a 2:40.06, worth 572 points and a 4,432 total. Johnson dropped two places with a 3:04.85, worth 321 points and a 4,425 total.


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