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Girls 60m Hurdles:
Nia Ali NJ 8.36 US#1 this season and US#7 all time
Race has 3 of 4 fastest hurdlers of the 2006 indoor season

Nia Ali
photos by Vic Sailer / PhotoRun

text by Elliott Denman

New Jerseyans know how to clear hurdles. Just ask such folks as Olympians/internationalists Renaldo Nehemiah, Jack
Pierce, Milt Campbell, Dudley Dorival, Todd Matthews, Sultan Tucker, Dawn Bowles and Carol Lewis. Or Charmaine Walker, the Plainfield High grad who has been on the National record charts for the 60 hurdles since her 8.33 in 1987.

Nia Ali's name may now be added to the list of Garden State luminaries over the barriers. The Pleasantville,NJ senior, running for the Mallery Challengers Track Club, is the new NIN champion and her 8.36-second gold medal performance, equaling the meet record and capping the the three-round event, ranks her seventh on the all-time U.S. charts.

Ten morning heats whittled the 50-runner entry to 18 semifinalists, fastest of them Baltimore's Theresa Lewis of the Flying Doves Track Club (8.50), the Dallas Flyers' April Williams (8.63) and Anderson, SC/Westside Quick Striders Jasmine Stowers (98.68.) It took a 9.187 to make the cut into the semis, where Lewis (8.52), Stowers (8.54), Williams (8.64) and Ali (8.58) were automatic advancers to the six-runner final as first-placers, joined by pentathlon champion Ryann Krais of Methacton, Pa. (8.71) and Menchville, Virginia's Kali Watkins (8.73.) Barely edged out were Leeds, Alabama's Bridgett Rose (8.74) and pentathlon silver medalist Alexandra Coppadge of Wilmington, Delaware Friends Academy (8.79.)

Ali thereupon ran a near perfect finale to win it all, her 8.36 nosing out Williams (8.39), Lewis (8.42), Stowers (8.60) and Watkins (8.70.) "I was shocked with myself," said Ali. "I really wanted to win individually my senior year. I just went for it."

Ali's top college choice at the moment is the University of Miami, and she's still mulling likely majors.

Canadian great Perdita Felician set the original meet record of 8.36 in 1999, as a major milestone in the career that took her to NCAA titles for Illinois and the top step of the podium at the 2003 IAAF World Outdoor Championships. Moving to the USA all-time list, a three-way logjam at 8.33 sees New Jerseyan Walker, Californian Nichole Denby and New York stater Ronetta Alexander still co-holding the numero uno position.

April Williams TX 8.39
Williams
Theresa Lewis MD 8.42
Lewis

Final

Girls 60 Meter Hurdles

================================================================

    National: )  8.33  2/21/1999   Nicole Denby, North, Riverside, CA          

    National: N  8.33  3/9/1987    Charmaine Walker, Plainfield, NJ            

    National: N  8.33  3/16/2003   Ronnetta Alexander, South, Williamsville, NY

        Meet: M  8.36  1999        Perdita Felicien, Pineridge, Canada         

    Freshman: (  8.70  2000        Jasmin Bynum, Washington, Denver, Co        

   Sophomore: R  8.41  2/18/2006   Jackie Coward, West, Knoxville, TN          

      Junior: J  8.33  2/21/1999   Nicole Denby, North, Riverside, CA          

    Name                    Year School                  Finals 

================================================================

Section  1 Finals

  1 Ali, Nia                  06 Mallery Challeng,Pl       8.36M 

  2 Williams, April           07 Dallas Flyers TC,Da       8.39R 

  3 Lewis, Theresa            06 Flying Doves TC,Bal       8.42( 

  4 Stowers, Jasmine          10 Westside Quick S,An       8.60( 

  5 Watkins, Kali             07 Menchville HS,Newpo       8.70( 

 -- Krais, Ryann              08 Eagleville Elite,Ea         NT  

 

Semi

Girls 60 Meter Hurdles

================================================================

6 Advance:  Top 1 Each Heat plus Next 2 Best Times

    National: )  8.33  2/21/1999   Nicole Denby, North, Riverside, CA          

    National: N  8.33  3/9/1987    Charmaine Walker, Plainfield, NJ            

    National: N  8.33  3/16/2003   Ronnetta Alexander, South, Williamsville, NY

        Meet: M  8.36  1999        Perdita Felicien, Pineridge, Canada         

    Freshman: (  8.70  2000        Jasmin Bynum, Washington, Denver, Co        

   Sophomore: R  8.41  2/18/2006   Jackie Coward, West, Knoxville, TN          

      Junior: J  8.33  2/21/1999   Nicole Denby, North, Riverside, CA          

    Name                    Year School                   Semis 

================================================================

Heat  1 Semi-Finals

  1 Lewis, Theresa            06 Flying Doves TC,Bal     ( 8.52Q 

  2 Coppadge, Alexandra       06 Wilmington Frien,Wi       8.79  

  3 Coleman, Patience         07 Durham Striders,Dur       9.08  

  4 Kirby, Wanetta            07 Huguenot HS,Richmon       9.13  

  4 Lemonious, Alexandria     06 Commun & Media A,De       9.13  

  6 Dolan, Lindsay            06 Beaver County TC,Al       9.30  

Heat  2 Semi-Finals

  1 Stowers, Jasmine          10 Westside Quick S,An     ( 8.54Q 

  2 Watkins, Kali             07 Menchville HS,Newpo       8.73q 

  3 Rose, Bridgett            06 Leeds HS,Leeds, AL        8.74  

  4 James, Latoya             07 Durham Striders,Bur       8.95  

  5 Johnson, Tashana          07 Flying Doves TC,Bal       9.17  

Heat  3 Semi-Finals

  1 Williams, April           07 Dallas Flyers TC,Da     ( 8.64Q 

  2 Blair, Bianca             07 Knoxville TC,Knoxvi       8.82  

  3 Miller, Nora              06 Connecticut TC,Midd       8.90  

  4 Gariepy, Audrey           07 Winston Churchil,Po       9.05  

  5 Harvey, Chantill          06 Deep Creek Hs-Gi,Ch       9.06  

  6 Lindo, Lanaire            06 Vance,Charlotte, NC       9.26  

Heat  4 Semi-Finals

  1 Ali, Nia                  06 Mallery Challeng,Pl     ( 8.58Q 

  2 Krais, Ryann              08 Eagleville Elite,Ea       8.71q 

  3 Hayes, Jernail            06 Glasgow HS,Newark,        8.97  

  4 Bethune, Ashley           08 Unat-NC-Charlott,Ch       9.01  

Prelim

Girls 60 Meter Hurdles

================================================================

24 Advance:  Top 1 Each Heat plus Next 8 Best Times

    National: )  8.33  2/21/1999   Nicole Denby, North, Riverside, CA          

    National: N  8.33  3/9/1987    Charmaine Walker, Plainfield, NJ            

    National: N  8.33  3/16/2003   Ronnetta Alexander, South, Williamsville, NY

        Meet: M  8.36  1999        Perdita Felicien, Pineridge, Canada         

    Freshman: (  8.70  2000        Jasmin Bynum, Washington, Denver, Co        

   Sophomore: R  8.41  2/18/2006   Jackie Coward, West, Knoxville, TN          

      Junior: J  8.33  2/21/1999   Nicole Denby, North, Riverside, CA          

    Name                    Year School                 Prelims 

================================================================

Heat  1 Preliminaries

  1 Blair, Bianca             07 Knoxville TC,Knoxvi       8.87Q 

  2 Rose, Bridgett            06 Leeds HS,Leeds, AL        8.95q 

  3 Williams, Nikita          06 Delcastle Techni,Wi       9.31  

  4 Odum, Asia                06 Hayfield HS,Alexand       9.36  

  5 Luedeke, Chantal          09 Deep Creek Hs-Gi,Ch       9.50  

Heat  2 Preliminaries

  1 Krais, Ryann              08 Eagleville Elite,Ea       8.75Q 

  2 Bethune, Ashley           08 Unat-NC-Charlott,Ch       9.07q 

  3 Baker, Denise             06 Cinco Ranch TC,Katy       9.38  

  3 Isley, Jasmine            08 Charlotte Latin,Cha       9.38  

  5 Koon, Amber               06 Coatesville Stri,Co       9.59  

Heat  3 Preliminaries

  1 Ali, Nia                  06 Mallery Challeng,Pl       8.72Q 

  2 Gariepy, Audrey           07 Winston Churchil,Po       9.09q 

  3 Crawford, Tina            07 Cave Spring HS,Roan       9.36  

  4 Hale, Lesly               06 Motor City Strid,De       9.81  

Heat  4 Preliminaries

  1 Lewis, Theresa            06 Flying Doves TC,Bal     ( 8.50Q 

  2 Harvey, Chantill          06 Deep Creek Hs-Gi,Ch       9.19q  9.187

  3 Griffin, Christen         07 McDonough TC,Waldor       9.44  

  4 Mitchell, Shareka         06 Durham Striders,Bur       9.45  

  5 Johnson, Iman             06 Columbia Hs-Nj,Mapl       9.48  

Heat  5 Preliminaries

  1 Stowers, Jasmine          10 Westside Quick S,An     ( 8.68Q 

  2 Hayes, Jernail            06 Glasgow HS,Newark,        8.98q 

  3 Johnson, Tashana          07 Flying Doves TC,Bal       9.19q  9.190

  4 Young, Sarah              06 Westside Quick S,An       9.48  

  5 Baxivanos, Kristin        06 Fallston TC,Fallsto       9.61  

  6 Lollis, Ashley            06 Westside Quick S,An      10.76  

Heat  6 Preliminaries

  1 Kirby, Wanetta            07 Huguenot HS,Richmon       8.97Q 

  2 Thomas, Holland           07 West Windsor TC,Pri       9.24q 

  3 Robinson, Nicole          07 Columbia Express,Co       9.27q  9.266

  4 Maxwell, Neshay           07 Edison Tech,Rochest       9.53  

  5 Flournoy, Valerie         06 PK Yonge,Gainesvill      14.96  

 -- Brock, Micailah           06 Roger Bacon HS,Cinc         DQ   failure to clear hur

Heat  7 Preliminaries

  1 Coppadge, Alexandra       06 Wilmington Frien,Wi       8.92Q 

  2 James, Latoya             07 Durham Striders,Bur       9.08q 

  3 Coleman, Patience         07 Durham Striders,Dur       9.14q 

  4 Friederich, Patricia      07 West Springfield,Sp       9.38  

  5 Schulz, Kristin           07 The Woodlands HS,Th       9.63  

  6 Casey, Joary              06 Four Quarters,Templ      12.46  

Heat  8 Preliminaries

  1 Watkins, Kali             07 Menchville HS,Newpo       8.85Q 

  2 Lemonious, Alexandria     06 Commun & Media A,De       9.39  

  3 Polite, Crystal           06 Milton Hershey,Harr       9.45  

  4 Cowart, Assata            07 New Rochelle HS,New       9.85  

 -- Carson, De Ana            06 Woodrow Wilson-C,Lo         DQ   finished in lane 2

Heat  9 Preliminaries

  1 Williams, April           07 Dallas Flyers TC,Da     ( 8.63Q 

  2 Dolan, Lindsay            06 Beaver County TC,Al       9.13q 

  3 Cope, Hanna               06 Mentor HS,Mentor, M       9.28q  9.280

  4 Grant, Annie              07 Blacksburg HS,Black       9.54  

  5 Colbert, Imani            08 Maryland Jags-HS,Up       9.66  

Heat  10 Preliminaries

  1 Miller, Nora              06 Connecticut TC,Midd       8.98Q 

  2 Holiday, Kierra           06 Largo TC,Upper Marl       9.27q  9.264

  3 Lindo, Lanaire            06 Vance,Charlotte, NC       9.28q  9.278

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