USATF Junior Nationals

June 21-25 , 2006
IU Michael A. Carroll Track & Soccer Stadium, IUPUI
Indianapolis, IN

DyeStat On-Site with Steve Underwood, Marc Davis, Pat Davey

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Jim Spier's Junior Lists (eligibles for Beijing; updated 6/20)

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Barrier Booms and Busts

Top Preps Have Mixed Results Over Barriers

By SteveU

Cordera Jenkins was the man over the barriers. Victah Sailer, Photorun.net

High hurdlers Cordera Jenkins TX and Shalina Clarke IL both came to Indy with something to prove. Golden State intermediate hurdlers Ebony Collins and David Klech knew it was going to take something just to survive. As a group, these four prep giants over the barriers were successful – mostly.

Jenkins, having endured disappointment at his Texas State Meet, started his “comeback” at NON (2nd to Johnny Dutch, 13.62), but hit the jackpot here Thursday. The Dickinson sr mowed down a closely matched field in the 110 hurdles with a US#1 and meet record 13.44 (w1.0).

Running before Jenkins’ race, Clarke finished runner-up to U. of Michigan’s Big Ten champ Tiffani Ofili. The Evanston sr ran a 13.38 that was windy (2.5w), but the fastest US time in any conditions in 2006.

The 400 hurdle finals were the next day, and a definite mixed bag for the top high schoolers. Klech just missed the HSR in the 300H at Arcadia back in April, but here was struggling with an injury that surfaced before his state meet. The California HS (San Ramon) sr gamely battled top collegians Joe Greene and Chris Carter before taking a non-qualifying third in 50.86.

Collins’ challenge was simply a lack of recent training and practice in the longer race. The Long Beach Wilson jr battled the barriers all the way around, running just 58.31, more than 2 seconds off the stunning clocking she put up at World Youth last year.

For Jenkins, his woes started at his district meet, where he was DQ’d in the 110H. He got to 4A state in the 300H, but was DQ’d in that 4A race. This was no way for a World Youth and Nike Indoor champ to end his senior outdoor campaign.

Fortunately, it wasn’t the end. For most, NON represents the peak of a season, but Jenkins was focused on going overseas again. “Last week was kind of a tuneup,” he said. “I was happy to run and I fed off that. We came here to go to China.”

Cordera was a little concerned, however, after his prelim. “The prelims were all about being fast, and when I ran 13.71, I was like, ‘what’s going on?’

“But then I was thinking of Morocco (World Youth) and we looked at the tape of the (USATF) prelim and looked at the mistakes. Then I just calmed down and stayed focused. Then we just cleaned it up. I think I only hit one hurdle in the final.”

Shalina Clarke may have been out of focus relative to champion Ofili, but she was a solid 2nd for the China team. Photo Vic Sailer, photorun.net

Meanwhile, Clarke has been bound and determined to show she can shine as brightly in her favorite events of choice, the 100H and 100, as she has in the 300H. By running a legal 13.51 in her heat and the windy 13.38 in the final, she took a big step in that direction.

“As long as I did my best and ran a PR, I was happy,” she said. “I’ve kind of been stuck at 13.5. The girl from Michigan really pulled me. She ran a very good time (13.15w).

 

 

 

“We’ve been building up to peak at the right time,” she added. “I’ve been working on my starts more and working up to this. I was kind of disappointed in Nike Outdoor, but it opened my eyes. I’m grateful to be able to compete here and to be able to go to China.”

Ebony Collins reaches the finish line. Photo by Davey, runmichigan.com

Ebony Collins will be going to China, too, but not the way she wanted. On a good day, she could have given Nicole Leach a race. Instead, she struggled through, fortunately having enough talent not to run her best and still make it. She looked like she’d been through a war afterward.

“I messed up a lot of hurdles,” she said, “probably six out of ten. I just need a lot more practice.”

But the good thing is, she has several weeks now to train and get ready to be the 55.96 hurdler she showed herself to be in Morocco. All spring, Collins had run 40-points, not quite lowering her soph year PR of 40.10, but coming very close. This meet will obviously be tougher than World Youth, but don’t count her out.

Unfortunately, Klech won’t be going to China. None who saw him at Arcadia will ever forget the 35.45 300H performance, a show full of flying, pinwheeling arms and legs, speed and strength, that was just breathtaking. But that pure energy was missing in Indy, sapped by a month of struggling with a nagging hamstring injury that wasn’t forcing him to rest completely, but not allowing him to train fully, either.

Like Collins, he faced tough competition, with Carter coming in with a superior 49.19 400H PR to Klech’s 50.35. Still, it wasn’t impossible to think a healthy Klech would break 50 and/or certainly be able to round up that No. 2 spot.

But U. of Albany’s Joe Greene had other ideas, and even though Carter had an off day, they went 1-2 on the California prep, 50.56 (Carter) and 50.70 (Greene) to 50.86. Klech was close the entire race, but just didn’t have that ability to fly that he normally does. Greene had never run sub-51 until NCAA, when he went 50.52. Still, Klech’s PR was faster coming in.

He was unfailingly polite and gracious afterward, despite clear disappointment and extreme fatigue. “I’m just happy I gave 100 percent and it’s an honor to get third,” he said. “Since state I haven’t had the practices I’ve wanted to.”

David Klech, 2nd from right, gives his all in finishing third. Photo by Davey, runmichigan.com

 

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