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2008 IAAF World Junior
Championships

July 8-13, 2008 - Bydgoszcz, Poland


Women's Field Event Preview
by Mike Kennedy

(Editor's note: Since this report was written, we have received roster information that indicates the following changes in the women's events: Victoria Jordan (100 and 200), Cydney Ross (800), Elizabeth Graney (3,000 SC), Brigetta Barrett (HJ), Irene Cooper and D'Ana McCarty (HT), Roxanne Grizzle (JT) finished in top two and were qualified but not on team due to lack of passport or personal choice. 

Shayla Mahan (South Carolina) replaces Victoria Jordan in 100; Ashton Purvis (St. Elizabeth HS, Oakland, Ca.) replaces Victoria Jordan in 200; Camilla Dencer (West Valley Christian, North Hills, Ca.) replaces Cydney Ross in 800; Jordan Hasay (Mission College Prep HS, San Luis Obispo, Ca.) added to 3,000; Jessica Marriweather (unat) replaces Brigetta Barrett in HJ; Lauren Chambers (Kell, Marietta, Ga.) replaces Irene Cooper and D'ana McCarty in HT.  Erin Sampley (Kentucky) added to heptathlon.  Gabrielle Glenn (South Carolina) added to 4 x 100, Porche Byrd (South Carolina) added to 4 x 400.
)

High Jump
Zheng Xingjuan of China won the Good Luck Beijing meet with a jump of 6-3 ¼ for the best Junior mark in the world this year, and then won her Olympic Trials at 6-2. Close behind are two Russians: Yekaterina Bolshakova and Hatalya Mamlina, who were one-two in their Junior championships at 6-2 ¾ and 6-1 ½., respectively.

Kimberly Jess of Germany tuned up for the World Junior meet with a personal best of 6-2 the last week in June. Serena Capponcelli of Italy also has a best of 6-2. Marcoleen Pretorius of South Africa was the African junior champion in 2007 and finished second in the senior championships this year at 6-0 ½. Her best is 6-1 ¼. Mirela Demireva of Bulgaria won her national junior championships at 6-0 ¾ and Burcu Ayhan of Turkey set a national junior record of 6-0 ¾ in winning her senior championships.

Sophomore Shanay Briscoe of Cypress Christian in Houston (Tx.) won the Junior nationals at 6-0 and has been the most consistent high school jumper in the nation this year with five meets over 6-0, including a national class record of 6-1 ¼ in competition at the Great Southwest Invitational. She also qualified for the Olympic Trials final with a first try clearance of 5-10 ¾ in the prelims. Brigetta Barrett of Duncanville (Tx.) was second at the Junior nationals, also at 6-0, and has seven meets over 5-10 including a 5-10 to win the State 5A title.

Pole Vault
Li Ling of China was fourth in the 2006 World Junior championships at 13-5 ¼ and two years later she is the world Junior leader at 14-7 ¾. Li Ling is closely followed by the Russian duo of Yekaterina Kolesnova and Valeriya Volik, who were one-two in Russian Junior championships at 14-5 ½ and 14-1 ¼, respectively. Volik, who was seventh at last year's World Youth championships at 12-11 ½, set a personal best of 14-5 ½ earlier this year.

Vicky Parnov of Australia was third in the 2006 World Junior championships at 13-9 ¼ and then the following year won the World Youth championship 14-3 ¼.. This year she won her national junior championship, equaling her personal best of 14-3 ¼. Ann-Katherin Schwarz of Germany won the Bauhaus junior meet in late June with a personal best of 13-11 ¼.

Rachel Laurent of Vandebilt Catholic High in Houma (La.) was the National Junior champion at 13-10, which was just two inches off her personal best. Leslie Brost of Watertown High (S.D.) had herself quite a weekend when she won the Nike Outdoor Nationals in Greeensboro (N.C.) at 13-3 to equal her personal best, and then two days later and 700 miles up the road, she finished second at the Junior nationals in Columbus (Oh.) at 13-5 ¼.

Long Jump
Nastassia Mironchyk of Belarus is the world junior leader at 22-0 ¼ with her national junior record performance in the Belarus Cup. Prior to that, her best had been 20-4½ indoors. Miraya Shumilova of Russia, who was third in the 2007 World Youth championships at 20-7 ¾, won her Junior nationals this year at 21-3 ¼. Svetlana Fomina was second at 20-7.

Ivana Spanovic of Serbia, who was second in the World Youth championships in 2007 at 21-0 ½, was a European Cup winner earlier this year with a leap of 21-2 ½. Lu Minjia of China won her Olympic Trials at 21-1½. Katerina Cachova of the Czech Republic has a best of 21-0.

Shakia Forbes of Seton Hall won the Junior nationals with a windy 20-10 and Jamesha Youngblood of Oregon, who was the 2007 Pan American champion at 21-0, was second with a seasonal best of 20-9 ¾. Earlier, Forbes won at the Penn Relays with a legal best of 20-8, and is the Big East champion.

Triple Jump
Dailenis Alcantara of Cuba, the 2007 World Youth champion at 44-8 ¾ , is the world junior leader at 46-4 ¼. Teammate Yosleivis Rivalta, who was second at the World Youth championships at 43-8 ½, is ranked No. 3 at 45-6 ¼. China occupies the No. 2 and 4 slots with Xu Tingting, who was third in the Asian Grand Prix, at 45-9 ¼, and Li Yanmei at 44-11 ½.

Paraskevi Papahristou of Greece set a national Junior record of 44-9 in her national championships. Alisa Vlasova of Russia won her Junior championships at 43-1. Earlier, she set a personal best of 44-7 ½. Yana Borodina was second to Vlasova at 43-0 ½ but has a best of 43-7 ¾. Hanna Knyazheva of the Ukraine has a best of 44-8 and Anna Jagaciak of Poland has a best of 44-0 ¾.

Alitta Boyd of Mt. Eden High in Hayward (Ca.) won the Junior nationals with a wind-aided 43-1, but she did not have the World Junior qualifying standard of 42-4 with a legal wind. Her legal best in 2008 is 41-3. TiAra Walpool of Kansas St. was second to Boyd with a legal 42-7 ½. Walpool was just eighth in the Big 12 championships but placed seventh in the NCAA Midwest Regional with a personal best of 43-2 ¼. Vashti Thomas of Mt. Pleasant High in San Jose (Ca.) was third at 41-10 ½ but she has a legal best of 43-1 so is qualified to go to the World Junior championships.

Shot Put
Gong Lijiao of China is the world Junior leader at 62-7 ¾ with her second place finish in the Good Luck Beijing meet. Natalia Duco of Chile won the Iberamericano championships with a personal best of 61-2 ¼. Melissa Boekelman of the Netherlands won the 2006 World Junior championships with a toss of 57-11 1/4, but has a best this year of just 56-9 ¼. Sophie Kleeberg of Germany was third at the 2007 World Youth championships with a 49-0 1/4, and has a best of 55-5 in 2008. Anita Marton of Hungary has a best of 54-5 ½.

Chinwe Okoro of Louisville won the U.S. Junior championship with a personal best of 53-0 ¼. Becky O’Brien of Greely High in Cumberland Center (Me.), who was fourth in the 2007 World Youth Championships at 49-0 ¼, was second at Junior nationals with a personal best-equaling 52-1 ¾. Two days earlier, O’Brien won the Nike Outdoor Nationals in Greensboro (N.C.) with the same distance.

Discus
Anastasia Jelmini of Shafter High (Ca.) is the World Junior leader at 183-11 but winning the event is going to be a giant challenge. She has had an outstanding season being undefeated by both Juniors and preps, winning the Arcadia Invitational, the State meet and finally the Junior nationals, where she won with her final throw of 173-1. One note of caution, Jelmini’s personal best came in the wind-friendly confines of Hartnell College in Salinas.

Erin Pendleton of Woodmore High in Elmore (Oh.) was second to Jelmini at the Junior nationals, and was leading at 164-8 until the final round. She had her personal best of 168-10 in winning the State Division III title. Erin’s sister Emily was on the 2006 World Junior team, also in the discus.

Julia Fischer of Germany was the 2007 World Youth champion at 171-10 and has a best of 183-5 in Halle in May. Her best mark away from Halle is 170-3 in June and she won a big Junior meet in late June at 169-9. Sandra Perkovic of Croatia was second at the World Youth championships at 168-1 and later that year won the European Juniors with a 181-10. Her best this year is 183-4.

Yekaterina Strokova of Russia had a best of just 156-11 after the 2007 season, but this season she has improved to 183-2. She has at least five meets over 176-9, but all of the marks were at either Adler or Sochi. She won the Russian Junior title with a throw of 157-3. Anita Marton of Hungary has a best 180-3, and she won her Junior championships at 171-1. Nastassia Kashtanava of Russia was just a 159-2 thrower in 2007, but has improved to 179-7. The top two athletes for China, which went two-three in the 2006 World Junior championship, are Chen Tingting at 177-3 and Xi Shangxue at 176-2.

Hammer
Bianca Perie of Romania, Katerina Safrankova of the Czech Republic and Ariannis Vichy of Cuba are clearly the top three Juniors in the world. Perie has been a dominant force over the last three years, winning the 2005 World Youth championships at 204-3, the 2006 World Junior championships at 221-0 and the 207 World Youth championships for a second time at 211-11. This year she has upped her national junior record to 226-9.

Safrankova had a best of 208-7 in 2007, but threw 223-11 for both a national and Junior national record. Vichy, who has not been outside of Cuba this year, set a personal best of 221-5 in March. Her best since then is 209-5. Others to watch are Gabi Wolfarth of Germany at 205-4 and Halyna Kaplun of Ukraine at 203-0

For U.S. entrants, Irene Cooper of Western Kentucky and D’Ana McCarty of Louisville, the meet should be a great learning experience. Cooper, who was a sophomore, placed ninth in the NCAA Midwest Region and has a best of 194-7. McCarty was 15th in the Midwest Regional and set a personal best of 182-7 in finishing second at the Junior nationals.

Javelin
China has three of the top six Juniors in the world. The leader is Zhang Li with her 203-8 in winning the Good Luck Beijing meet in late May. She was the 2005 World Youth champion at 185-11 and the next year placed fourth at the World Junior championships at 188-8. Song Dan is No. 3 at 199-1 and won the Olympic trials in late June at 190-10. Li Lingwei is No. 6 and placed fifth at the Good Luck Beijing meet.

Vira Rabryk of Ukraine won the silver at both the 2005 World Youth championships and the 2006 World Junior championships, and then placed first in the 2007 European Junior championships. Earlier this year she upped her National Junior record to 202-3. This year Jelena Jaakkola of Finland has improved her National Junior record from 183-6 to 193-2. Tazmin Brits of South Africa won the 2007 World Youth championships in at 169-8 and this year has improved to 188-9.

Karlee McQuillen of Penn St. won the Junior nationals at 171-4 and had a personal best of 176-2 in the NCCA qualifying round before finishing ninth in the final at 165-11. Roxanne Grizzle of Tonganoxie High in Kansas was second at the Junior nationals with a personal best of 170-0. She won the Kansas Relay at 163-11 and won the State 4A title with a 165-5.

Heptathlon
Ryann Krais of Methacton High in Norristown (Pa.) always seems to have choices. Last year she chose to compete in the 400 hurdles in the World Youth championships, where she placed third at 57.20, just off her personal best. This year she has chosen the heptathlon.

In 2007 she had a best of 5,377 to rank No. 4 on the all-time high school list. This year she went to the Great Southwest Invitational in Albuquerque where she took advantage of the altitude and very favorable winds to record a 5,522w, just 10 points behind Shana Woods’ national record. Two weeks later she won the Junior nationals with 5,217 points under less than ideal conditions. Jessica Flax of Pearland High (Tx.) was second with 5,108 but fell 42 points short of the World Junior qualifying standard.

The top three ranked juniors in the world are Yana Maksimava of Belarus at 6,027, Natalya Guzbulina of Russia, at 5,676 and Carolin Schafer of Germany at 5,695. Schafer was second at the 2007 World Youth championships with 5,544 points. Katerina Cachova of the Czech Republic has a best of 5,449 and Helga Margret Thorsteinsdottir of Iceland has a best of 5,524.

World Junior Champs Index

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