More than 60 of the top young track and field athletes in the United States will head to Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada July 9-13 for the third IAAF World Youth Championships in Athletics. The competition features athletes ages 15-17 from more than 100 nations.
Team USA dominated the medal table at the 2001 World Youth meet in Debrecen, Hungary, and looks set to field another powerful team in Canada. The U.S. won 15 total medals, five gold, in Debrecen to top the table ahead of runners-up Kenya, who won 10 total medals.
"We had a great showing in Hungary two years ago," said USA Track & Field Youth chair Bob Flint. "It is going to be exciting to see how this new group of kids handles the pressure of international competition. What our athletes lack in experience, they make up in talent and motivation."
Several Team USA athletes lead the world youth rankings heading into the championships. High jumper Jaron van Maanen (Sally, Iowa) has cleared 7-2 this year to top the world list, while Natasha Hastings (Rosedale, NY) heads the women's 400 list at 52.09. Other world leaders are Pa'Vielle James (Miami, Fla.) in the 100-meter hurdles at 13.69 and Krystin Lacy (Dallas, Texas), who has clocked 11.44 to lead the 100m list.
Texas state 110-meter hurdles champion Jason Richardson (Cedar Hill, Texas) will also be favored in his specialty after turning in a nation-leading time of 13.51 in May. The international youth hurdles are 36 inches high, while Richardson set his season best over 39-inch barriers.
Another Texan, D'Andra Carter (Ovilla) will be following in the family footsteps in the throws. Older sister Michelle won silver in the shot put at the 2001 championships and set a U.S. prep record this year. D'Andra will compete in the discus in Sherbrooke. Their father, Michael, was also a bit of an athlete, as his men's national high school record in the shot put has stood for almost 25 years. After starring at SMU in football and track and winning a silver medal at the 1984 Olympics, he went on to a stellar career with the San Francisco 49ers in the NFL.
Other notable U.S. entrants include Michael Grant (Stone Mountain, Ga.), who is making his second appearance at the championships after winning silver in the 200 in Debrecen, and Oregon distance runner Galen Rupp (Portland), who is ranked third in the 3000 meters on the world youth list and trains under legendary marathoner Alberto Salazar.
Head coach for this year’s team is Hali Robinson of Columbus, Ohio. Here's a look at the U.S. team:
Boys
OJ Murdock - 100/Relay Pool - Tampa, FL
Jay Cooper - 100/200/Relay Pool - Tulsa, OK
Michael Grant - Relay Pool/100 Alt. - Stone Mountain, GA
Lionel Larry - 200/Relay Pool - Compton, CA
Cedric Goodman - 400/Relay Pool - Newman, GA
Jarrith Jones - 400/Relay Pool - Marrero, LA
Michael Haddan - 800/1500 Alt. - Irvine, CA
Christopher Woods – 800 - Covington, GA
Michael Webley - 1500m - Farrockaway, NY
Cody Harper - 1500m/800m Alt. - Albuquerque, NM
Galen Rupp - 3000m - Portland, OR
Ben DeLay – Steeplechase - Bellevue, NE
Andres Urbina – Steeplechase - Albuquerque, NM
Zach Pollinger - 10,000m Race Walk - Mahwah, NJ
Jason Richardson - 110m Hurdles/400m Hurdles - Cedar Hill, TX
Kevin Craddock - 110m Hurdles - San Pablo, CA
Jamaal Charles - 400m Hurdles - Port Arthur, TX
Jaron Van Maanen - High Jump - Sally, IA
Gordon Smith - High Jump - Rocky Mount, NC
Mitch Greeley - Pole Vault - Rock Hill, SC
Scott Duckworth - Pole Vault - The Woodlands, TX
Angelo Jeffrey - Triple Jump - Union City, CA
Frankie Gatson - Triple Jump - Shreveport, LA
Luke Johnson - Shot Put - Amarillo, TX
Nick Panezich - Shot Put/Discus Alt. - Poland, OH
Kyle Hammerquist - Discus Throw - Berkeley, CA
Eddie Cornell - Discus Throw - Ridgecrest, CA
Cody Fillinch - Javelin Throw - Golden Meadow, LA
Chad Brown - Javelin Throw - Lake Charles, LA
Adam Fretwell - Octathlon - Houston, TX
Zach Midles - Hammer Throw - Olympia, WA
Jimmy Tarro - Hammer Throw - Coventry, RI
Girls
Krystin Lacy - 100m Pool/Relay Pool - Dallas, TX
Jessica Onyepunuka - 100mPool/Relay Pool - Peoria, AZ
Cleo Tyson - 200m/100m Alt. - Huntsville, TX
Courtney Champion - 200m - Lawrenceville, GA
Alexandria Anderson - Relay Pool/200m Alt. - Chicago, IL
Natasha Hastings - 400m/Relay Pool - Rosedale, NY
Brandi Cross - 400m/Relay Pool - Missouri City, TX
Lauren Austin - 400m/Relay Pool - Oviedo, FL
Trisa Nickoley - 800m - Tecumseh, KS
Selena Sappleton - 800m - Bronx, NY
Chantelle Dron - 1500m - Candia, NH
Maria Michta - 5000m Race Walk - Nesconset, NY
Pavielle James - 100m Hurdles - Miami, FL
Dominique Manning - 100m Hurdles - Riverside, CA
Nicole Leach - 400m Hurdles - Philadelphia, PA
MacKenzie Hill - 400m Hurdles - Long Beach, CA
Desirae Gonder - High Jump - Bakersfield, CA
Toni Aluko - High Jump - Burtonsville, MD
Jessica Trujillo - Pole Vault - Arlington, TX
Jodie Mayes - Pole Vault Alt. - Fayetteville, AR
Tori Allen - Pole Vault Alt. - Indianapolis, IN
Erica McLain - Long Jump/Triple Jump - Plano, TX
DeAna Carson - Long Jump - Moreno Valley, CA
Brittany Daniels - Triple Jump - Tracy, CA
Misti Barber - Shot Put/Discus Throw - Miami, FL
Michaela Wallerstedt - Shot Put - Omaha, NE
D’Andra Carter - Discus Throw - Ovilla, TX
Alondra Cooper - Heptathlon - West Palm Beach, FL
Gayle Hunter - Heptathlon - Riverside, CA
Erin Donnelly - Hammer Throw - Barrington, RI
USATF
