New Selection Process

INDIANAPOLIS - USA Track & Field on Tuesday announced that it has revamped the process for selecting its team for the IAAF World Youth Athletics Championships.For the first time, the team will be selected based on performances at a Team Trials event - World Youth Track & Field Trials - which will be conducted less than two weeks before the 2009 IAAF World Youth Championships.

Since the inception of the World Youth Championships in 1999, the U.S. team has been selected by a committee, which reviewed the performances of athletes who had competed in one of three national championship events - USA Youth, USA Junior, and USATF Junior Olympics - a full year prior to the World Championships. "Our goal is to send the best possible team to the World Championships, and having a selection meet just prior to the World Championships allows USATF to do this," said USATF Youth Division Chair Lionel Leach. "As is the case with our elite athletes and their teams, our youth athletes will be able to 'select themselves' based on how they perform at a qualifying meet."

The 2009 World Youth Track & Field Trials will be held on June 30 - July 1 in Ypsilanti, Michigan, in conjunction with the first two days of the USA Youth Outdoor Track & Field Championships. The event will serve as the qualifying event for the 8th IAAF World Youth Championships to be held July 8-12 in Bressanone, Italy. For more information on the 2009 World Youth Track & Field Trials, including qualifying standards to enter the Trials and team selection criteria, please visit http://www.usatf.org/events/2009/WorldYouthAthleticsTrials.

Arkansas Invitational

I'm getting my first real test of the season in January, at the Arkansas Invitational. Hosted at the University of Arkansas, this is one of the premiere high school indoor meets. A lot of great competition will be there competing in the hurdles. I'm feeling real good about this season. With all the work I have done in the off-season, its time to see it in actions. Working with Coach Mcgill, I know I'm on track to do some big things indoors and just bust out this outdoor season. Last year at the meet, Booker Nunley and Wayne Davis of Track Eastern Carolina took 1st and 2nd. Its my turn this year. I have already posted a 7.5 in the 55 meter hurdles, although it was hand time, it was still a fast time. This will be my first 60 meter hurdles race. I'm going there to win!

-Malcolm Nunley

Great Start!

I kicked off the indoor season with three personal records. Last Wednesday at West Johnston High School, I competed in my first meet of the season. I ran in the 55 meter hurdles, 300 meter dash, and the 4x400 meter relay. It was a great meet. I posted a 7.5 in the hurdles, which was better than my time of 8.1 of last year. In the 300 meter dash, I smashed my previous best of 37.75 with a time 35.8. I qualified for the state meet in the hurdles, and missed it in the 300 by .5 seconds. My 300 meter race was promising yet disappointing at the same time because I had great race but still missed the qualification mark. The very next day we had a meet at Wakefield High School. There I competed in the 500 meter dash. I was not to thrilled to run the 500, but the competitive nature in me took over and i just ran it. I forgot to check in, so they made me start on the out side. At the shot of the gun I didn't take out at all. During the race I wanted to quit so bad because I was beginning to feel the the effects of my lunch. I was in the back of the pack getting boxed in, but once I got to the 200 mark it was over. I sucked it up and hoped in lane 3 and kicked all to the finish line. I sucked up everyone in the race to win the 500. I ran the 500 in a time of 1:08.4, a new personal record and yet again falling short of the qualification standards by .4 seconds. I'm feeling real good about this season!

-Malcolm Nunley

The Man Behind The Plan

Johnny Dutch:2008 Olympic trials 400 hurdles Finalist(48.52) ... Placed 2nd at the 12th IAAF World Junior Championships(49.25) ... Named All-American all four years of high school for indoor and outdoor hurdle events ... Won 2006 Nike Outdoor Nationals in 110 meter hurdles junior year (13.54) ... won 2007 Nike Indoor Nationals senior year (7.71) ... won 2007 Pan American Juniors in 400 meter hurdles (50.87) and 110 meter hurdles (13.47) ... placed second with the USA's 4x400m team (3:06) ... placed second at 2007 Junior Nationals in 400 meter hurdles (50.07) and 110 meter hurdles (13.39) ... won 2007 Simplot Games 60 meter hurdles in Idaho ... broke national record in 55 meter hurdles at an indoor meet with a time of 7.07 ... All- American all four years in high school and a nine time state champion in both hurdle events.

Booker Nunley: 2008 IAAF World Junior 110h Silver Medalist ... 2008 Junior National 110h Gold Medalist 2008 ... Junior Olympic 110h Gold Medalist ... 2008 Youth National 110h Gold Medalist ... 2008 NIN 60h Bronze Medalist ... 13.40 - US#1 Outdoor 110h & World #2 Outdoor 110h ... 7.78 - US#5 Indoor 60h ... 13.91(42"hurdles) 10th Fastest Time for High Schooler over Professional and Collegiate Height Hurdles in US History.

Wayne Davis: US #1 all time 55mH - 7.06 ... 60mH 7.62 7.83 ... soph record 60mH ... 7.32 soph 55mH record ... 13.65 110mH soph record ...13.18 World Youth record ... 7.06 55mH Jr record ...7.62 60mH Jr record ... 7.11 NCSAA 55mH record.

After looking at these athletes' accomplishments above, most of you are pretty amazed at what they have done. There is one thing that you may not know just by reading their accolades. Johnny, Booker and Wayne all have one thing in common, they have been taught by the same coach. Coach Steven Mcgill has been the driving force of the hurdling success of North Carolina
for the past five years. In the past couple of years having the Nations top hurdlers coming out of the Raleigh, NC area is a special honor in the sport of track and field. The strong depth in the hurdles, has helped North Carolina display their dominance in track & field to the rest of the country. North Carolina is in competition with the states like Florida, Texas, California, and Maryland to see who reigns supreme in the sport of track & field.



Coach Steven Mcgill Over the years has studied, learned and practiced the art of hurdling. He is now in the process of mastering the "PROPER TECHNIQUE" of hurdling. He has dedicated his life to the hurdles and by doing so, he has shared his knowledge to all athletes wanting to get better. Those who have taken his teachings and applied them to their race have gone on to do great things in the hurdles so far. Coach Mcgill has helped the likes of Johnny Dutch (Univ. South Carolina), Booker Nunley (Univ. South Carolina), Wayne Davis (Southeast Raleigh High), Malcolm Nunley (Southeast Raleigh High), David Coe, Gabby Mayo (Texas Tech.), James Robinson (NC State), Keare Smith (VA Tech.), Anthony Hendrix (New Bern High), Allison Johnson (Athens Drive High) and many more high school athletes. Steven Mcgill has also published his own website dedicated to hurdles. The site Hurdles first.com, has everything you need to know about the hurdles, training tips, workouts, personal stories and more. This website has helped many people trying to improve their skills and get faster. Coach Mcgill has often been contacted via his website, from athletes who are in need of his teachings. Through his website, Mcgill has worked with many post-collegiate athletes like Byron Gibson (Univ. of Alabama Grad.), Hector Cotto (ECU Grad. and Beijing Olympian), Kevin Watson (UNC Grad.) and many others. Coach Mcgill has plans to coach many more athletes this year and anticipates those who will come back and train after college.



I wrote this article because I wanted people to see just what this man has done in the sport of track & field. I'm not alone when I say that Steven Mcgill is the most under-rated coach there is. He has been credited very little for the success of his athletes. Booker Nunley, 2008 US#1 hurdler (13.40), has given credit to most of his high school success to Coach Mcgill. When Booker was declared ineligible for high school track, Coach Mcgill stepped in and turned up Booker"s training. In three years, Mcgill took Booker from an average hurdler to US#1. Mcgill has produced three US#1 hurdlers in the past five years. Even with all this knowledge in this event, Mcgill is constantly learning something new every practice, in pursuit to master the "PROPER TECHNIQUE". There has also been other speculation about Coach Mcgill. Many people along with myself have asked why Coach Mcgill hasn't had colleges come and offer him a spot on their coaching staff. Especially with local schools around here like NC State, Duke, UNC, these schools would really benefit by having a top-notch coach on staff. I believe he could really draw the top athletes to any school. Steve Mcgill is not only an excellent hurdles coach, he also has knowledge about many other aspects of track & field, like speed training and distance running.

IOC RE-TESTING BEIJING DOPING SAMPLES!

Every doping sample taken at Beijing 2008 will be retested by the International Olympic Committee to check for traces of the newly-discovered blood-boosting drug CERA (Continuous Erythropoiesis Receptor Activator).

The IOC conducted more than 5,000 doping tests during this year's Games, and the spokeswoman Emmanuelle Moreau confirmed today that every sample would be re-examined by the World Anti-Doping Agency's laboratory in Lausanne. The decision to test for CERA, an advanced version of the endurance-enhancing hormone EPO, was taken after the drug was detected in Tour de France samples that had previously been passed as clean.

Doping officials are still retesting samples from this year's Tour de France, and further positive results are expected. "I imagine there could be one or two more cases," suggested the race director Christian Prudhomme after officials confirmed yesterday that Germany's Stefan Schumacher and Italy's Riccardo Ricco and Leonardo Piepoli, who won five of the Tour's 21 stages between them, had tested positive for CERA.

The IOC vice-president Thomas Bach told reporters yesterday that road cycling could lose its status as an Olympic sport altogether if the recent spate of positive tests continued. Moreau was more conciliatory today, stating that: "The IOC will continue to support the International Cycling Union and any other international federation as long as it is deploying meaningful and credible means and efforts to fight against doping."

Six athletes were disqualified for doping during the Beijing Games and three more cases are pending.

The Off-Season!

As the indoor seaosn draws near, many athletes are putting on the flats and getting back in shape. These off-season workouts are the worst of them all. I just recently started back working out for this upcoming track season. I have many goals I plan to accomplish. I'm really putting in double the work. I'm playing football right now for Southeast Raleigh Highschool, then when I find the time, I'm working out with my coach. My coach, Steve Mcgill, also understands my goals and we both know what it's going to take to achieve these goals. thats why we have gone ahead and went to work.
The workouts are kind of hard. They are all about conditioning. It's the time now we are taking to build the foundation for the upcoming season.

The high price of raising an Olympian

The expenses start early -- maybe when a child is in kindergarten -- and can total hundreds of thousands of dollars for parents of elite athletes. The rest of the family may pay a price, too.
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E-mail to a friend Tools IndexPrint-friendly versionSite MapArticle IndexDiscuss in a Message BoardDigg This By Abby Ellin, MSN Money
Olympic glory can be expensive.

But the investment has been worth it, at least for the Ali family.

David Ali knew his son Sadam had gifted hands way back when Sadam was 8 years old and dancing around the ring at the Bed-Stuy Boxing Club in Brooklyn, N.Y. That's why the family supported Sadam through 11 years of training, for about eight hours a day. That support helped the 19-year-old lightweight become the first New Yorker to make the U.S. Olympic boxing team since Riddick Bowe in 1988. See Sadam Ali in action

"It cost hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years," says David, a 46-year-old father of five who works in his family's real-estate company. "But I knew I was going to do whatever I had to make sure he followed his dream." Olympian's dad: 'Never again'

For so many young athletes and their parents, reaching for an Olympic berth is a fiscal, as well as a physical, challenge. Think about it: coaches, clothing, housing, food, travel and baby sitters for siblings.

And unlike in, say, China -- where state-sponsored training schools help support athletes -- the U.S. Olympic Committee is one of few national Olympic committees whose athletes do not receive government funding, says Nicole Saunches, a U.S. committee spokeswoman.

For many years, Olympic athletes weren't allowed to accept endorsements, prizes or corporate sponsorships to underwrite training or living expenses. That changed in 1978 with the adoption of the Olympic and Amateur Sports Act. And over the past 30 years, regulations have been changed several times to increase financial support for the athletes. In 1988, the Olympic Games began to allow professional athletes to compete. The payoff from a gold medal

Liberalization of the regulations has helped some athletes, but not all. Many families continue to face major financial challenges as they evaluate options for a young athlete.

Talk back: Would you pay to raise an Olympian?

"You want your child to be happy," says David Ali. "I did whatever I had to, to make sure he had everything he needed."

Sometimes expenses mount in ways that can be hard to predict.

Gymnast Shawn Johnson's parents, for example, took out a line of credit on their home and have used that money over the years to cover travel expenses. The debt has made a dent in the family finances, but that's a price parents seem willing to pay. Photo: See Shawn competing



The financial choices crop up the moment a parent notices a child's special talent.

Donna Williams, a high school teacher in Miami, could not have foreseen that her sprinter daughter Lauryn, now 24, would be an Olympian in track and field, initially in Athens four years ago and now this year in Beijing. But she knew Lauryn could run. Photo: See Lauryn in the '04 Olympics

"Lauryn used to run barefoot as a baby," her mother recalls. "She had the worst case of flat feet on Earth, but she was beating the other kids in the neighborhood, and I said, 'You should go on the track team.'"

When Lauryn Williams was 11, she began training with a community track-and-field group in her family's hometown of Detroit. That was relatively inexpensive. The bills started rolling in the next year, when she switched to the Detroit Cheetahs, a local track club.

"That's when we needed spikes, training shoes, entry fees," Donna Williams says. Not to mention travel fees, hotel expenses and meals.

Williams, a single mom while Lauryn trained, credits her friends and family for helping her finance her daughter's efforts. Photo: See Lauryn with her mom

"Lauryn's success is truly based upon the fact that it takes a village to raise a child," she says. "I have had an excellent, excellent base of friends who, when I said, 'We're going to a track meet, Lauryn needs a pair of shoes, I got $50 for a pair, and I need another $30,' somebody always stepped up to the plate and helped us out. Some days I didn't really have to ask. I would come home and find an envelope with $20 under the door. We all kind of pitched in."

When it came time to go to Athens, Donna Williams' best friend raised more than $10,000 to help Lauryn and her mother get there. Lauryn herself raised $10,000 so her father could go. As for China, Donna is paying for that trip with money left to her when her mother died.

"It was divine intervention," she says.

Some athletes get substantial support from corporate sponsorships. Lauryn Williams is one of 12 "Olympic Hometown Hopefuls" sponsored by Bank of America. The bank has been a corporate sponsor of the U.S. Olympic Team since 1992.

Like AT&T and Nike, the bank helps families with expenses as well. The Bank of America's Hometown Hopeful Family Center in Beijing is designed to support the families of Olympians with free lunches, dinners and snacks, as well as an Internet cafe and free event tickets. The center expects to host 600 families.

All told, the perks at the center could save a family of four about $1,700 a week, says Joe Goode, a Bank of America spokesman in Boston.

Support for the families can be important because a lot of the stress of an Olympic career falls on the family. It can be tough, says Jan Peck, the mother of Heather Mitts, a member of the U.S. women's soccer team that won a gold medal in Athens in 2004.

Mitts, now 30, started playing soccer in kindergarten, and it was clear even then that she had talent. Development of that talent had a major effect not only on the family finances but on Mitts' five siblings.

"It can be a strain on families, both financially and emotionally," says Peck, who lives in Cincinnati. "It can be perceived by the other siblings that one child is the favorite. And then other children may try to overachieve. The high level of competition also just consumes your every holiday. No longer can you enjoy Mother's Day or Father's Day or Fourth of July as a family, because you're always traveling.

"We spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on Heather," Peck recalls. "Tournaments, hotel accommodations, private lessons, food, travel, sitters for siblings or pets -- all those things cost money."

The family's sacrifices have paid off in a couple of ways. Mitts' athletic achievements have led to modeling gigs, commercials and TV reporting for ESPN.

"She's been one of those real fortunate that's done very well," her mother says.

That's the kind of future David Ali envisions for his son Sadam, the boxer. The family is committed. The trip to China will cost Ali $15,000 to $20,000 for three weeks, but he isn't blinking. He'll be there, cheering every hook, every jab, every uppercut from ringside.

What's $20,000 to witness something he's dreamed about for more than a decade?

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," Ali says.

Return to the series home page

Published July 31, 2008

U.S. men sweep 400

BEIJING -- It was the most anticipated head-to-head clash of these Games and in the end it wasn't even close.

Powering to a one-step lead off the final bend, LaShawn Merritt forged onwards to an overwhelming victory to dethrone defending 400m champion Jeremy Wariner clocking 43.75, to cap yet another dramatic evening of competition at a sold-out National Stadium in Beijing.

In fact, Merritt's margin of victory, at 0.99 just under a full second, was the greatest in Olympic history.

"You don't become a champion without being mentally and physically tough," said Merritt, who at 22 is two year's Wariner's junior. "And you know what, I showed up and got it done."

After watching Merritt romp down the homestretch, there was no simply no debating that assessment.

"I actually focused on running on that back stretch," said Merritt, who improved significantly on his 43.96 career best set it Osaka last year when he finished second to Wariner. "I ran it like I wanted the gold medal. Like my roommate, Angelo Taylor. He ran it like he wanted to win."

Wariner, lined up in Lane 7, got out the fastest, building a marginal lead midway through the back straight. But in the meantime, Merritt, running in Lane 4, opened with a slightly more controlled tempo, running relaxed down the back straight and began to draw even midway through the final turn to enter the straight with a half step lead.

That was usually the point where Wariner begins to pull away. But this time, as was the case in his two other defeats to Merritt this year - in both occasions lined up to Merritt's outside, incidentally - he didn't.

Instead, it was Merritt who turned that narrow edge at the top of the straight into an insurmountable lead which he extended with each long powerful stride. Behind him Wariner was a shadow of his former self. Unable to respond, he began to fade gradually, but held on for second in 44.74.

Closing markedly faster as well was David Neville, whose finishing lean evolved into a dive. He nearly caught Wariner, but fell - literally - just a bit short in 44.80, to clinch the second consecutive U.S. Olympic sweep of the event.

"I felt good off the first 200, when I tried to move it just wasn't there," said Wariner, whose only slower performance in a final this year was his 44.82 in Melbourne in February. "If I could have had the race I had in the semi-finals, it would have been a closer race."

"I had to go in head first," Neville said. "It was a tough race at the end, but sometimes you have to dive in and give it your all."

Payne and Oliver Medal For US

David Payne and David Oliver took silver and bronze, respectively, for the United States. Payne crossed the line in 13.17 seconds and Oliver was just .01 seconds back in third.

After crossing the finish line, Payne found a television camera and said “5-1-3,” the Cincinnati telephone area code, repeatedly into the camera.

Payne and Oliver continued the run of Olympic success for the United States in the 110 hurdles three days after U.S. men swept the medals in the 400-meter hurdles.

For the sixth time since 1984, the U.S. won two medals in the 110 hurdles. The only time the Americans won fewer than two medals in that stretch was in 2004 in the Athens Summer Olympics when Terrence Trammel was the lone American medalist.

Trammel suffered a hamstring injury in the first round of competition here and was not able to advance, in the first round.

Sheena Tosta Shines in Silver at Olympics

BEIJING, China (WUSA) A Northern Virginia runner struck gold in Beijing.

Gar-Field High School graduate Sheena Tosta finished second in the 400 meter hurdles event. The Woodbridge native had a time of 53.70, one second behind winner Melanie Walker of Jamaica.

This is Tosta's first-ever Olympic medal. Tosta competed in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, where she finished fourth in the 400 hurdles.

Harper Wins Olympic Hurdles

American Dawn Harper sprung a huge surprise when a dramatic mistake by compatriot Lolo Jones let her through to win Olympic gold in the women's 100 meters hurdles on Tuesday.

The 24-year-old Harper fought back her own tears of joy after crossing the line in 12.54 seconds and admitted her victory was a shock.

"I always thought I was capable if I focused on myself. But for others, yes (it was a surprise)," she said.

"I just knew I needed to react to the gun, and just you know, head down, and focus on me and be quick and attack each hurdle and then head for the line."

Harper comes from the same city, East St Louis, as three-times Olympic champion Jackie Joyner-Kersee and is coached by the former heptathlete's husband.

"This is a kid nobody knew, now she is the Olympic champion. It's breathtaking," Bob Kersee said, adding that his wife had given Harper a pep talk last year when she was not running very well.

Americans Sweep 400 Hurdles

Angelo Taylor, the 2000 Olympic champion in the 400-meter hurdles, led a U.S. sweep in the event with his finish in 47.25 seconds, a personal best. Kerron Clement claimed the silver in 47.98 and Bershawn Jackson claimed the bronze in 48.06.

It was the first sweep in the event since the United States did it in 1960, according to the Associated Press.

Angelo Taylor won his second Olympic 400-meter hurdle title on Monday a full eight years after claiming gold in Sydney, leading the first American sweep in the event in 48 years.

Taylor won in a career best 47.25 seconds to defeat world champion Kerron Clement by .73 of a second with 2005 world champion Bershawn Jackson third in 48.06, edging Jamaican Danny McFarlane despite clipping the last hurdle.

"It was a great run," Taylor said. "I feel like I'm on top of the world right now."

After US struggles on the track, including Tyson Gay failing to reach the 100-meters final and a Jamaican medal sweep in the women's 100, the Americans finally won their first gold on the track at the Bird's Nest.

"To lead the sweep means so much," Taylor said. "We were talking about it before but had to do it. The USA hasn't had a great showing so far so we wanted to prove something."

Taylor matched countryman Edwin Moses by winning Olympic titles eight years apart in the event, Moses having achieved the feat in 1976 and 1984.

"It's an honour to be mentioned in the same breath as Ed Moses. He is a legend," Taylor said. "It has all been about keeping the faith and staying strong over the last four years,"

It was the fifth US Olympic podium sweep in the event, following medal trebles in 1904, 1920, 1956 and 1960.

"It means a lot," Jackson said. "Just to be a part of this great tradition is a blessing."

Taylor, 29, now shares eighth on the all-time 400 hurdles performer's list, just behind Clement and ahead of Jackson.

"It was great to see Angelo come back," Clement said. "It was a great performance."

Taylor, a member of the reigning world champion 4x400 relay, lost a 4x400 Olympic gold from the 2000 Olympics when the IOC stripped the medal from the US relay after doping admissions or punishments from three of the runners involved.

Only Taylor and Michael Johnson have not been implicated among the five who stood on the highest Sydney podium.

The sweep nearly died at the last gasp as Jackson bumped the final hurdle but held off 36-year-old McFarlane, the 2004 Olympic 400m runner-up and a member of the 2000 Olympic 4x400 gold medal relay.

"I wanted to win it pretty bad, but I made too many mistakes," Jackson said. "I messed up the last hurdle but I recovered pretty good."

Clement, who was born in Trinidad and Tobago but became a US citizen in 2005, had the fastest time in the world this year at 47.79 with Taylor second in 47.94 and Jackson third in 48.02 entering the showdown for gold.

"I'm pretty happy just to get the silver medal," Clement said. "We are the three best guys in the world and that's something I'm really happy about.

"I'm a little bit disappointed that I'm the reigning world champion and I didn't get the gold. I ran a hell of a race. Angelo ran a personal best. I can't complain."

boys hurdles | 07-08 most outstanding performers

This is the seventh of a series of DyeStat year-end awards for 2007-08. The DyeStat Most Outstanding Performers series, which follows the DyeStat Athlete of the Year awards, includes top honors for boys and girls distances, sprints, hurdles, jumps, throws, relays, and multi-events. Selections are made by DyeStat editors and are based a combination of multiple major victories/honors won and performances on all-time and yearly lists. Performances from outdoor track, indoor track, and cross-country are taken into account..

Text by Dave Devine - Photos by Vic Sailer, Kirby Lee and John Nepolitan

Booker Nunley





It’s a testament to the strength of North Carolina boys’ hurdling that 3 of the 4 2008 Most Outstanding Hurdlers are from the Tar Heel state. Booker Nunley may well have been the best of them all, but was ruled ineligible for much of the indoor season and the entirety of outdoors for failing to carry sufficient credits at Garner Magnet HS his senior year. Even though Nunley had enough credits to graduate as a senior, he mistakenly failed to register for the required amount to participate in athletics.

Watching from the outside, as stars like Wayne Davis II and Spencer Adams dueled at the North Carolina state meets, Nunley exacted his revenge in a breathtaking post-season run which carried him to US#1 in the 110 hurdles and runner-up at the World Junior Championships in Poland.

Nunley was among the nation's elite 55- and 60-meter hurdlers during his truncated indoor season, and third over 60H (7.78) to Davis and Colorado’s Michael Hancock at Nike Indoor Nationals (where he could compete unattached), but it was in the summer outdoor meets where he really hit his stride. Flying under the radar most of the spring, Nunley served notice he was back with a blistering US#1 13.40 (-1.0w) winner at the USATF Junior Nationals. That meet qualified him for World Juniors in Poland, but before departing for Bydgoszcz, Nunley added another 110H gold at the USATF Youth Championships in North Carolina in late June. Then, at the World Junior meet, he was a silver medalist with an impressive 13.45 (1.1 w) over the sticks.

Returning stateside, Nunley again took national laurels at a USATF meet, this time the Junior Olympics, where he ran a meet record 13.41 (1.4w) to beat Texas star Chance Casey and cap off his incredible summer campaign.

From One Parent To Another!

Written by Jackie Nunley

Well, we have come to the end of yet another track season and I have to say I am so thankful that we made it through. This year along with the victorious triumphs has not been without its pain and what sometimes felt like the agony of defeat. As one track mom put it to me when I started this journey 3 years ago with my sons we are not only parents but we are dream makers and facilitators for our children. As we prepare to send one son to the next level (college) and help the other son continue to grow on his current level. I have to say that as a parent you are your child’s best advocate and don’t let anyone fool you into thinking other wise. I don’t care what extracurricular activity your child decides to partake in you had better be ready to know all of the ends and outs from the administrative to the logistics of the activity. Speaking first hand I can tell you that in the end if your child doesn’t succeed to the best of his or her ability then it will fall back on you. I don’t mean to in anyway take away from the great coaches, instructors, teachers or administrators that are involved in your child’s life; if you are blessed to have them there. My sons have had and currently have some great coaches with regards to their athletics. However, they have also had 1 or 2 who only had their own interest in mind.

I say this not to discount all of the efforts of those who will play meaningful roles in your child’s life but to tell you not to leave anything to chance where your child is concerned. Know your local and state rules with regards to the academic and eligibility requirements of your child who participates in athletics. We were and are very active in our children’s academic and extracurricular lives however; an eligibility rule slipped by us and caused our son to miss the second half of his senior season. At no fault of his own in the end he was held solely responsible. Parents, Students and anyone who is close to a student that participates in athletics please alert them to know all of the rules that govern them; especially, those in their Junior or Senior year of high school.

As a result of what happened I have had many parents from around the country come up to me at meets and tell me that they have become more aware of the rules and that their schools have stepped up making sure that Parents and Students are more aware of all of the eligibility guidelines that affect all extracurricular activities. Our son was blessed he had already secured an athletic scholarship and with a strong support system outside of his school he was able to go on and compete and close out his senior track season during the summer with 3 National Championships and a Silver Medal from an international competition. However for many it sets them back and it is hard to recover from. I also heard from many of those families as well about how similar guidelines or eligibility rules had sidelined their children and how they lost their motivation or opportunities to advance to the next level. With my sons permission I am posting this bit of information on their blog so that it may help you the Parent and Student to be aware of the rules governing school athletics.

Below you will find links to some helpful sites and information.

http://www.nchsaa.org/
http://www.wcpss.net/athletics/ath0809.html#miss
http://www.wcpss.net/athletics/eligibility_requirements.html
https://web1.ncaa.org/eligibilitycenter/common/



2008-2009 HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
Students interested in participating in high school athletics in the 2008-2009 school year should familiarize themselves with the following general regulations, academic and attendance requirements, and athletic policies.

Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible for tryouts, practice, or participation in interscholastic athletic contests, a player must meet all North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) and Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) eligibility requirements and policies:
Age
• Must not participate if he/she becomes 19 years of age on or before October 16, 2008.
Attendance
• Must follow NCHSAA rules, which have an 85% attendance requirement (approximately 13.5 days) for the previous semester and includes all absences.
• WCPSS requires the athlete to be present the entire day in order to participate in activities or practices.
Academics
• A student, upon first entering grade nine (9), is academically eligible for competition on high school teams. All requirements must be met the first semester (fall) in order for this student to be eligible for athletic participation the second semester (spring).
• Must meet promotion requirements at their school to be eligible for the fall semester
• Must earn passing grades in five subjects, or three for block schedule schools, or six for schools on an A/B form of scheduling, during each semester in order to be eligible for participation during the succeeding semester.
• WCPSS also requires a cumulative overall grade point average of 1.5 or above.
Enrollment
• Must participate at the school to which he or she is assigned by the local board of education based on the residence of the parent or legal custodian within the administrative unit. The athlete must live with the parents or legal custodian. According to WCPSS Board Policy 6201 a “legal custodian” is a person or agency awarded legal custody of a child by a court of law.
• Must be a properly enrolled student in a member school of the WCPSS district, must be enrolled no later than the 15th day of the present semester, and must be in regular attendance at that school.
Medical Examination
• Must receive a medical examination once every 365 days by a duly licensed physician, nurse practitioner, or physician’s assistant.
• Must be released by a licensed physician if absent from athletic practice for five or more days due to illness or injury.
Other NCHSAA Requirements
• Must not participate at the high school level for a period lasting longer than eight consecutive semesters beginning with the student’s first entry into grade nine or participation on a high school team.
• Must not participate at the high school level for more than four seasons in that sport (one season per year).
• Must not be convicted of a felony in this or any other state, or adjudicated as a delinquent for an offense that would be a felony if committed by an adult in this or any other state.
• May not play, sit on the bench, or practice if ineligible.
• To maintain amateur status, the athlete must not accept money or awards having utilitarian value (golf balls, clubs, tennis rackets and balls).
• Must not have signed a professional contract, played on a junior college team or be enrolled and attending class in college.
Other WCPSS Policy
• May not participate in practice or play if assigned to In-School Suspension (ISS) or Out-of-school Suspension (OSS).
• May not participate at a second school in WCPSS in the same sport season.


Quoted by a Loving Mom
As a parent you either chase your child down doing good things or you will chase them down doing bad things. The choice is truly yours!

Thank You!

Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
Mom & Dad
Coach Steve McGill
Assistant Coach Byron Gibson
Coach Dave Simpson
Coach Nicholas Sparks
Slade C. Trabucco
TEC Officers & Admin Staff
Teammates, Friends and Family


We simply want to say thank you to all of you for your love, support, prayers and encouragement! May God Bless and continue to keep you!

Track Eastern Carolina 2008 Junior Olympic Medalist

400 Meter Dash Bantam Girls 3rd place Sydney Jenkins of (Charlotte/Track Eastern Carolina) at 1:03.40.

200 Meters 1st place Fuquawn Greene of New Bern (N.C./Track Eastern Carolina), running in lane six, did not miss a step leading from the start and running 21.52 into a 1.5 meter per second wind for the win. Greene had set a personal best of 21.08 in the preliminaries. Track Eastern also had another finalist Chris Herring in 5th at 21.88.

800 Meters 1st place Anthony Hendrix of New Bern (N.C./Track Eastern Carolina), took over the race in the final stretch to go on and win at a time of 1:52.69.

110-Meter High Hurdles 1st place Booker Nunley of Garner (N.C./Track Eastern Carolina) had the best start and was clear of the field by the second hurdle and on his way to a 13.41. The USATF Junior Olympic Young Mens record is listed at 13.40, set in 1978 by Rodney Wilson (Bartrum, Philadelphia, Pa.), but that is actually a hand time. Nunley will get credit for breaking the meet record of 13.42, set by Terrance Trammell of Southwest Dekalb (Decatur, Ga.) in 1997. The race was run with a legal aiding wind of 1.4 meters per second. Nunley whose personal best is 13.40, was second in the World Junior championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland.

400-Meter Intermediate Hurdles 4th place Malcolm Nunley of (Garner, N.C./Track Eastern Carolina) at 55.14.

100 Meters 4th place Darryl Williams of White Oak (Jacksonville, N.C./Track Eastern Carolina) at 10.58.

4x100 Meter Relay Young Men

3rd place 13 Track Eastern Carolina 40.76

1) Christopher Herring 89 2) Darryl Williams 89

3) Demetrius David 90 4) Fuquan Greene 91

4x800 Meter Relay Young Women

7th place 13 Track Eastern Carolina 9:48.29

1) Brandy Swann 90 2) Allie Johnson 91

3) Ashley Ferrell 90 4) Ryanna Henderson 91

4x400 Meter Relay Young Men

13 Track Eastern Carolina

1) Christopher Herring 89 2) Fuquan Greene 91

3) Anthony Hendrix 90 4) Robett Horton 90

Congratulations to these and all of the Track Eastern Athletes for doing an Awesome Job all year long!

Hurdler doesn't sweat it

Published Monday July 28, 2008
BY JONATHON BRADENWORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER

Booker Nunley was strolling to the water cooler with a smile wider than his 6-foot-2, 160-pound frame.His fan club of Track Eastern Carolina teammates, stationed near the finish line in the northwest corner of Burke Stadium, was still showering him with praise.Still walking, Nunley turned to his fan base, removed his sunglasses with his right hand, then used his left hand to ceremoniously wipe imaginary sweat off his forehead.The 18-year-old had earned every clap and cheer after setting a meet record of 13.41 seconds in winning the Young Men's (ages 17 and 18) National Junior Olympics 110-meter high hurdles. The mark also will be considered for listing as the national youth record because the current mark of 13.4 was a hand-held time run in 1978 before electronic timing was used.But Nunley had hardly perspired in the less than 14 seconds it took him to get from his starting blocks to the finish line despite temperatures in the high 80s and a cloudless sky.His fellow hurdlers didn't provide much opposition for the South Carolina recruit, who's only run the hurdles for two years. Since February, Nunley has been competing against collegiate athletes after being declared ineligible from North Carolina high school competition."If I would have known, I would have taken the right amount of courses," Nunley said. "I mean, I'm a smart kid. I've taken advanced classes ever since high school."It was just two days before the North Carolina high school indoor championships in February when Booker's mother, Jacqueline, received word that Booker couldn't compete in the spring season of high school track and field."It was kind of devastating," she said Sunday from their North Carolina home.In the fall, Booker dropped two of his four high school classes. Only needing English to graduate, he thought everything was fine.But athletes have to pass at least three classes to be eligible the following semester, according to North Carolina High School Athletic Association rules.Nunley, who has a GPA of 3.5, said he had no clue about the rule, and his counselor, who was also his high school track coach, also hadn't informed him of the regulation.Just like that, his high school track career was over.But his hurdling career was about to hit new strides.Local universities, such as Wake Forest, North Carolina State and South Carolina, where he'll run both the 110 and 400 hurdles next year, let him compete in meets unattached."I actually ran a lot more than the school season would have allowed me to," he said. "I probably ran more than any hurdler this year."Nunley got used to competing in big meets every few weeks."Right now there's nobody around him that affects anything about his psyche," Track Eastern Carolina coach Dave Simpson said.He also had more time to focus on his technique rather than try to win high school contests, and that helped him become a stronger hurdler.At the collegiate level, the hurdles go up to 42 inches, three inches higher than high school hurdles. The 39-inch hurdles had become easy for Nunley, but the 42-inchers presented a challenge."Forty-twos actually helped me become a better hurdler," Nunley said. "You had to get stronger. You had to do things a different way. You had to be technically sound."Nunley's dedication was on display Sunday for the finals crowd at Burke Stadium."That's the best high school race I've ever seen," Simpson said.But, Nunley said, Sunday's record-breaking time wasn't even his best."Actually, I probably could have gone a lot faster," Nunley said. "I haven't really been practicing lately."About three weeks ago, before he won silver at the IAAF World Junior Championships in Poland with a time of 13.41, he was bothered by some knee tendinitis.Since he returned from Poland, Nunley had only practiced hurdles a couple times before the Junior Olympics in Omaha.With his win Sunday, Nunley has replaced the North Carolina state championship he likely would have won this past spring with an even more prestigious prize. Simpson teased him about it after the race."I guess you'll trade in a state championship for this championship anytime, won't you?" • Contact the writer: 444-1138, jonathon.braden@owh.com

A Season To Remember!

12th IAAF World Junior Championships Highlights

Women

1500
US Medal history
No US Medalists
Gutsy races by Jordan Hasay and Alex Kosinski in what began as a painfully slow pace (74 seconds for the first lap). Hasay finished 4th and Kosinski 6th, the best performance ever for American athletes.

Women 4x400 gold
4x400 gold
US Medal history
1986 - gold
1988 - silver
1994 - gold
1998 - bronze
2002 - gold
2004 - gold
2006 - gold
It's 4 in a row for the US, with Lanie Whitaker, Jessica Beard, Erica Alexander and Takecia Jameson. The splits on the IAAF web site are incorrect. The should be (approximately) 53.1, 51.0, 52.6, 53.4.

Erica Alexander 4x400 DT
US Medal history
1994 - Suzy Powell - bronze
1996 - Seilala Sua - silver
Anna Jelmini made the 8 person final but could only manage 7th (162-3). Erin Pendleton was 11th at 158-11.

Men

5000
US Medal history
No US medalists
How do you compete against 13:08.57! That was what Abraham Cherkos of Ethiopia ran to win. Then two others followed at 13:11! This was a race with an African pack and a non-African pack which developed early. When you see the complete results, you'll see what I mean. Matt Centrowitz finished 11th in 13:58.31, a PR for him. Ryan Collins was 16th in 14:30.16.

Booker Nunley - 110h - silver110m Hurdles
US Medal history
1988 - Stephen Brown silver
1988 - Elbert Ellis - bronze
1994 - Dudley Dorival - silver
1994 - Darius Pemberton - bronze
1998 - Sharif Paxton - silver
2002 - Antwon Hicks - gold
2004 - Aries Merritt - gold
2004 - Kevin Craddock - bronze
Booker Nunley, though having the worst start of the field (as he did in the semis) finished second in 13.45 to a very strong Russian hurdler. He now owns the 3 fastest US times for high schoolers. He is the leader of 3 North Carolina hurdlers who are the top 3 hurdlers in the US (Spencer Adams and Wayne Davis are the other two).

3000 Steeple
US Medal history
No US medalists
(On Ethiopia or Kenya have won gold medals – no other country has). The Kenyans took 1-3, with a Ugandan with the Kenyan name of Kiplagat taking second. Curtis Carr got a PR of 8:53.79 for 10th, and Dylan Knight finished just ahead of him in 9th at 8:52.90, just off his PR.

Men 4x400 gold
4x400
US Medal history
1986 - gold
1988 - gold
1990 - gold
1992 - gold
1994 - gold
1996 - gold
1998 - silver
2000 - no US team
2002 - gold
2004 - gold
2006 - gold
(In 2000, when the meet was in Chile, it was held in October. The US sent a skeleton Team. That year the winning time was the slowest winning time ever).
Another gold (4 in a row). The splits on the IAAF web site are incorrect. It was Boyd 46.0, Miller 46.4, Wilder 45.3 and Anderson 46.1, approximately).

HJ
US Medal history
1986 - Hollis Conway silver
2002 - Andra Manson gold

-----------------------------------------------------------

This has been another enjoyable meet. I've been to all of the World Junior Championships except the first (1986) and this was on a par "presentation-wise" with any I've been to. Of course the music was a bit loud, but I think it's just me getting older. The English language announcer, Marton Gyulai, was terrific. He was informative, "loose" and sometimes funny. He would say things like " … he ran a helluva turn", or "give it up for so and so". He was just fun to listen to.

Some other observations:

No US flags: apparently someone forgot to bring them. Virtually every gold medalist or gold medal team took a victory lap with their country's flag. But no one from the US, the team that won the most golds, had the opportunity to do that.

This was one of the greatest performances by a US team, garnering 17 medals, 11 of them gold. Apparently the conflict with NON did not hurt the team. Of course, two-thirds of the team were collegians, so that helped.

A scary thought: Kirani James of Grenada who finished second in the 400m at 45.70, will be eligible for the IAAF World Youth Championships (17-18) next year.

A guy no one had really ever heard of, Josephat Bett of Kenya, who had a previous best of 28:10, set a meet record in the 10000 of 27:30.85.

The US has made marked improvement in many events. The most obvious is the incredible 1-2 finish in the men's hammer. But some of the other unprecedented performances were Laurynne Chetelat in the 3000 finished 6th and Jordan Hasay and Alex Kosinski in the 1500, finishing 4th and 6th.

It's always enjoyable meeting the parents of some of the athletes. We seemed to run into the Taylors (Christian's parents and his sister Kaitlyn) and Amber Purvis' mom on a daily basis. They are terrific, supportive people. We also met Luke Laird's (javelin) parents who had come from Kansas to see their son compete.

12th IAAF World Junior Championships: USA Day Four Highlights

Heptahlon 100m Hurdles Erin Sampley looked very good, running 13.89. Ryann Krais ran faster than her Great Southwest time into a slighly negative wind. Here are her projections after this event based on what she had done in the past and what would be her most optimistic performances, after one event:

Men 110m Hurdles, Round 1 – Booker Nunley looked to be the class of the field as he and Ronald Brookins both qualified to the semis.

Women's Discus Qualifying – Anna Jelmini finished fourth in her group and will p19-19robably qualify for the final.(164-5). Erin Pendleton came through in a big way in Group B, throwing 164-5 , qualifying for the final 11th overall. After the other throws in Group B, Jelmini wound up 10th overall, as both Americans advanced to the finals.

Women's Long Jump Qualifying – neither Shakia Forbes (19-7) nor Jameisha Youngblood (19-1.25) advanced to the final.

Women's 1500m Qualifying – Alex Kosinski looked superb in winning (!) her heat. Those things are not supposed to happen in a World Junior championships (meaning, an American winning one's heat). In fact, she got a PR of 4:19.14 and looked relaxed doing so. Of course, running close to 4:10 in the final will probably be a requirement for getting a medal. In another qualifying heat, Jordan Hasay ran an intelligent race, but last week's Olympic Trials activities and the long travel (she arrived 3 days ago) seemed to take its toll. She got bumped around quite a bit and could not respond when the leading trio (she was fourth at the time) made their sprint move with 280 meters to go. She hung on for fifth, being passed down the stretch. The look on her face showed that she was hurting. However, she did qualify on time. I can't recall when two Americans have made the 1500m final (and, since there was no Junior annual this year from the IAAF, I can't easily find out).

Heptahlon High Jump - Erin Sampley no-heighted (4-11.5), so we'll see if she continues the competition. Ryann Krais jumped close to her PR of 5-8, clearing 5-7.75. If she equals or betters all of her Great Southwest marks, she projects to get the high school record by 6 points.

Ryann Krais Heptathlon Projection after High Jump

12th IAAF World Junior Championships: USA Day Two Highlights

Men 800m – Elijah Greer, the only American in the semis, got an introduction to big time running in this race, running against the World Junior leader Khaki, from Sudan (1:42.). He just couldn't keep up with the pace, and finished 6th in 1:50., well "out of the money".

Women 400m semis – Both Americans advanced. Jessica Beard easily in winning her heat and Lanie Whitaker on time. The top 2 of each of the 3 semis automatically qualified and then those 2 with the next fastest times. Lanie Whitaker was fourth in semi 1 and had to wait until all three heats were completed to find out if she qualified. She did.

Women shot put qualifying – Chinwe Oworo managed 10th overall (50-6.75) to qualify for the final. Becky O'Brien (48-5.5) did not advance.

Men 10000m final – Kenyans (of course) dominated, with both having 48 second PR's, running close to 27:30. Don Cabral got a PR finishing 17th in 30:47.55. Daniel Dunbar was 19th in 30:51.67.

Men Long Jump final – Marquise Goodwin got the first US gold, getting the US High School lead of 25-4.75 on his first jump. Christian Taylor has had better days, managing only 7th.

Women 100m – the smooth Janeba Tarmoh won a close race. Shayla Mahan was 6th.

Men 100m – Dexter Lee of Jamaica wins this meet after winning the World Youth Championships last year. Terrell Wilks was third

Men 400h - Jeshua Anderson had an easy time qualifying, winning his heat in 51.12. Johnny Dutch ran equally relaxed and won his heat easily. Both athletes are the only ones entered in the meet who have bettered 50 seconds.

Women 400h - Kori Carter did not advance, but Tekecia Jameson did.

Pole Vault - Both Rachel Laurent and Leslie Brost advanced to the final, with Laurent clearing 13-1.5 and Brost clearing about 12-9.

12th IAAF World Junior Championships: USA Day One Highlights

Marcus Boyd of USA in action during the Men's 400m heats

Brian Bishop of USA in action during the Discus Throw qualifications

Jeneba Tarmoh of USA in the Semi-Final of the Women's 100m

American junior champion Terrell Wilks was the quickest to advance to Wednesday’s 100m final, but there was heartbreak for his compatriot, Antonio Sales, who was disqualified for causing the second false start in his semi-final.

Wilks was timed at 10.37 into a headwind, whereas the winner of the second semi, South Africa’s Wilhelm van der Vyver ran 10.38 with a much kinder wind gauge reading.

Wilks was far from impressed though. He admitted afterwards: “I am not happy at all with my semi-final race. I had a bad start, but I got into the final – that’s what really counts. I am still expecting to win.”

Jamaica’s Yohan Blake won the third semi with 10.42 to set up what could be a close final.

American Jeneba Tarmoh goes into the women’s 100m final as favourite, backing up her 11.21 from earlier this year by becoming the quickest in the semi-finals.

She won the third heat with 11.38 into a wind of 0.5m/s. However, Britain’s World Youth bronze medallist Ashlee Nelson suggested she could challenge with her semi-final win in 11.43 (-0.7m/s). Bahamas’ Sheniqua Ferguson took the other semi in 11.56 with a neutral wind reading.

New apparel line for Team USA designed for speed!

One of the most joyful moments of the 2008 Olympic Trials has been the public unveiling of the new Nike USA Track and Field uniforms last Monday, June 30, to be worn by all Team USA members in Beijing. The unveiling took the form of the 23 Nike athletes who had qualified for the team to date doing a flag-waving victory lap before 20,000 fans gathered at Hayward Field for that evening’s events.

And with that teddy bear of a shot putter, Reese Hoffa, leading the charge, the event couldn’t help but be a lot of fun.

“We debuted The Swoosh at the 1972 Olympic Trials,” noted Nike Media Relations Manager Jacie Prieto. “But traditionally the Nike way is a larger-than-life debut or unveiling. We wanted something organic for this, though, for the track and field fans, and we thought this was perfect.”

The full "We The People" graphic
The Nike uniforms were on display most of last week for select media members to preview. The Nike Swift System of Dress is designed to be lightweight and give athletes plenty of choices.

Featuring the Nike Swift materials the company has just introduced, the uniforms are intended to reduce weight to achieve less drag and lead to faster times. Prieto said the uniform has seven percent less drag than the Athens version, and that wearing the new Nike Swift Suit translates to a benefit of about two-hundredths of a second in the 100 meters.

Continue reading at http://www.dyestat.com//?pg=us-2008-Outdoor-Track-US-Olympic-Trials-Nike-Innovations

Olympic Trials: 110 Hurdle finals

The 110 hurdles finals at the Olympic Trials, was loaded with America's top talent in the hurdles. The top three will advance to take on the best in the world like, China's Liu Xiang and Cuban world record holder Daron Robles. The race was clean from the start. The top three runners all broke away from the pack by the fifth hurdle. David Oliver, Terrence Trammell and Anwar Moore all established an early presence. In the end; David Oliver took first, Trammell ran in to take a close second place and David Payne earned the last ticket to Beijing after Anwar moore took a spill on the last hurdle. Moore would have easily taken third place if he hadn't hit that last hurdle. As for the top three finishers, its off to Beijing to compete and bring home the gold. Congratulations to David Oliver on the Olympic berth and good luck!

Olympic Trials: Track & Field Wrap-up!

EUGENE, Ore. - Another American record and some dramatic close calls highlighted the final day of competition Sunday at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Track & Field, where a Hayward Field record crowd of 21,176 fans brought the eight-day attendance total to 167,123.

The top three finishers in each event at these Olympic Trials, who have met Olympic performance standards, will earn the ultimate prize of a spot on the Team USA roster for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China.

Stuczynski delivers

American record holder and World Indoor silver medalist Jenn Stuczynski kept the track world on the edge of its collective seat in the women's pole vault, contested in swirling winds. Far and away the top American vaulter, with a best mark this season that is 8.5 inches better than her next-best compatriot, Stuczynski spent the first 90 minutes of competition sitting on the sidelines as other vaulters took attempts at lower heights. When she entered, at 4.60m/15-1.25, only two other vaulters were still jumping: April Steiner Bennett and Erica Bartolina.

But something happened on the way to the bar for Stuczynski: she missed her first two attempts at 4.60m. Were she to miss her third and final attempt, she would have made no height and would fail to make the Olympic Team. With a huge sigh of relief, the two-time USA outdoor champion cleared the bar by nearly a foot, setting Olympic spots for her, Steiner Bennett (4.60m/15-1), and Bartolina (4.55m/14-11).

Stuczynski was the only vaulter of the three to clear 4.65m/15-3.75, and she immediately had the bar raised to 4.76m/15-7.5 in an attempt to break Stacy Dragila's 2004 Olympic Trials record of 4.75m/15-7. She easily soared over it on her first attempt, then raised the bar to 4.92m/16-1.75, 1 cm better than her own American record of 4.91m/16-1.5. After a close miss on her first attempt and a less-close miss on her second, she easily made it on her third try. With all other competition concluded, the full house of 21,000-plus remained in their seats and Stuczynski took two unsuccessful tries at a world-record height of 5.02m/16-5.75.

Jones astonishes in hurdles; Oliver wins first title

The men's and women's hurdles races delivered impressive performances and two new national champions.

In 2004, Lolo Jones had just completed her senior year at LSU and had been fourth at the NCAA Championships. At the Olympic Trials in Sacramento, she crashed a hurdle, dashing her Olympic dreams. Four years later in Eugene, she was dominant in all rounds and left no doubt that the 2008 Word Indoor gold medalist must be considered a contender for gold in Beijing. Jones was astounding in Sunday's final, executing flawlessly and winning in 12.29 seconds (+3.8mps), tying the #2 time ever run under any conditions (windy or not). Damu Cherry was a distant second in 12.58, with Dawn Harper third in 12.62 as all three made their first Olympic Teams. Nichole Denby was fourth in the same time, missing out on Beijing by .007 seconds. Defending Olympic gold medalist Joanna Hayes, visibly limping, was seventh in 12.96.

In the semifinals, Jones posted a 2008 world-leading mark by winning the second heat in 12.45 (+1.45). A favorite not advancing to the final was two-time world champion Michelle Perry, who has been struggling with a thigh injury and has competed with her left thigh taped. She was sixth in the first semifinal in 12.79 and did not advance.

Like Jones, David Oliver completed a sweep of the 2008 U.S. indoor and outdoor titles in the men's hurdles. Though slow out of the blocks, Oliver rallied past two-time Olympic silver medalist, defending Olympic Trials champion and 2007 World Outdoor silver medalist Terrence Trammell to win the 100H in 12.95 (+2.5). Trammell was second in 13.00 and World Outdoor bronze medalist David Payne third in 13.25, a beneficiary of an untimely fall by Anwar Moore, who was in third but fell over the final hurdle and finished eighth in 16.64.

Oliver also ran an outstanding semifinal race, crossing the line .01 under the American record, in 12.89, but aided by an illegal 3.2mps wind. It was the fourth-fastest time ever run under any conditions. Trammell won the second semi in 13.08 (+2.0mps).


Lagat completes double

In perhaps the most tactical race of these Olympic Trials, world champion Bernard Lagat withstood a relaxed pace, pushing and shoving to win his second title of the Olympic Trials. The two-time Olympic 1,500m medalist for Kenya and the 2007 world champion at 1,500 and 5,000 for Team USA, Lagat will compete in both events in Beijing.

Lagat went to the lead at the gun, but 2000 Olympic Trials champion Gabe Jennings sprinted to the lead after 200m. Running 60-second laps, the tightly packed field came through 800m in 2:00.70 with Jennings, Lagat, Said Ahmed, Leonel Manzano and Lopez Lomong at the front. Approximately 1,000m into the race, Ahmed literally pushed his way between Jennings and Lagat to take the lead, and the race was on.

With 300 to go, it was Ahmed, Lagat and Manzano, and 100m later Lomong had moved up to third. That finishing order remained the same as the three men, all of whom are naturalized U.S. citizens, will represent the United States for the first time at the Olympics. Lagat won in 3:40.37, with Manzano second in 3:r0.90 and Lomong third in 3:41.00. William Leer was fourth in 3:41.54 and Alan Webb fifth in 3:41.62.

A graduate of Washington State University, Lagat has lived in the United States for 12 years and became a citizen in 2004. The 2005 and 2008 NCAA champion, Manzano was born in Mexico but raised in Texas. A Lost Boy of Sudan, Lomong fled the country in 1991 and spent 10 years in a refugee camp in Kenya. He was relocated to Tully, N.Y., where he graduated high school in 2004 before attending Northern Arizona University, for whom he was the 2007 NCAA 1,500m champion.


Terrific 200s

Walter Dix once again made good on the tremendous promise he has shown as a collegiate athlete at Florida State. The 22-year-old won his first national title in the 200 on Sunday, coming from behind to overtake the defending Olympic gold medalist by the smallest of margins.

Gold medalist Shawn Crawford came off the turn running powerfully, with Dix and Rodney Martin trailing him slightly. Roughly 70 meters from the finish line, two-time World Outdoor medalist Wallace Spearmon launched his late-race push as Dix gained incrementally on Crawford. At the finish, Dix and Crawford both were timed in 19.86, a Hayward Field record, as Crawford leaned so severely he nearly fell. Dix was given the win by .005 seconds in the photo finish, with Spearmon third in 19.90. The 2007 NCAA 100 and 200 champion, Dix was runner-up in the 100 meters at the Olympic Trials and will compete in both events in Beijing.

The women's 200 had drama of its own. The world's dominant 200m runner, two-time world champion and Olympic silver medalist Allyson Felix was a heavy favorite to win her specialty event entering the Olympic Trials, even though she had yet to run a 200m in 2008. But coming off the curve in Sunday's final, it was 100m champion Muna Lee, running in lane 6 to Felix's lane 5, who held the lead. A composed Felix pulled even with Lee, then kept pushing to win in 21.82 (+5.6mps). Lee finished in 21.99 as Marshevet Hooker lost her balance one stride before the finish and fell across the line third in 22.20, just .01 ahead of Lauryn Williams in fourth.

Dominant Rowbury

Shannon Rowbury likewise entered the Olympic Trials as the prohibitive favorite in the women's 1,500 meters, and she delivered in convincing fashion. Strong and swirling winds kept the field packed tightly through the first two laps as Treniere Clement handled leading duties through 400m in 68.17 and Lindsey Gallo paced 800m in 2:15.73. Just past 1,000m, Rowbury took off and put on an impressive display of confident running as only Christin Wurth-Thomas and Erin Donohue attempted to move as well. Rowbury crossed the finish line in 4:05.48 - a very fast time in unfavorable winds - as Donohue (4:08.20) passed Wurth (4:08.48) in the final straight for second and third, respectively. Beijing will be the first Olympic Team for all three women.

Men's TJ raises pulses

The men's triple jump saw multiple lead changes and a final-round bomb that shook up the Olympic Team roster and left a world champion without a spot in Beijing. 2004 Olympian Kenta Bell, 2005 world champion Walter Davis, 2007 USA indoor and outdoor champion and '08 indoor champ Aarik Wilson, 2006 NCAA champion Rafeeq Curry, Allen Simms, and Brandon Roulhac traded the first six positions throughout the competition as Bell opened the jumping with a big mark of 17.23m/56-6.5, a jump that kept him in first for most of the competition.

That is, until Wilson took to the runway for his final attempt. The Indiana University grad exploded with a mark of 17.43m/57-02.25 (+2.0) to move from sixth to first, setting a Hayward Field record and knocking Davis from third to fourth. Bell was displaced from first to second with his 17.23, and Curry ended third with a best mark of 17.21m/56-5.75, just 1cm - or .5 inch - ahead of Davis in fourth (17.20m/56-5.25).

Waltz, Smith win throws titles

Ian Waltz won his third national title, and made his second Olympic Team, in the men's discus, as four of his five measured throws were farther than his next-best competitor. Waltz' best mark of 65.87m/216-1 put him well ahead of Michael Robertson in second (63.73m/209-1) and Casey Malone third (62.67m/205-7).

The men's javelin featured an upset as Bobby Smith won his first national title with a throw of 76.06m/249-6. Mike Hazle was second with 75.76m/248-7, with Brian Chaput third with 75.63m/248-1. Hazle and fifth-place finisher Leigh Smith (74.24m/243-07) are the only men's javelin finalists to have met the Olympic A standard, and they will be on the team for Beijing.

Fourth time the charm for Dow

2003 Pan Am Games bronze medalist Joanne Dow won her fourth career U.S. women's 20 km title and earned her first Olympic roster spot in four tries, over a 1 kilometer loop course adjacent to Autzen Stadium. In cool and blustery conditions, the 44-year-old Dow jointly held the lead with 2004 Olympian Teresa Vaill, 45, through three kilometers before breaking away and winning convincingly in 1:35:10, with Vaill second in 1:36:34. Vaill also placed second in the women's 10 km Olympic Trials in 1984 and 1988. Both competitors entered the competition holding the Olympic "B" standard, with Dow qualifying for the Olympic Team roster spot with her victory. Susan Armenta, 34, was third in 1:42:11.

In youth exhibition races, Jordon Berstrom won the boys' 400m dash in 51.62, and BryAnne Wochnick won the girls' 400 in 57.62.

Gay, Stuczynski crowned Visa Champions

The Olympic Trials also was the final event of USATF's Visa Championship Series. At the conclusion of the meet, Tyson Gay and Jenn Stuczynski were crowned Visa Champions as the athletes with the top individual performances of the Visa Championship Series. Gay's wind-aided time of 9.68 in the men's 100m final on June 29 was worth 1,311 points using IAAF scoring tables, comfortably ahead of Brad Walker's score of 1,279 for his American record pole vault of 6.04m/19-9.75 at the Nike Prefontaine Classic.

Stuczynski's AR in the vault Sunday afternoon was worth 1,232 points and the win, while Hyleas Fountain's personal-best score of 6,667 in the heptathlon was worth 1,226 points, good for second place. She had led Stuczynski by 1 point in the standings up until the moment Stuczynski cleared her American record.

World Juniors 110 Hurdles Preview

Booker Nunley of Garner High in North Carolina was the National Junior champion in 13.40 despite have to run as an unattached athlete when a mix-up of the number of units he was taking resulted in his ineligibility. Running over the 42 inch international height hurdles, where he had a personal best of 13.91 might have helped him work on his technique. Last year his personal best over the high school 39 inch hurdles was 13.88.

Joining Nunley on the U.S. team is Oscar Spurlock of Southern California, who just edged Ronald Brookins of Sacramento St., 13.801 to 13.807. Spurlock set a personal best of 14.01 over the 42-inch hurdles in finishing fourth in the USC-UCLA dual meet and later placed sixth in the Pacific 10 at 14.04. Spurlock set a seasonal best of 13.72 over the 39-inch hurdles in the semifinals of the Junior championships. Last year as a high schooler he had a best of 13.72 and win the Texas State 5A title with a 13.73.

Nunley’s time ranks behind just Yohany Portilla of Cuba at 13.30 and Konstantin Shabanov of Russia at 13.32 on the yearly world Junior list. Portilla has just two FAT times this year but has seven hand times between 13.1 and 13.3, all in Havana. It is good to keep in mind that money is very valued commodity in Cuba and the federation only sends athletes to Youth and Junior championship the feel have an excellent chance of winning a medal.

Shabanov, whose best of 13.40, set a national junior record and came in the Russian Junior championships, has a genetic advantage. His father, Georgiy, who was a 13.71 hurdler in the 1980s. Aleksey Dryomin, was second to Shabanov in the their trials, with a personal bet of 13.50. Jamaican Kieron Stewart set a national record of 13.49 over the 39-inch hurdles in finishing second in the 2007 Carifta Games and then won this years Island Games in New York City with a wind-aided 13.39.

Youth National Highlights: Track Eastern

This past weekend Track Eastern competed at the 2008 USATF Youth National Meet. We had a number of athletes competing from the Bantam to the Young Men and Women age groups. We kind of used this meet as a tune-up for the regional meet coming up in two weeks in Rock Hill, SC. Overall, we performed exceptionally well, as I said there is still some kinks that we have to work out.

In the Bantam age group we had Sydney Jenkins run the 100 and 200 dashes. Sydney contested a 14.19 in the 100 meter dash placing seventh. That Saturday, Sydney ran the 200 meter dash placing sixth in a time of 28.79.

Erin Jenkins represented Track Eastern in the Youth age group. Erin is a rising hurdler. He competed in the 100 and 200 meter hurdles. Erin qualified for the finals in both of his hurdling events. In the finals on Sunday, Erin ran 28.13 placing eighth, then came back later on in the day to post a time of 15.53 to capture a fifth place finish.

Track Eastern had a lot of representation in the Intermediate age group. For the girls, Dannielle Davis competed in the 100 meter hurdles placing sixth in a time of 15.26. Stephanie Jenkins also ran the hurdles. In the 400 hurdles, Stephanie ran a 1:14 after falling over the last hurdle. Intermediate girl sprinter Dominique Weathers, ran the 200 meter dash. Qualifying for the finals on Saturday, Dominique ran a time of 24.63 seconds placing eighth overall. The intermediate girls also competed in the 4x100 meter relay. The team consisted of Dannielle Davis, Amber Clark, Ronqeiya Luther and Bryanna Wyatt. Each girl ran a strong leg to place fourth in a time of 48.33 seconds. As for the Intermediate boys, it was a meet of fine tuning our races. We had two athletes compete in the 200 meter dash, Dontrez Carmon (23.15) and Thomas Eubanks (24.24). Dontrez also ran the 400 meter dash, in a time of 51.68. David Coe and I ran the 110 meter hurdles. David contested a time of 15.91 just missing the finals. I ran a 15.78 qualifying for the finals. I posted a 15.58 in the finals taking sixth overall. I also competed in the 400 meter hurdles. In the prelims I ran a time of 57.28. I came back in the finals on Sunday to post a time of 55.45 placing second. That Saturday, Thomas, David, Dontez and I came together to run the 4x100 meter dash relay. We took seventh in a time of 44.10.

The Young Women age group displayed a number of outstanding performances. Future Gamecock Kelsey Mckorkle, competed in the 400 meter dash along with Brandy Swann. Brandy posted a time of 55.95 seconds placing fourth, while Kelsey ran a time of 55.04 placing first overall. Ryanna Henderson competed in the 1500 meter run. Ryanna placed second in a time of 4:52.18. Saturday the girls competed in 4x100 meter relay. With strong legs from Kelsey Mckorkle, Toccara Jones, Jayvonna Bowman and Brandy Swann, they ran away witht the victory in a time of 46.75. Some of those girls also ran on the 4x400 meter relay team. Kelsey, Brandy, Jayvonna and Ryanna all ran strong to place second in a time of 3:51.76. Track Eastern had a some of the Nation's best athletes compete in the Young Men age group. In the 100 meter dash final on Sunday, Track Eastern had three sprinters perform well. Demetrius David took sixth in a time of 11.00 seconds. Third was Darryl Williams in a time of 10.84 and coming in second was Fuquan Green run a time of 10.76. Track Eastern had another Gamecock compete, Booker Nunley ran the 110 hurdles. Booker ran a time of 13.72 seconds in the prelims and came back in the finals to post a time of 13.50 seconds to take first place. The young men 4x100 relay team ran well with strong legs from Darryl Williams, Fuquan Green, Demetrius David and Christopher Herring. The Young Men 4x400 meter relay who took a close second place, they ran a great race. Coming up short by two hundredths of a second to run a time of 3:11.25, they took second overall. The race was crazy.

Johnny Dutch .1 Away From Olympic Spot

University of South Carolina freshman Johnny Dutch, a 2007 Clayton High School graduate and 9-time NC State hurdle champ, finished 5th in the 400M hurdles at the US Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon this weekend. Johnny, who is only 19, ran a personal best time of 48.52, which was only .1 of a second behind the 3rd place finisher (who was the final Olympic spot) and .35 behind the winner (the top 3 are either past Olympic or World Champions!). His time also placed him 5th individually on the IAAF world list (Kerron Clement, Bershawn Jackson, Angelo Taylor, and Justin Gaymon are top 4). His 2008 season will end at the 2008 IAAF World Junior Championships to be held July 8-13 in Bydgoszcz, Poland where he will represent team USA.

Garner's Nunley hurdling obstacles

By Tim Stevens, Staff WriterComment on this story Booker Nunley can look back on missing the spring track season at Garner High as a blessing -- although when he first learned he had been ruled ineligible, it didn't seem that way.
"I thought I knew what was best for me," Nunley said this week. "But God had a better plan in mind."
Nunley won the U.S. junior national championship in the 110-meters hurdles last week in Columbus, Ohio.
His time (13.408 seconds) was the fastest in the junior division in the United States this year and is believed to be the fastest in the world. His time was almost a half-second faster than his previous career best of 13.88.
The victory earned Nunley a berth on the U.S. team in the IAAF World Junior Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland, in July.
"I don't know what is in Poland except for the junior worlds," Nunley said. "This is our Olympics. I am going to have a chance to compete against the best young runners in the world."
Nunley might not be packing for Poland if an administrative error had not cost him his senior season of high school track.
He had played football through his junior year and was a good enough wide receiver to receive scholarship offers from Miami and East Tennessee.
But for his senior season, he decided to concentrate on track, for which he had offers from Tennessee, N.C. State, South Carolina, Virginia Tech and others.
Nunley, who has a 3.4 overall grade-point average, took only two classes last fall. He was on track to graduate and dropped two courses he didn't need.
He passed his two courses, but N.C. High School Athletic Association rules require athletes to pass at least three courses to be eligible to compete in the following semester.
"I didn't know the rule," he said.
He found out he was ineligible days before the NCHSAA indoor championships. He had won a major invitational on Saturday but learned on Monday that his high school career was over.
"It hurt," Nunley said. "My whole track season was wiped out that quickly."
Curtis Frye, the South Carolina coach, called to say Nunley's track scholarship was not in jeopardy and encouraged him to keep practicing.
Steve McGill, a teacher at Ravenscroft and Nunley's private hurdles coach, told Nunley to pick himself up and make the best of the situation.
"We talked about how Booker now had the chance to work on his technique," McGill said. "He didn't have to worry about winning races. He could practice and get a lot better."
Hurdling is a combination of technique and speed, and McGill believes the biggest improvements come in improving technique.
McGill has worked with international champion hurdler Wayne Davis of Southeast Raleigh, former national high school hurdles champ Johnny Dutch of Clayton and the University of South Carolina and former state high school hurdles champ Gabby Mayo of Southeast Raleigh and Texas A&M.
"Look at all of the people, and we all have great technique," Nunley said. "We're not talking about jumping over sticks. We're hurdlers, and Coach McGill teaches us how to get faster."
The final piece of the puzzle came when a woman in Cary --Nunley doesn't know her or even know her name -- sent him a list of college track meets that he could enter.
Running in college meets forced Nunley to move to 42-inch tall hurdles, which are three inches taller than high school hurdles.
Nunley believes running on the higher hurdles this spring helped him improve his technique and made him stronger.
When he dropped back to the 39-inch hurdles for the junior nationals, he never felt faster.
"I guess I surprised a lot of people, but I thought I would do well," Nunley said. "I had run a 13.91 over the 42s, and Coach Fry told me that would convert to around a 13.4."
The championship race felt different than any previous race.
Nunley said he felt fast, but afterward he was sore.
"I've never been sore before or after a race," he said. "Maybe I've learned how to push myself more."
Never before had he been the focus of so much attention.
"Booker has been overshadowed by Wayne and Johnny," McGill said. "We have had some fantastic hurdlers in the area, international class runners.
Nunley said he is surprised a bit by the attention.
"I've always seen people go to the winners to congratulate them, but this time that was me," Nunley said.
tim.stevens@newsobserver.com or (919) 829-8910