Bianca Knight of USA wins the Girls' 100m final at the World Youth Championships (© Getty Images)
2005 USA youth hammer throw champion Walter Henning broke an American junior record in the first event of the day at the 2006 US Junior Track & Field Championships.
Already the American record holder in the hammer throw, Walter Henning dominated the field in the junior men's hammer throw and bettered his previous record with his winning throw of 71.62m. The previous record was 71.58m which Henning set this past May.
Two-time USATF Junior Olympic champion John Freeman was relegated to second with his heave of 60.92m and Princeton freshman Alexander Pessala was third with 60.60m. Henning has qualified for the 2006 IAAF World Junior Championships.
Emily Pendelton, the 2006 Outdoor Nationals champion, won the junior women's discus with a toss of 51.97m. Cal State Northridge freshman Jere Summers, who finished second yesterday in the junior women's shot put, again finished second with 48.72m. Pendleton and Summers have qualified for the 2006 IAAF World Junior Championships.
2006 World Youth silver medalist Scott Roth took home the crown in the junior men's pole vault with his winning height of 5.20m. Phillip Hanson was second, clearing 5.15m and Spencer McCorkel was third with 5.05m. Roth and Hanson have qualified for the 2006 IAAF World Junior Championships.
Holy Names High School junior Ke'Nyia Richardson bounded her way to a win in the junior women's triple jump with a hop, skip, and a jump of 12.85m. 2005 USA Junior Olympic long jump and triple jump champion Ashika Charan was the runner-up with 12.75m and Shana Watson, who took third in yesterday's long jump competition, was third with 12.63m/41-5.25. Richardson and Charan have qualified for the 2006 IAAF World Junior Championships.
Cahokia High School senior Kali Jackson grabbed the title in the junior men's triple jump with his winning bound of 15.77m. University of Louisville freshman Andre Black, who took third in yesterday's long jump competition, was the runner-up with 15.68m and 2006 Outdoor Nationals runner-up Gary Jones was third with 15.31m. Jackson and Black have qualified for the 2006 IAAF World Junior Championships.
Patience Coleman came back after a third place showing at the Outdoor Nationals last weekend to win the title in the junior women's high jump with a clearance of 1.81m. The runner-up was UCLA freshman Lauren Correa at 1.73m Oklahoma freshman Katherine Johnson was third with the same height.
Castilleja junior Tori Anthony vaulted her way to a win in the junior women's pole vault with a height of 4.00m while McKinney High School senior Britany Parker was second at 3.95m. Anthony and Parker have qualified for the 2006 IAAF World Junior Championships.
The top three competitors in the junior women's 3000m steeplechase went under the meet record with the win going to Reno High School sophomore Marie Lawrence in 10:15.26 seconds. Just behind her was runner-up Brigham Young freshman Amy Fowler in 10:18.88 and third-place finisher Katelyn Bowen, a freshman at Weber State in 10:24.15. The previous record of 10:34.72 was set in 2004 by Selina Sekulic. Lawrence has qualified for the 2006 IAAF World Junior Championships.
Brigham Young University freshman Christopher Carter, who took third at the 2006 NCAA Championships, won the junior men's 400m hurdles in 50.56 seconds. University of Albany freshman Joe Greene took second in 50.70 and 2005-06 Gatorade National Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year David Klech was third in 50.86. Carter and Greene have qualified for the 2006 IAAF World Junior Championships.
2005 Pan Am Junior gold medalist in the 4x400m Nicole Leach, a freshman at UCLA, hurdled her way to a meet record in the junior women's 400m Hurdles with her winning time of 55.63 seconds, almost three seconds ahead of second place. 2005 USATF Youth Athlete of the Year Ebony Collins was second in 58.31. Leach and Knight have qualified for the 2006 IAAF World junior Championships.
Yesterday's 100-meter runner-up Gabrielle Mayo won the junior women's 200 meters, setting a meet record of 22.88 seconds. 2005 IAAF World Youth 100m champion and 200m runner-up Bianca Knight was just behind her in second at 22.94. Mayo and Knight have both qualified for the 2006 IAAF World Junior Championships.
University of Florida freshman Willie Perry stole the show in the junior men's 200 meters, winning in 20.70 seconds. The runner-up was Christopher Dykes, a freshman at Texas A&M, in 20.87. Calvin Smith, Jr., son of two-time World 200m champion Calvin Smith, was third in 21.35. Perry and Dykes have qualified for the 2006 IAAF World Junior Championships.
USATF for the IAAF
