Mike Kennedy's 2015 World Youth Championships Prospects-April Update

Norman Grimes (Canyon, TX) has run 36.10 to lead the nation in the 300-meter hurdles this season. He is also ranked U.S. No. 4 in the 110-meter hurdles with his 13.78 best.

2015 WORLD YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIPS (WYC)

At Cali, Colombia, July 15-19

2015 U.S. WORLD YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP TRIALS

At Benedictine University, Lisle, Illinois, June 30-July 1

Boys Report | Girls Report

April 2nd Report

To be eligible to compete you must 1) be a U.S. citizen with a valid passport; 2) be born in 1998 or 1999; and 3) have met two qualifying standards, one standard for the U.S. World Youth Championship trials and a second standard for the World Youth Championships (there are two separate standards and two different time frames when marks must be achieved). Those 2015 World Youth Standards can be found on the separate Boys List and Girls List. Those marks must be made between October 1, 2014 and July 1, 2015. The 2015 U.S. Trials standards for the World Youth Championships are now listed. The qualifying window for the U.S. Trials for the WYC is between October 1, 2014 and July 26, 2015. Here is a link to the USATF web site for the U.S. Trials. http://www.usatf.org/Events---Calendar/2015/World-Youth-Track---Field-Trials.aspx)

Fourth in a Series -- Compiled by Mike Kennedy (e-mail mkentrk@aol.com )

TEXAS RELAYS KICK OFF THE OUTDOOR SEASON IN A BIG WAY

Hurdlers Norman Grimes, Isaiah Hughes and Tonea Marshall Heat up the Track

If the last two weeks across the nation are any indication, the month of April is going to provide a lot of excitement and a large number of outstanding performances. The Texas Relays in Austin the last weekend in March is the best evidence that America's best youth-age athletes have been very busy in the "off-season." Juniors Norman Grimes of Canyon and Isaiah Lucas of Cypress Falls (Houston, Texas) clashed in both the 110 and 300 hurdles with Grimes prevailing. In the short race, he prevailed by a narrow 13.78 to 13.99, with a generous legal aiding wind of 1.8 meters per second. In the longer race, the margin was larger, 36.10 to 36.56, but they still accounted for the two fastest high school times in the nation. The Texas twosome were not the only hurdlerers in mid-season form. Sophomore Damion Thomas of Northeast (Oakland Park, Flor.) clocked a wind-legal 13.78 and an uncontested 37.39 in the Broward County championships in Fort Lauderdale (Flor.) Tonea Marshall of Seguin (Arlington, Texas) was in fine form for the ladies with a legal 14.07 in the heats of the 100 hurdles and a burning 13.27, with an over the allowable wind of 4.0 mps, in the final, to become one of the fastest prep hurdlers of all-time. She also downed Alexis Duncan of DeSoto, who was second at 13.65. Duncan was the nation's fastest returning hurdler at 13.33. Kimani Rushing of Hallandale (Hallandale Beach, Flor.) was second in the 300 hurdles at 42.06 for the No. 2 time in the nation.

Khalifa St. Fort of St.Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Flor.) was the top girls Youth sprinter in the 100 with a wind-aided 11.46 but the real surprise was Landon Dunn of DeSoto, who was second in the boys' large schools race with a wind-aided 10.42 to make him the fifth fastest sprinter in the nation under all conditions. In a great matchup of distance runners sophomore Julia Heymach of Lamar (Houston, Texas) outlasted junior Madeleine Reed of Marcus (Flower Mound), 10:19.23 to 10:19.26, for the second and third fastest times in the nation. In the group A pole vault, Armand Duplantis of Lafayette (La.) set a national freshman class record of 17-1, losing only to Brandon Bray of China Springs on the count-back rule. Bailey Henderson of Canyon (New Braunfels) won the B section at 15-9, which bettered the World Youth champion qualifying standard of 15-3. Colleen Clancy of Smithson Valley was second in the girl's pole vault at 12-11 to easily better the girls WYC standard of 12-5½. Sophomore Tara Davis of Agoura (Agoura Hills, Ca.) was second in the long jump with a wind-legal 19-4 but then came back 24 hours later with a winning jump of 40-11 ½ to just miss the WYC qualifying standard of 41-0. Senior Meia Gordon of Cypress Creek (Houston), who is eligible for the WYC, was a double winner in the weights with a 47-9¾ shot put and a 147-10 discus throw.

For a while it appeared that sophomore Lauren Rain Williams, who chose to sit out last year at Long Beach Poly in southern California before transferring to Oaks Christian (Westlake Village), would have the state sprint scene to herself after running 23.39 indoors. That picture took on a slightly different complexion when Zaria Francis entered the Aztec Invitational in San Diego. Last year as a sophomore, Francis attended Camarillo where she had a successful year, running 11.74 and 24.30. Over the summer, Francis switched to Rio Mesa (Oxnard), where long-time coaching guru Brian FitzGerald has built a well-deserved reputation as excellent developer of sprinters and horizontal jumpers including Track and Field News athletes of the year, Angela Burnham in 1988 and Marion Jones in 1991 and 1992. In San Diego, Francis turned in wind-legal winning efforts of 11.59 and 23.60. The two are scheduled to hook up at the Arcadia Invitational the second weekend in April in the 100 and 200 with the state meet coming almost two months later. Candace Hill of Rockdale County (Conyers, Ga.) and Kaylin Whitney of East Ridge (Clermont, Flor.) - if the newly-minted pro chooses to contest the WYC - are the major competitors nationwide. On the boys side, two brand new names have shown well- Cravont Charleston of Mallard Creek (Charlotte, N.C.) and Antonio Mitchell of Vista Murrieta (Murrieta, Calif.), both with legal times of 10.57. The marks bettered the WYC standard but only Charleston's can be accepted because Mitchell mark came in a dual meet. To be eligible, marks must be made in meets of four or more teams. However, two days later, Mitchell ran a wind-aided 10.52 in the Mt. Carmel Invitational in San Diego. He will still need a wind-legal race but that is very likely just a matter of time.

Other performances of note in the last two weeks include Vacaville (Ca.) sophomores Jurnee Woodward and Reonna Collier, who was a standout performer at Piedmont Hills (San Jose, Ca.) last year, with Woodward running the 400 hurdles in a nation-leading 61.16 and Collier running a wind-legal 13.80 in the 100 hurdles at the UC Davis Open meet. Junior Isaac Cortes from Great Oak (Temecula, Ca.) was second in the adidas Azusa Dream Mile qualifying meet, running 4:08.92. Although only race winner Austin Tamagno of Brea-Olinda (Brea, Ca.) got the automatic qualifier at 4:06.26, how could you not invite Cortes? Erika Malaspina of Pacific College (Santa Cruz, Ca.) won the Christopher Invitational in pole vault in Gilroy (Ca.) at 13-0½

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U.S. Trials Qualifying Information (a must-read)

The United States is the seven-time defending World Youth team champion. The U.S. Trials are scheduled in just under four months at Benedictine University in Lisle (Il.). The first two finishers in each event, provided they have met the IAAF World Youth championships standard, will be placed in a pool and the U.S. team will be selected from that pool. Since 2001 there have been between 40 and 55 athletes selected, although in recent years the number has been between 40 and 43 athletes.

The 2013 U.S. World Youth team was made up of 43 athletes. The USATF has fixed the size of recent teams at around 40, twenty of which are paid for by the IAAF. The general guideline that has been used in selecting the U.S. team has been a demonstrated ability to advance to the finals of the World Youth Championships. Those standards are much higher than the entry standards set by the IAAF. However, the tougher standards have resulted in between five and ten athletes, who have shown that ability to reach the World Youth Championship finals, not being selected. With the success of U. S. Youth-age athletes (born in 1998 or 1999) at last year at the IAAF World Junior championship in Eugene, there is a high likelihood that additional well deserving athletes might not be selected. An example of the success selection method, 2013 World Youth Championships saw 19 of 20 girls selected for the U.S. team made WYC finals. Unless the size of the 2015 team is increased, there is a high likelihood that U.S. will again deny deserving athletes the invaluable experiences that can only be gained in competitions such as the WYC.

Perhaps the most important thing that athletes can do is to be sure to have a U.S. passport valid through 2015. You must have a passport with you when you participate in the U.S. World Youth trials. You will not be able to get a passport at the U.S. trials. Be sure to allow at least six weeks from the time that you apply for a passport until it is sent to you. You can apply for a passport through the Post Office. Getting a passport is a long-term investment. It is good for 10 years and there is every reason to believe that athletes with the talent to qualify for the World Youth Championships will have need of a passport multiple in the next 10 years.

A special note concerning the following events: 1,500 meters, 3,000 meters 2,000-meter steeplechase and 400-meter hurdles. All athletes must have a qualifying mark in these specific events to that meet the IAAF standards for entry into the World Youth Championships. You can not substitute 1,600, mile, 3,200, two-mile or 300-meter hurdles times to meet the IAAF standards. Because the distance standards are very tough, athletes are advised to compete in 1,500 and 3,000 races against college-open athletes. You can use times in those events to qualify. In the 100, 200, 100-meter hurdles and 110-meter hurdles plus the long jump and the triple jump, qualifying marks must be accompanied by wind readings of 2.0 meters per second or less. It should be noted that the hurdle heights at the U.S. Trials will be the heights at the WYC. The hurdle heights will be three inches shorter in the boys 110 and 400 hurdles and the girls 100 hurdles.

Although the World Youth Championships is an outdoor event, indoor marks may be used to qualify. However, the running events must take place on flat-floor tracks of 400 meters or less.

Here is the U.S.A. Track and Field website link for the U.S. Trials for the 2015 World Youth Championships.

http://www.usatf.org/Events---Calendar/2015/World-Youth-Track---Field-Trials.aspx

Here is a link to the 2013 U.S. Trials for the WYC that will give you an idea of what to expect in 2015. This includes results from the U.S. Trials in 2013.

http://www.usatf.org/Events---Calendar/2013/World-Youth-Track---Field-Trials.aspx

Here is the IAAF website for the 2015 World Youth Championships. That also includes the results from the 2013 World Youth Championships. When take comes up click on History for 2013 results.

http://www.iaaf.org/competitions/iaaf-world-youth-championships