BATON ROUGE -- The action never stops for the LSU men’s and women’s track and field programs as they are sending three athletes to Fortaleza, Brazil, this weekend to compete at the 2007 Pan American Junior Championships beginning Friday.
Coverage
Andrews rising senior Marcus Pope (Team NSSF) finished first in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 52.85 at Caribbean Scholastic Invitational in Puerto Rico Saturday.
University of South Carolina bound sprinter traveling to BrazilPhoto provided
Photo: Latavia Thomas (LSU/West Catholic) winning the USATF JR Outdoor Champs 800 in June. She won the Pan-Am Junior title Saturday July 7 in Brazil. Photo from June by Victor Sailor, PhotoRun.net. U.S. Sophomore class record at Cocalico: In two years, javelin specialist Justin Shirk of Central Dauphin HS has set two U.S. Class Records. On Saturday July 7 in the Long & Strong Throwers Classic at Cocalico High School in Lawn (Lebanon County), Shirk threw the jav 219-04, a PR by 4' 3", which he set at the recent USATF Junior Outdoor Champs. Saturday at the Pan-Am Juniors: Coming off her big win in the USATF Junior Outdoor Champs in late June, West Catholic grad and LSU freshman Latavia Thomas, took on all-comers at the Pan-American Juniors and won again. Her 2:06.59 was more than half a second ahead of Canada's Jessica Smith (2:07.27). Canada also took 3rd, as Sheila Reid ran 2:08.13, with the U.S. capturing 4th as Sarah Cocco ran 2:08.45. Thomas has run 2:03.89. In Sunday's next-to-last race, PA's Thomas joined with Laurel Highlands grad and multiple PA state champ Breehana Jacobs, along with star sprinters Brandi Cross and Jessica Beard to win the 4x400 in 3:29.67. On Day Six, Terence Lee (Juventus, Engineering & Science) won his second event of the meet, going 3:59.68 in the YM 1500 finals. Former Glen Mills runner Bernard Goodwyn of Delaware, took the YM 400 in 46.48, with fellow Mt. Airy teammates Khaliff Featherstone (Simon Gratz) and Austin Perron (Engineering & Science), 3rd and 7th in 47.15 and 48.03, respectively. Juventus' Harold Lamour, who had won the IB 3000 earlier in the meet, took 3rd in the 1500 finals in 4:11.12. Mt. Airy girls fared well in the sprint finals, as Shanae Bailey (Swenson), was 2nd in the IG 100 in 12.04; Chante Moore took 3rd in the YG 400 in 55.38; and Anthonia Ballard was 7th in the IG 400 hurdles in 1:04.47. Teammate Brandon Mercer ran 11.51 to take 4th in the YB 100. Juventus' Kasia Taylor (Engineering & Science) ran 4:59.72 for 6th in the IG 1500. And Devan Coon (Tri-County Express/Schuylkill Valley) PRed in the YW 400 finals, going 55.17. In the YG shot put (6lb), Mt. Airy's Spring Gamble was 6th. Teammates Nikko Brady (DE), was 3rd in the IG 100 Hurdles Finals, going 14.43, as Anthonia Ballard took 7th in 14.93. In the 4x400's Mt. Airy Young Men took home the championship with a blazing 3:09.35, thanks to Khaliff Featherstone (Simon Gratz), Bernard Goodwyn (DE), Austin Perron (Engineering & Science) and Elliot Rhodes (Germantown Academy). The IG girls took 2nd in 3:51.55, and the YG girls were 4th in 3:57.28. MORE IN THE STORY...
The future of Gamecock hurdling looks very bright as Dutch sweeps the hurdles at the Pan American Jr. Games
Photo by John HerzogQueen Harrison wrapped up her banner freshmen year of college at Virginia Tech by striking gold at the Pan Am Junior Championships in Brazil by bringing home Team USA a total of two medals with her second coming on Sunday in a gold medal. The Hermitage High alum, the world juniors leader in the 400 meter hurdles, clocked in at 56.25 in the finals of the event on Sunday to claim the Pan Am Junior title as the United States went 1-3 in the event with Tennessee prep Jackie Coward finished third in 57.21. Harrison concludes her breakout season in the hurdles with two NCAA All-American honors in the 100 and 400 meter hurdles respectively and USATF Junior Nationals title in the 400 meter hurdles to go along with her silver medal in the 100 meter hurdles and gold medal in the 400 meter hurdles at the Pan Am Junior Championsips.