More than 2,500 of the country’s top youth track and field athletes are in Miami, Fla., for the 2002 USA Track & Field Youth Athletics National Championships that began competition today at Tropical Park in southwest Dade County. The competition continues through July 7. Part of the Verizon Youth Series, this meet will also serve as a selection meet for the team that will represent the U.S. at the IAAF World Youth Championships in Sherbrooke, Canada next summer.

Wednesday’s competition consisted of the youth boys and girls pentathlon as well as first day of the heptathlon and decathlon events in addition to the finals of the intermediate boys and young men’s 2000m steeplechase, along with the youth, bantam and midget race walks.

In order to be eligible to compete at the 2002 USA Track & Field Youth Athletics Championships, a competitor must be a U.S. citizen and born after July 29, 1983. The athletes compete in one of five age divisions, determined by birth year: Bantam (1992 or later), Midget (1990-1991), Youth (1988-1989), Intermediate (1986-87) and Young Men/Women (1984-85).

The combined events will wrap up Thursday along with race walks for the intermediate and youth athletes. The midget, youth, intermediate and young women and young men will compete in the 4x800m relays.

Here’s a look at some of the meet’s top entrants:

Young Women’s Sprints – 2001 World Youth team member Tissilli Rogers of Georgia is one of the leading entries in the 100, but the favorite may be fellow Georgian Mary Ann Erigha, a double state sprint champ in class 3A . Erigha ran 11.81/24.03 to win that double. Her toughest challenge should come from Houston’s Nena Mayes and LaTashia Kerr, as well as Juanita Broaddus of Philadelphia. The 200 will see Broaddus match up with Dominique Dorsey of California, who has the fourth fastest time in the nation by a high schooler at 23.51. Broaddus has a 2002 best of 23.71w. World Youth champion Stephanie Smith of Georgia tops the 400 list but has battled injuries all year. If she isn’t in top form, look for California’s Ashley Freeman, who has a best this year of 53.71. Smith won the Georgia state 3A title at 55.53, while Freeman was third at the California state meet. Texas 4A fourth-placer Sheretta Jones is also in the field.

Young Men’s Sprints – Houston’s Willie Hordge was second in the 100 at the recent USATF Junior Nationals in California and will represent the U.S. at the IAAF World Junior Championships in Kingston, Jamaica July 14-21. He has a best of 10.21 this year, one of the fastest wind-legal prep times in history. Hordge also won silver in the dash at last year’s World Youth meet and picked up silver on the U.S. sprint medley relay. Another pair of Houstonians, Marquel Russell and Donnell Diggs, are the top entrants in the 200 and have dipped under 21 seconds this year. Robert Woodard, a relay medalist at the World Youth meet is also in the 100 and 200. The top one-lap entrants, Arthur Davis of Alabama and Reggie Witherspoon of Georgia, are among the top 10 high schoolers nationally in the 400 this season, with Davis sitting at No. 7 with a best of 46.58. Joshua Walker of Georgia, a member of the ’01 World Youth team, is also entered.

Intermediate Sprints – World Youth veteran Michael Grant of Georgia is favored in the 200 after picking up silver in Hungary, and the Intermediate Girls’ 400 features a match up between Natasha Hastings of New York and Lauren Austin. Hastings has the third fastest time by a prep this year at 53.42, while Austin was sixth at the USATF Junior Championships last week.

Young Women’s 800 - Robin Mortel of New York was on the 1999 World Youth team and was the anchor leg on Randolph High School’s silver medal 4x400 at the Penn Relays this year. Briene Simmons of Georgia won last year’s USATF Junior Olympics crown and has a best of 2:08.98.

Intermediate Girls’ Race Walk - Maria Michta was third at the Junior Nationals in California and is one of the nation’s most promising walkers. In the Young Women’s walk, Lauren Olivieri was eighth at the USATF Junior Championships.

Young Men’s/Women’s Hurdles – Courtney Clark, a member of the ’01 World Youth squad, ranks second on this year’s national prep list in the 400 hurdles and is also entered in the 100H, where she will meet up with fellow Pennsylvanian Dominique Darden. Darden has a best of 13.64w this year. The men’s races will feature a clash between double Texas state champ Kerron Clement and ’01 World Youth team member Jonathan Walker of Georgia. Clement narrowly missed the national prep record in the 300H at the Texas state meet and has already dipped under 52 seconds for the one-lapper. He romped to a 13.48w win in the 110H, well clear of his nearest challenger at this meet.

Jumps – Chaunte Howard of California is a triple threat in the Young Women’s jumps, ranking among the national prep leaders in the high jump, long jump and triple jump. The national leader in the high jump at 6-1.5, Howard has also long jumped 20-6.5 and triple jumped 41-3 this year. She may be challenged in the triple jump by ’01 World Youth team member LaToya Legree of Georgia. National Junior champ Rafeeq Curry of Miami is the top entrant in the men’s triple jump, sporting a 51-11.75 best. Alabama’s Abraham Jones was a World Youth team member in ’01 and will contend for gold in the long jump and triple jump.

Throws – Tampa’s Garrett Johnson won two Florida state titles last month and will be looking to add a USATF medal or two to his collection. Johnson has a shot put best of 65-11.75 in ’02, one of the best tosses in the nation, and is also capable of 200+-feet efforts in the discus. He will need every bit of that talent to top USATF Junior champ Michael Robertson in the discus. Robertson, who recently graduated from the International School of Brussels, Belgium, is among the world’s best with the platter and has thrown 208-10 with the high school implement this year. The Ft. Lauderdale native will represent the U.S. at the IAAF World Junior Championships in Kingston, Jamaica.

For more information on the 2002 USA Track & Field Youth Athletics National Championships and the Verizon Youth Series, including results, visit the USATF Web site at www.usatf.org.