Athletes at the 2002 USA Track & Field Youth Athletics National Championships at Miami-Dade Tropical Park Stadium endured a three-hour weather delay on Friday, but returned late in the day for several finals. This meet is the second stop of the Verizon Youth Series.

Due to the inclement weather, Friday’s schedule was revised to cancel the 4x400m relay trials. The event will be held as a timed final on Sunday. The only other major schedule change for Friday was the cancellation of the 200m semifinals, which will be a trials only race, with the top 8 advancing by time to Saturday’s final.

Former javelin world record holder Tom Petranoff witnessed both of his daughters, Kelly (Bantam Girls) and Leigh (Youth Girls) win their respective javelin competitions. Kelly Petranoff threw the turbo-javelin, which was invented by her father, and won with a mark of 25.62 meters/84 feet, 1 inch. Older sister Leigh, a national youth record holder in the javelin, won the youth girls competition with a mark of 34.59m/113-06.

In the young men and women division, Harold Young (Mid-West City Track Team) won the discus throw with a mark of 56.12m/184-01 while local product Akera Lathan (Metro-Dade) won the young women’s discus with a mark of 45.16m/148-02. In the high jump, Funni Jimoh (Wings TC) won the young women’s competition with a mark of 1.65m/5-05.00. Andrew Moore (Quicksilver) won the young men’s long jump with a mark of 7.14m/23-05.25, while Ben Francis (Eagle Express) won the young men’s javelin with a throw of 54.59m/179-01. Candice Mills (Corn Husker Flyers) won the long jump with a mark of 5.71m/18-09.00 and Casey Kehoe (unattached) won the pole vault with a clearance of 3.05m/10-00.00.

Brian Kerr (Seffner TC) and Brittany Daniels (Wolfpack TC) won their respective events in the intermediate boys and girls division. Kerr won the shot put with a mark of 15.77m/ 51-09.00, while Daniels won the triple jump with a mark of 12.16m/39-10.75. Shea Shelby (Mid-West City Track Team) won the intermediate boys high jump with a winning jump of 1.95m/6-04.75. Michaela Wallerstech (unattached) claimed the intermediate girls shot put title with a mark of 13.31m/43-08.00. Akeem Hardnett (Quicksilver) won the intermediate boys triple jump with a mark of 14.26m/46-09.50. In intermediate girls action, Jodie Mayes (Fayetteville’s Finest TC) won the pole vault with a clearance of 3.36m/11-00.25 and Jenna Utecht (unattached) won the high jump with a mark of 1.65m/5-05.00.

For the youth division, Zane McDowell (unattached) and Heather Smith (Texas Gulfcoast Fliers) won their pole vault competitions. McDowell won with a mark of 3.97m/13-00.25, while Smith cleared 2.25m/7-04.50 to win. In the javelin, Alex Genseal (Southwest Suburban TC) won his competition with a mark of 45.72m/150-00. In the long jump, Deandra Doyley (Platinum TC) won with her mark of 5.50m/18-00.50. Darius Savage (MLK Blaster) won the youth boys shot put with a toss of 15.41m/50-06.75. In the youth girls discus, Alexa Revord (unattached) won with a mark of 37.83m/124-01. Daryl Pryor (Miami Northwest Express TC) won the youth boys triple with a winning mark of 12.16m/39-10.75.

Christie Leverette (Gazelle TC) won the midget girls high jump with her mark of 1.50m/4-11.00. Anges Gallegos (Albuquerque OC Striders) won the midget girls mini javelin with a mark of 29.09m/95-05, while Jacob Gibbs (Jenks America TC) won the shot put with a mark of 11.62m/38-01.50. Marcus Pearson (South Madison Panthers) won the midget boys high jump with a mark of 1.40m/4-07.00.

Roderrick Killings (Metro-Dade) won the bantam boys shot put with a toss of 8.08m/ 26-06.25. In the bantam girls high jump, Tara Richmond (Long Beach Sprinters) collected her second title of the meet winning with a mark of 1.35m/4-05.00. Richmond won the bantam girls triathlon on Thursday.

On the track, Ashley Evans (unattached) and Menachem Dukes (Motor City TC) won the midget girls and boys 3000m. Evans won in 11:14.83, while Dukes won in 10:19.50.

In order to be eligible to compete at the 2002 USA Track & Field Youth Athletics National Championships, a competitor must be a U.S. citizen and born after July 29, 1983. Athletes must compete in one of five age groups, determined by birth year. Those age divisions are Bantam (1992 or later), Midget (1990-91), Youth (1988-89), Intermediate (1986-87) and Young Men/Women (1984-85). Athletes born in 1983 are also eligible if they do not turn 19 on or prior to July 29, 2002.

This meet will serve as one of the selection meets for the 2003 World Youth Athletics Championships, July 10-13, 2003, in Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. Athletes can also qualify for Team USA at the 2002 USATF National Junior Olympic Championships in Omaha, Neb., July 23-28.

For more information on the 2002 USA Track & Field Youth Athletics National Championships and the Verizon Youth Series, including complete results from this year’s event, visit the USATF website at www.usatf.org.