Lashinda Demus (South Carolina) lowered her World Junior 400H record to 54.70 with her gold medal performance in the finals of the women’s 400H. Demus set the previous the world junior mark of 54.85 at the NCAA Championships in Baton Rouge, La. Demus’s gold was one of five medals for Team USA on day four of the IAAF World Junior Track & Field Championships in Kingston, Jamaica. Teammate Tiffany Ross just missed the bronze with a time of 56.52.

“I ran like I normally ran,” said Demus following the race. “I did not get out as hard. I did not want to get too excited and mess up my steps. When I got to the 7th hurdle that is when I kind of took off again. I heard the crowd, but not the announcer so I didn't know the time or how close it was.”

In the men’s 400H hurdles final, Kenneth Ferguson (Mumford (MI) HS) and Bershawn Jackson (Central (FL) HS) won the silver and the bronze respectively. Both Ferguson and Jackson ran personal best times, Ferguson (49.38) and Jackson (50.00). Ferguson also set the American H.S. record for the 400H. The previous time of 50.02 was set by Patrick Mann in Los Angeles in July 1984.

Team USA won bronze medals in the men and women’s 200 meters. Sanya Richards (St. Thomas Aquinas (FL) HS) returned from her silver medal performance in the 400m dash on Thursday to claim the bronze medal on Friday. Richards ran 23.09, while Vernicha James (GBR) and Anneisha McLaughlin (JAM) won the gold and silver in 22.93 and 22.94, both personal bests. Allyson Felix (LA Baptist (CA) HS) finished fifth in the women’s 200m in 23.48. Older brother Wes Felix (USC) claimed the bronze medal in the men’s 200m in a personal best time of 20.82. Teammate Rubin Williams just missed the medal stand with a time of 20.90 and a fourth place finish.

In other finals for Team USA on Friday, Billie-Jo Grant (Arroyo Grande (CA) HS) finished fifth in the women’s discus. Grant threw 52.66m/172-9 on her first attempt, but couldn’t make up the difference as the finals went on. China’s Xuejun Ma won the world junior title with a mark of 58.85m/193-0. In the women’s long jump, Erica McLain (East (TX) HS) finished 12th in the final with a mark of 5.75 meters/18-10.25.

Twin heptathletes Diana and Julie Pickler (Sasche (TX) HS) began their two-day, eight event competition on Thursday. Julie is the 2002 U.S. Junior National champion and sits in 11th place with 3,207 points, while sister Diana, the 2002 U.S. Juniors runner-up, is in 10th place with 3,260 points. Both finished second in their respective heats of the 100H, the first event of the day. Diana (13.97) edging Julie (14.11) in the points standing. Up next was the high jump, where Julie recorded a mark of 1.62m/5-3.75 and Diana cleared 1.65m/5-5. In the shot put, Diana finished 10th in her flight (11.42m/37-5.75) and Julie finished 12th in her flight (11.07m/36-4). The twins finished up with the 200m, with Julie finishing second in her heat (25.02) and Diana finished fourth ain her heat in 25.31.

In the evening qualifiers, Chris Lukezic (Auburn (WA) HS) qualified for the finals of the men’s 1500m with a personal best time of 3:46.24. Lukezic just missed the automatic qualifier, but finished fifth in his heat to qualify for Sunday’s final. In the women’s high jump, Kaylene Wagner (Dos Pueblos (CA) HS) and Ashley Robbins (McMullen (TX) HS) cleared 1.80m/5-10.75 and 1.75m/5-8.75 respectively, but did not qualify for the finals. Kathryn Andersen (BYU) ran 4:24.77 in the women’s 1500m, but did not qualify for the final. James Finneran (Rhode Island) and Jarrad Matthews (Texas A&M) both competed in the men’s javelin qualifier on Friday. Finneran threw 59.09m/193-10 on his third and final attempt, while Matthews threw 64.94m/213-1 on his first attempt, but they did not advance to the finals.

In the morning session, Laura Gerraughty (North Carolina) threw an automatic qualifier on her first attempt (17.08m/56-0.5) to advance to Saturday’s final. Teammate Briona Reynolds (UCLA) also advanced to Saturday’s final. Reynolds qualified with her mark of 14.85m/48-8.75, which came on her second attempt. Miami, Fla., native Rafeeq Curry jumped a personal best 15.91m/52-2.5 in Friday’s triple jump qualifier. Curry, who fouled his first attempted and then jumped the automatic qualifier on his second attempt, advances to Saturday’s triple jump final. In the women’s hammer, Kristin Michalski (West Warwick (RI) HS) just missed qualifying for Saturday’s final by one centimeter. Michalski’s best mark of 56.97m/186-10 came on her first attempt and she finished sixth in her flight, but it wasn’t enough as Stephanie Falzon (FRA) claimed the 12th and final spot in the finals with a mark of 56.98m.186-11.

Also in the morning, Team USA hurdlers Antwon Hicks (Mississippi) and Kenneth Ferguson (Mumford (MI) HS) ran 1-2 in the qualifying heats to advance to Friday’s semi finals. Hicks won his heat in 14.01, while Ferguson won his heat in 14.04. In the qualifier of the men’s pole vault, Matt Weirich (BYU) cleared on the opening height of 4.85m/15-11 to finish 9th overall in his flight. Teammate Tommy Skipper (Sandy (OR) HS), the 2002 U.S. Junior National Champion, missed on all three attempts of the opening height of 4.85m/15-11 and did not record a mark.

With 15 total medals after four days of competition, including five on Friday, Team USA tops the medal count and leads the point standings. Saturday’s finals will see men’s triple jump (Curry), men’s 10,000m (Glaz and Millioen) and women’s shot put (Gerraughty).

For all the latest news on the 2002 IAAF World Junior Track & Field Championships, including quotes from the athletes, visit the USATF Web site at www.usatf.org. For complete results from the World Junior Championships, visit www.iaaf.org/WJC02/Results/Byevent.html.