OMAHA- Thursday’s Junior Olympic competition was highlighted by close finishes in the 3,000 meter races and many outstanding performances in field events.

Tori Allen of Indianapolis, Ind., tied the youth girls Junior Olympic pole vault meet record, clearing 3.20m/10-6. The thirteen year old set the youth girls national record at the Indiana Association meet in June with a vault of 3.24m/10-7.5.

Allen is used to heights; at the age of 13, she is a professional rock climber. In August of 2001 she became the youngest woman to summit the nose of El Capitan at Yosemite National Park in California.

In other field events, Gavin Ball of Cottage Grove, Wisc. heaved the discus 57.44m/188-5 to outdistance Harold Young of Midwest City Track Club, who placed second with a throw of 57.03/187-1.

“(Young) had me beat coming into this meet,” Ball said. “I had to step up a little bit and throw a little farther.”

Kiani Profit of Pasadena, Calif., who won the midget girls pentathlon on Wednesday, returned to competition Thursday in the high jump, winning with a leap of 1.50m/4-11.

Megan O’Reilly of Colbert, Wash. caught 2001 Junior Olympic Cross Country Verizon Athlete of the Meet Angela Bizzarri of Cincinnati, Ohio on the home stretch in the youth girls 3,000m, winning in 10:04.94 over Bizarri, who finished 0.14s behind in 10:05.08.

In other 3,000m races, Matthew Dettman edged Johnathan Batres of Rowland Heights, Calif., by three hundredths of a second in the youth boys race, winning in 9:27.29. In the young women’s race, Angie Saterstad of United Stars finished ahead of Sarah Selby of Shelbyville, Ill., running 10:26.84 to Selby’s 10:27.83. Merideth Snow was the only run-away winner in a 3,000m event, finishing the intermediate girls race in 10:19.47, faster than the young women’s competitors.

Other impressive performances included World Junior finalist Rafeeq Curry of Miami, Fla. springing 15.88m/52-1.25 to win the young men’s triple jump. In the boys and girls youth triple jumps, Tony Dellavalle of Illinois marked the sand at 12.5m/41-0.25 for first place, and Shana Woods of Long Beach, Calif. won with a mark of 5.50m/18-0.5.

For full results and live webcast of the Junior Olympics, go to the USA Track & Field website at www.usatf.org.