OMAHA- For the first time ever, two U.S. high school athletes ran under fifty seconds in the 400 meters hurdles in the same race. The race came Sunday at the Junior Olympics. 2002 Youth Athletics Verizon Athlete of the Meet, Kerron Clement, won the race in 49.77, fighting off national high school record holder Kenneth Ferguson, who came back to win the 110mH in 13.82.

“My plan was to get out in the first 200, attack the hurdles, and finish strong,” Clement said. “On the last hurdle I didn’t see him on my shoulder, and I knew I had it from there.”

Alondra Cooper of West Palm Beach, Fla. and Pablo Solares of Richardson, Texas were named 2002 Verizon Junior Olympic Track & Field Championship Athletes of the Meet for their outstanding performances July 23-28.

Cooper and Solares were both double winners at the Junior Olympics. Cooper won the intermediate girls heptathlon and 800m. She also placed third in the 100 meters hurdles.

After winning the 800m on Saturday, Solares clocked a 3:51.21 in the 1500m, tying the young men’s national record and completing the middle distance championship double.

In the 400m races, Brandi Cross of Visions TC broke the youth girls’ record with a time of 53.40. Cedric Goodman of Newnan, Ga. separated himself from the field in the intermediate boys 400m, winning by over one second in 47.07. World Junior 4x100m relay record holder Ashton Collins finished neck and neck with Reginald Witherspoon of Marietta, Ga. in the young men’s 400m, edging Witherspoon 46.07 to 46.08.

Strong headwinds blew away all chances for records in the 100m finals. World Junior bronze medalist Willie Hordge of Track Houston won the young men’s 100m in 10.53, running into a 2.1 meters per second wind, and Chauntae Bayne breezed to victory in the young women’s 100m, clocking 11.93 into a 3.2 m/s wind.

Hordge came back later in the day to lead the Track Houston TC’s 4x100m and 4x400m relays to victories in impressive times, 39.75 and 3:08.51, respectively.

Two national records were broken in the youth javelin throws. Jarrod Walters of Las Vegas, Nev. rewrote the boys’ record with a toss of 53.33/175-0, and Julie Buller broke the girls’ record with her mark of 37.93/124-5.

In the 4x100m relay, Valley United Track Club ran 52.30 to set a bantam boys’ record. The team of Trajuan Briggs, Rocky Maldonado, Dale Morgan, and Kenneth Pool won by over a second.

Full results of the Junior Olympics can be found on USA Track & Field’s Web site at www.usatf.org.