STANFORD, Calif. – The men's hammer throw and women's 5,000 meters provided excitement Saturday at the 2003 USA Junior Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Held at Stanford University’s Cobb Track and Angell Field, the meet is part of USA Track & Field’s Verizon Youth Series.

The top eight finishers in each event at the USA Junior Outdoor Championships are named Verizon All-Americans, and the top two finishers qualify for Team USA at the 2003 Junior Pan Am Games July 18-20 in Barbados. Junior athletes are age 19 or under during the 2003 calendar year.

The men’s hammer throw was an exciting event, with Nick Owens taking the lead in the fourth round of throwing with his 65.93m/216-3, but Michael Freeman of Manhattan College responded in the next round with the eventual winning throw of 67.06m/220. Owens then improved to 65.96m/216-6 for second, with Adam Hamilton was third 64.68m/212-02.

Amy Hastings, Caroline Cretti and Rebecca Walter pitched an epic, three-way duel in the women’s 5,000 meters. Walter of the University of Michigan led most of the way, but it was Hastings who sprinted away from Cretti in the final meters, finishing with a time of 16:28.60. Cretti moved up to place second in 16:29.70, and Walter was third in 16:31.90.

National high school record holder Michelle Carter added a U.S. junior title to her resume, winning the women’s shot put with a throw of 16.05m/52-8. Elizabeth Podominick was close behind with a best effort of 15.97m/52-4.75, and Kamaiya Warren of UCLA was third with 15.68m/51-5.5.

Ronald Hill of Mt. San Antonio College (7.53m/24-8.5) beat out Martin Boston (7.43m/24-4.5), the grandson of Hall of Famer Ralph Boston, and Greig Cryer (7.36m/24-1.75) in the men’s long jump. The women’s long jump was a battle between Tianna Madison and Renee Williams, with Madison’s second jump of 6.18m/20-3.5 standing as the winner over Williams’ third-round 6.16m/20-2.5. Kemesha Whitmire was third at 6.08m/19-11.5.

Julene Bailey won the women’s pole vault after finishing as runner-up in 2002. Bailey cleared 4.13m/13-6.5 Saturday to defeat national high school record holder Kira Costa, who placed second at 3.95m/12-11.5. Jessica Graff was third at 3.85m/12-7.5.

The current men’s high school record holder and defending U.S. junior champion, Tommy Skippy of Sandy, Ore., was more successful, winning the men’s pole vault with a clearance of 5.50m/18-0.5. Chase Shealy finished second with a height of 5.20m/17-0.5, and Gable Baldwin was third at the same height.

Justin Ryncavage of North Carolina moved up a place from his runner-up finish last year in the men’s javelin, winning Saturday with a throw of 64.35m/211-01. Thomas Jordan was second at 61.56m/202-0, with Casey Kauffman third at 59.79m/196-02.

Rachel Walker of Texas A&M led a 1-2-3 finish of collegians in the women’s javelin, throwing 48.43m/158-11 to improve on her runner-up finish in 2002. Hannah Warfield of Colorado was second with 47.93m/157-3, and Samantha Ford of Northwestern State was third at 47.67m/156-5.

Adam Kuehl of Arizona won the men’s discus on his first throw, a toss of 58.16m/190-10. Gavin Ball was second with 54.11/177-6, and Zach Hazen of Colorado was third at 53.85m/176-8.

In the women’s 200m final, Shalonda Solomon led throughout the race and ended first in 23.37, followed by Shana Cox (23.67) and Juanita Broaddus (23.76). Aaron Collins of the University of Texas won a much closer race, running 21.06 to David Neville’s 21.11. Earvin Parker was second in 21.23.

The men’s high jump was a tight competition, with Keith Moffatt winning with a jump of 2.17m/7-1.5. He finished ahead of Michael Morrison, second at the same height, by virtue of clearing the winning height on his first attempt while Morrison cleared on his second. Domninique Zeigler was third at 2.14m/7-0.25.

Chaunte Howard of Georgia Tech had a somewhat easier time of it, winning the women’s high jump outright with a jump of 1.81m/5-11.25. Sharon Day was second at 1.78m/5-10, and Kaylene Wagner of Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo was third at 1.75m/5-8.5.

Brett Gotcher of Stanford provided a treat for the local crowd in the night’s final event, taking over the men’s 10,000 meters with just over a mile to go, and winning in 29:55.63. Daniel Hinckley of Brigham Young placed second in 30:09.02, with Daniel Parker of Florida third in 30:29.31. The trio had run as a pack for much of the race.

The men’s and women’s 1,500m held their first-round races, with 2002 U.S. junior champion Christopher Lukezic of Georgetown University leading the male qualifiers with his 3:57.90 and Chantelle Dron turning in the fastest time among the women with 4:29.10.

In the women’s 800, Jenna Timinsky led the first-round qualifying with her time of 2:09.32; Shannon Leinert ran 2:09.35 to set up a competitive final on Sunday. A pair of Michaels – Michael Haddan (1:51.53) and Michael Inge (1:51.94), were the top qualifiers in the men’s 800.

Moving down to the 400, Ashton Collins of the University of Texas, third in 2002 and the brother of 2003 200m champion Aaron, posted the fastest qualifier of the preliminaries with his time of 46.47. Angel Perkins, the Athlete of the Meet at the 2001 World Youth Athletics Championships, was the fastest female qualifier with her time of 53.76, making her the only woman under 54 seconds in the prelims.

In the hurdles, Dawn Harper of UCLA won semifinal #2 in 13.72 to post the fastest qualifier in the women’s 100m hurdles. Dexter Fault (14.17) and Michael Mitchum (14.18) were quickest among the men.

In the 400m hurdles, World Junior Championships silver medalist Kenneth Ferguson was by far the fastest qualifier of the semifinal rounds with his time of 51.38. Ferguson’s teammate at the University of South Carolina, Tawana Watkins was the fastest qualifier in the women’s semis with her time of 59.92 seconds.

For live results and athlete quotes from the USA Junior Outdoor Track & Field Championships, visit the USATF Web site, www.usatf.org