SHERBROOKE, Canada - Team USA won the final two events on the track to finish atop the medals table for the second straight time as the 3rd IAAF World Youth Championships came to a close Sunday in Sherbrooke, Canada. The Americans won 14 medals overall, six of them gold, ahead of medals runners-up Russia, who had 12 total medals including four golds.

Individual women's 400-meter gold medalist Natasha Hastings used a 52.4 anchor leg to lead the U.S. to gold in the 1000-meter medley relay, teaming with 100 gold medalist Jessica Onyepunuka (100 leg), Alexandria Anderson (200 leg) and 100 silver medalist Krystin Lacy (300 leg in 36.2) to defend the title the U.S. won in the relay at the 2001 WYC. The squad just missed the world youth best of 2:03.83 set by Team USA in 2001, clocking 2:03.87 and winning by almost four seconds over Jamaica.

Gold medal number six was won by the men's medley relay, with open 400 silver medalist Cedric Goodman anchoring in 47.5 to stop the clock at 1:52.03. The win avenged defeat in 2001 at the hands of Poland, who finished second here at 1:53.08. Michael Grant, who earlier in the day captured 200 meter silver for the second straight time at the WYC, blew open the race with a strong 200 leg after Jay Cooper opened with a solid 100 carry. Jamaal Charles, the bronze medalist in the 400 hurdles, raced to a 32.4 300 leg to hand off to Goodman in the lead.

MacKenzie Hill drew lane eight in the final of the women's 400 hurdles, usually an unfavorable draw, but she ran well throughout and claimed bronze with a 59.15 effort. Arkansas high schooler Ekaterina Kostetskaya, representing Russia, won the silver in 58.37. Hill's U.S. teammate, Nicole Leach, was seventh at 60.80.

California multi-eventer Gayle Hunter pieced together one of the finest heptathlon performances in prep history, finishing sixth overall with 5291 points. If not for the lower 100 hurdles used in youth competition (30 inches vs. 33 inches in high school), Hunter's score would be the fifth best ever by a high schooler.

Another Golden Stater, Kyle Davis-Hammerquist, whirled the discus 189-1 to finish eighth, a placing matched by Erica McLain in the women's long jump. McLain spanned 19-4.75 on her third attempt.

One of the more surprising performances of the Championships for Team USA was a ninth-place finish by Albuquerque's Cody Harper in the 1500. Harper destroyed his previous personal best with a 3:53.74, which is also more than three seconds faster than the current USA Track & Field youth record in the Intermediate (15-16) division. Harper turned a 59.6 over the second 400 to keep pace with a surging pack, and picked off three runners over the final 200 to claim ninth.

Steeplechaser Ben DeLay also nabbed a ninth-place finish with a big PR, covering the 2000 meters over barriers in 5:57.84. Teammate Andres Urbina stumbled at the first water jump and ended up 12th at 6:13.52.

Rock climber extraordinaire Tori Allen cleared 11-9.75 in windy, wet conditions to take tenth in the women's pole vault, two places ahead of teammate Jessica Trujillo, who was 12th with a leap of 11-5.75.

Zach Pollinger opened the morning for Team USA with a big personal best in the 10,000 meter racewalk, finishing 11th with a 46:08.59, more than 30 seconds faster than his previous best.

For complete results of the 2003 World Youth Championships, visit http://www.iaaf.org/WYC03/results/byEvent.html