NEW YORK – Four athletes competing Friday at the Verizon Millrose Games and two Verizon Millrose Games Hall of Fame inductees on Thursday spoke to the media. High jumper Joni Huntley and pole vaulter Billy Olson both won four Millrose titles during their careers and will be inducted into the meet’s Hall of Fame on Friday. Allen Johnson will compete in the 60m hurdles, Torri Edwards in the Verizon women’s 60m dash, Hazel Clark in the Sunny D Intense Sport women’ 800m, and Stacy Dragila in the Visa women’s pole vault.

Also on Thursday, it was announced that Verizon and Nike have partnered together to provide complimentary track spikes to the high school athletes competing at the 2004 Verizon Millrose Games, and their track clubs. Verizon is the official telecommunications partner of USA Track & Field and the title sponsor of the Verizon Youth Series; Nike is USATF’s National Team sponsor and has previously donated training flats and spikes to USATF clubs throughout the country .

The second stop on USA Track& Field’s Indoor Golden Spike Tour, the Verizon Millrose Games will be televised on NBC on Saturday, February 7, from 3 to 4:30 p.m., Eastern Time. Held annually since 1908, the Verizon Millrose Games is the nation’s longest running invitational track meet.

Below are excerpts from Thursday’s press conference.

JONI HUNTLEY: “We got into New York last night. I hadn’t been here for 18 years, and it was wonderful. We got in late last night, and we really enjoy being here. Millrose was always the best meet. Indoor meets were fantastic. The floor was always bouncy, and it didn’t hurt my legs. With the circus atmosphere and the competitions, and being able to look up at the crowds, it made my heart race. I only competed well at indoor meets and the Olympics, so I suppose I can’t complain.”

BILLY OLSON: “It’s been 15 years since I’ve been to New York, myself. I’ve missed it. I’ve missed coming to the Millrose Games – it was always my favorite. I tried so hard to set a world record here, but I never did. It was heart-rending. It was a wild experience, but it was always exiting.”

On women’s vaulting: “I have closely watched it since the very beginning. For me it’s fun to watch. I enjoy it as much, if not more than the guys. The girls are very, very technical. The ladies put on one heck of a show. It’s exciting.”

HAZEL CLARK: “Joetta has had such a great career, and Jearl [Miles-Clark], they’re such an inspiration to me.” [On Joetta, Jearl or Hazel winning at Millrose 9 of the last 13 years]: “I guess it’s easy to have a stranglehold on an event when you have such an inspiring family. I grew up at the Millrose Games, cheering my sister on, before I ever knew I would compete here. I love coming here. … My sister gives me a little too much advice sometimes. (Laughter.) She tells me her strategies, how to run the race. She’s very sentimental about her favorite lane – I like to think I have a little advantage since she’s won here so many times. I feel much more confident this year than last year; I’m much more fit this year. My family and friends will be there, so this is a homecoming for me. I’m very excited to be here. I’m back and glad to see so many people are running fast. For a while that wasn’t the case. American middle-distance runners need to keep going forward.”

TORRI EDWARDS: “This being an Olympic year, I had to put [her success at] the World Championships behind me and refocus. I want to go out there and try to win a gold medal. I think I’m going to do the same things I did last year – it worked for me. For this meet, I’m going to work on my start and to execute throughout the race. It’s my first race, so we’ll see how it turns out. I’m going into this indoor season a little bit more excited than I was last season. I think I can do well. It doesn’t matter who else is on the track – everybody else is my competition.”

ALLEN JOHNSON: “Indoors is always important to me, because it sets up my outdoor season. It gives me a chance to work on the first part of my race, and to compete. If I can do well indoors, it sets me up for the outdoor season – just adding five more hurdles. The main thing for me is to keep everything simple. A lot of people put stress on themselves, but I can keep it simple. The Olympic Trials is just another race, the Olympics is just another race, just with billions of people watching. I just try to stay calm and not put any undue pressure on myself.”

STACY DRAGILA: “Being in Pocatello [Idaho, where she trained] for 10 years obviously was a great thing for me, but Dave [Nielsen, her former coach] is very busy with the college kids, and I felt like I kept demanding more and more time. We didn’t have enough hours in the day. When I stepped off the plane [in Phoenix, where she is now coached by Greg Hull], I immediately thought this is where I need to be. The weather really warmed my bones. With Nick Hysong, another gold medalist there, and the situation, it gave me the energy to continue on and push after something that I really feel is inside of me. It’s very hassle-free for me.

“I’ve been working on the different pieces that are my downfalls, and I have my strengths. This indoor season, the big focus is on making it second nature to me. It’s about focusing and doing it on the whole jump. This year you’re going to see me jumping 16 feet, hopefully every weekend. I have three things in my pocket that I’m trying to really focus in on.”

For more information on the 2004 USATF Indoor Golden Spike Tour, visit www.usatf.org