Team USA goes around the rounds in Beijing

BEIJING, China - Fifteen athletes advanced to the next round in their events on day one of the 2006 IAAF World Junior Championships in Beijing at the Chaoyang Sport Centre.

2006 U.S. Junior champion Alexandria Anderson (Chicago, Ill.) won heat one in the women's 100 meters, crossing the line in 11.25 seconds, the fastest time of the

day, while 2006 U.S. Junior runner-up Gabby Mayo (Raleigh, N.C.) won heat six in 11.43, both easily advancing to the evenings semi-finals. Anderson then came back to win heat two in the semi-finals in 11.51 while Mayo took fourth in heat one in 11.72.

"I woke up this morning and knew it was going to be a good day," said Anderson. "My goal here is to bring a medal to the U.S." Both Anderson and Mayo advanced to Wednesday night's final.

Nicholas Robinson (El Toro, Calif.), the 2006 U.S. Junior runner-up, advanced to Wednesday's final in the men's discus throw with his heave of 56.06 meters/183 feet 11 inches. The mark placed him fourth in Group B.

In the men's long jump, 2006 U.S. champion Aaron Smith (Seagraves, Texas) and 2006 U.S. runner-up Antone Belt (Berkeley Springs, W.Va.) both advanced to Wednesday's final. Smith hit the automatic qualifier with his leap of 7.61 meters/24 feet 11.75 inches on his first attempt and shut it down after that to rest up before the final. Belt took all three of his attempts and qualified with his best mark of 7.73m/25-4.5.

2006 Nike Outdoor National champion Jessica Beard (Euclid, Ohio) took first in heat two of the women's 400 meters, finishing in 53.61 seconds while 2006 U.S. Junior runner-up Brandi Cross (Missouri City, Texas) was second in heat five in 53.69. "I'm just trying to make it through the rounds," Cross said on her way off the track. Both Beard and Cross advanced to Wednesday's semi-final.

In the men's 400 meters, 2006 U.S. Junior champion Quentin Iglehart-Summers (San Antonio, Texas) won heat four in the opening round, cruising to the finish in 47.24 seconds. Texas A&M freshman Justin Oliver (Stone Mountain, Ga.) crossed the line in 46.86 to win heat eight. Both will move on to Wednesday's semi-final.

2005 PanAm Junior 4x400m gold medalist Nicole Leach (Philadelphia, Pa.) won her heat in the women's 400-meter hurdles, crossing the line in 57.27 seconds while 2005 World Youth champion Ebony Collins (Los Angeles, Calif.) took second in her heat in 57.35. "I felt great," Leach said. "My legs felt great, everything is good. The track is fast, the weather is good, it is all helping me." Both Leach and Collins have qualified for Wednesday's semi-final race.

St. Augustine's standout Joe Kindred cleared every height on his first attempt on his way to a personal best 2.18 meters/7 feet 1.75 inches in the opening round of the men's high jump. "It went well tonight, my goal here is to medal and that's what I am going to try to do in the final on Thursday," said Kindred.

2006 NCAA champion Rebekah Noble (Spokane, Wash.) crossed the line in second place in heat one of the opening rounds of the women's 800 meters, running 2 minutes 8.97 seconds while University of Florida freshman Shannon Leinert (Gainesville, Fla.) took fifth in heat three, finishing in 2:07.24. Noble and Leinert advance to Wednesday's semi-final.

2006 U.S. Junior 5,000m champion Andrew Bumbalough (Brentwood, Tenn.) will advance to Thursday's final in the men's 1,500 meters after taking fourth place in heat two in 3 minutes 47.08 seconds.

The women's 3,000 meter steeplechase will see two Americans in Thursday's final after 2006 U.S. Junior champion Marie Lawrence took sixth place in heat one in 10 minutes 22.85 seconds and 2006 U.S. Junior runner-up Amy Fowler took fourth in heat two in 10:18.54. "I never thought I would be in the top four (in her heat) here," said Fowler. "It felt good, I'm excited for the final."

In other action at the track, 2006 U.S. Junior runner-up Jere Summers (Oakland, Calif.) and 2006 World Youth discus bronze medalist Kamorean Hayes (Charlotte, N.C.) each took ninth place in their flights of the women's shot put with their heaves of 14.34 meters/47 feet 0.75 inches and 14.83m/48-8, respectively. 2006 U.S. Junior champion Bo Taylor (Newport Harbor, Calif.) was 11th in Group A of the men's discus with his throw of 52.96m/173-9. 2006 U.S. Junior champion Bekah Stoltz (Saugerties, N.Y.) took 12th in the women's javelin with her heave of 41.99m/137-9.

2006 U.S. Junior runner-up Karjuan Williams (New Bern, N.C.) was fifth in heat four of the men's 800 meters, crossing the line in 1 minute 51.58 seconds while 2006 U.S. Junior champion Brandon Jones (Charlotte, N.C.) was seventh in heat five in 1:55.46. Ke'Nyia Richardson (Oakland, Calif.), the 2006 U.S. Junior triple jump champion, leaped 12.97m/42-6.75 for thirteenth place. Running in heat three of the men's 1,500m, 2006 U.S. Junior champion A.J. Acosta (Oceanside, Calif.) crossed the line in eighth place in 3:50.11 after a fall coming off the second turn of the first lap.

In the men's 100 meters, 2006 U.S. Junior champion Willie Perry (Lenoir, N.C.) won heat six of the opening rounds of the men's 100 meters in 10.58 seconds while University of Kentucky freshman Gordon McKenzie (Queens, N.Y.) took third in heat one in 10.74. In the semi-final round, after two-false starts, Perry shot out of the blocks hard and pulled up at the end to cross the line in seventh at 10.64. "My left hamstring tightened up today, but I felt good so I came out anyway," said Perry. "I was ok after the first false start, but after the second one it started to tighten again so I backed off (at the end of the race)."

For more information on the 2006 IAAF World Junior Championships, including results and complete coverage of this year's event, please visit the USATF website at www.usatf.org.