Carter strikes gold, Noble and Ofili win bronze in Beijing

BEIJING, China - Team USA put on a remarkable performance Friday in winning three medals on a hot and steamy night on day four of the 2006 IAAF World Junior Championships at the Chaoyang Sport Centre in Beijing.

2006 U.S. champion Chris Carter (Ogden, Utah) led the men's 400-meter hurdles from start to finish to claim Team USA's first gold medal of these championships in 50.08 seconds. "This is the best feeling in the world," Carter said after completing his victory lap. "It's been a phenomenal experience. I worked hard and came out here to do my best and it paid off." Carter's personal best and World Junior leading time (49.19) coming into these championships was over one second faster than any other athlete in the field.

In the women's 800 meter final, 2006 NCAA champion Rebekah Noble ran a strong race and claimed the bronze medal with her late kick, crossing the line in 2 minutes 4.90 seconds. "I'm very happy with my bronze," said Noble. "But I could have done better, I waited too long to kick." Noble's bronze is the first ever medal for an American woman in the 800m at the World Junior Championships.

Tiffany Ofili (Ypsilanti, Mich.), the 2006 U.S. champion, blasted out of the blocks and ran her way to the bronze medal in the women's 100-meter hurdles, tying her personal best time of 13.37 seconds. "I'm satisfied with my race," Ofili said at the post race press conference. "I went out there and did my best, that's all I can ask for." After falling over the first hurdle, Shalina Clarke (Round Lake, Ill.) did not finish the race. Earlier in the night, Ofili won her heat in the semi-finals in 13.47 while Clarke was second in her heat in 13.70.

Gabby Mayo (Raleigh, N.C.), who was the silver medalist in the women's 100m, took fifth in the women's 200 meters, crossing the line in 23.84 seconds. Jeneba Tarmoh (San Jose, Calif.) was seventh in 23.84.

In the women's pole vault final, 2006 U.S. runner-up Tori Anthony (Palo Alto, Calif.) took eighth place with her clearance of 3.90 meters/12 feet 9.5 inches. Walter Henning (South Huntington, N.Y.), the American junior record holder in the men's hammer throw, also claimed eighth with his heave of 71.90m/235-10. "It wasn't a big throw, but I'm happy," said Henning. "My goal was to come here and get top eight and that's what I did."

2006 U.S. Junior champion John Hickey (Piermont, N.Y.) has the farthest throw heading into the men's shot put final with his heave of 19.49 meters/63 feet 11.5 icnhes . "It was so intense," Hickey said "I fouled my first and second throws. Going into my last throw, I had to throw at least the automatic qualifier to get into the final. I went all out, I'm just happy I'm still in." Eric Werskey (Seymour, Ind.) threw 16.62m/54-6.5 in group A for 13^th place in his group. "I didn't throw very well, I just didn't have any pop at the end," said Werskey.

Baylor freshman Erin Bedell (Plano, Texas) qualified for the final in the women's 1,500 meters with her sixth place finish in 4 minutes 20.67 in heat three of the opening round. 2006 U.S. Junior champion Danielle Tauro (Ocean County, N.J.) took fifth in heat one with 4:24.16. "There were some opportunities that I didn't take," said Tauro on her way off the track. "I'm a little disappointed, but it's been a long season."

In the men's 110-meter hurdles, University of Florida freshman Dennis Martin (Anderson, S.C.) and high school standout Darius Reed (Denver, Colo.) have both qualified for the semi-finals. Martin took second in his heat in 14.04 seconds while Reed was second in his heat in 13.81.

In other opening round action, Jere Summers (Oakland, Calif.), a freshman at Cal State Northridge, was seventh in group A of the women's discus with her toss of 45.95 meters/150 feet 9 inches while 2006 U.S. Junior champion Emily Pendleton (Elmore, Ohio) was ninth in group B with 46.48m/152-6. 2006 U.S. Junior champion Patience Coleman (Durham, N.C.) was ninth in group B of the women's high jump with her clearance of 1.74m/5-8.5. University of Louisville freshman Andre Black (Mobile, Ala.) took ninth in group B of the men's triple jump with his leap of 15.53m/50-11.5 while 2006 U.S. Junior champion Kali Jackson (Chicago, Ill.) was 11^th in group A with 15.26m/50-0.75.

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.