Contact: Melissa Beasley
Communications Coordinator, USATF
In Santiago, via email: Mbeasley@usatf.org
http://www.usatf.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sunday, October 22, 2000

Team USA's Danners Wins the Bronze in the Pole Vault

SANTIAGO, Chile - Rocky Danners won bronze medal in the pole vault on Sunday to highlight Team USA's final day of competition at the IAAF World Junior Track & Field Championships.

Danners (University of Tennessee), the 2000 U.S. Junior pole vault champion, finished the finals of the men's pole vault with a mark of 5.20m/17-0.75. Russia's Aleksey Khanafin (5.30m/17-4.25) won the gold with Ukraine's Oleksandr Korchmyd (5.30m/17-4.25) winning the silver.

In the finals of the women's 4x100 relay, Team USA (Tamisha King (University of Notre Dame), Khaliliah Carpenter (Col. Brookhaven HS (Oh)), Lavada Hill (Southern Methodist University) and Consuella Moore (Penn State University)) finished seventh with a time of 45.43. Germany 43.91 won gold, just edging Jamaica 44.05 with twenty meters to go while Sweden 44.78 won the bronze. Team USA finished third in its qualifying heat earlier on Sunday with a time of 45.15.

With Monzavous 'Rae' Edwards (Bevill St. CC (Ala)) out of Sunday's relay with a stress fracture in his right leg, Team USA (Andra Fifer (University of Texas-Arlington), Garland Martin (Wallace St. CC (Al)), L'eron George (University of Oklahoma) and Michael Thomas (University of Arkansas)) failed to advance to the finals of the 4x100m relay (41.01). Team USA finished 11thoverall with only eight teams qualifying.

TEAM USA QUOTES - Sunday October 22, 2000

Men's Pole Vault FINAL

Rocky Danners (University of Tennessee) Bronze Medalist

"I'm pleased with my medal but I'm not excited because I wanted the team to do better. We should have had more than we had (medals). I'm not here to represent myself, I'm here to represent the U.S. "

On clearing on his first two jumps on the first attempt and then struggling on his last jump: "I was outside for over an hour before we started and I only got in two practice jumps. I didn't feel warmed up, I didn't feel like I was ready to go. As for the last jump, I just didn't have it. I knew I could clear it, it just wasn't my day."

OVERALL USA COMPETITION

Dr. Bob Adams (US Team Leader)

"It's been a really good experience for our young athletes. They have stated to me that they were happy to have this opportunity to compete internationally. They found out that the environment was significantly different from even the biggest meets they compete in at home. It seems to have boasted their interest in continuing their track & field careers and has made them quite hungry for more opportunities. "

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