Brown Trafton headlines women's throws at Outdoor Champs

For Immediate Release
Monday, June 22, 2009
Contact:
Vicky Oddi
USA Track & Field
Communications Coordinator
317-713-4670; Vicky.Oddi@usatf.org


Brown Trafton headlines women's throws at Outdoor Champs

INDIANAPOLIS - Olympic gold medalist Stephanie Brown Trafton headlines a talented group of athletes in the women's throws competitions at the 2009 USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, June 25-28 at historic Hayward Field on the campus of the University of Oregon in Eugene.

The final event of the 2009 USATF Outdoor Visa Championship Series, the USA Championships will be televised on the following dates:

June 26: Live on ESPN from 8-10 p.m.

June 27: Live/tape on ESPN from 7:30-9:30 p.m.

June 28: Live on NBC from 4-6:00 p.m. (All Times Eastern)

The USA Championships will feature the nation's finest professional track and field athletes competing for national honors and spots on the Team USA roster for the 2009 IAAF World Outdoor Championships in Berlin, Germany. The World Championships will be held at the 1936 Berlin Olympic Stadium, where National Track & Field Hall of Famer and American icon Jesse Owens won gold medals in the 100m, 200m, 4x100m relay and long jump.

Discus Throw

Stephanie Brown Trafton, the surprise gold medalist at the 2008 Olympic Games, leads the field in the women's discus throw. Already this season, Brown Trafton set a personal best in winning the USATF Pacific Association Championships with a toss of 66.21 meters/217 feet 2 inches.

Also in the mix will be two-time Olympian and four-time USA Outdoor champion Aretha Hill and American record-holder Suzy Powell-Roos.

Shot put

Beijing Olympians Michelle Carter, Jillian Camarena and Kristin Heaston headline the women's shot put. 2004 World Junior champion Carter, who is following in her father's footsteps (Michael Carter was the 1984 Olympic silver medalist), currently has the farthest throw so far this year by an American (18.43m/60-5.75). A three-time USA Outdoor champion, Heaston will challenge for the title. As will three-time USA Indoor champion Camarena.

Hammer throw

Two-time USA Outdoor champion and 2007 NACAC champion Jessica Cosby will face Olympic teammates Amber Campbell and Loree Smith. Cosby is currently the American leader (71.15m/233-5), followed by Smith (70.64m/231-9) and then Campbell (70.61m/231-8). A three-time USA Indoor weight throw champion, Cambell will look to win her first outdoor title while Smith, fourth in three of the last four years, looks to win her first national title of any kind.

Javelin

The top four finishers from the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials return to the 2009 Championships as the leaders of the pack. 2008 Olympians Kara Patterson and Kim Kreiner are considered to be the favorites in the event; Patterson from having won the 2008 Olympic Trials and Kreiner as the current American record holder. Rachel Yurkovich will be a strong contender, having just won the NCAA DI Championships where Patterson took second. Once in the shadow of Kreiner, three-time USA Outdoor runner-up and 2007 champion Dana Pounds will try to win her second national title and World Outdoor team roster-spot.

For ticket information to the 2009 USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships visit: www.visachampionshipseries.com or www.tracktown.net. USATF welcomes you to purchase tickets with your Visa Card. Visa, the only credit card accepted by USATF.

For more information on the 2009 USA Outdoor Championships and the USATF Visa Championship Series, visit: www.visachampionshipseries.com.



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USA Track & Field (USATF) is the National Governing Body for track and field, long-distance running and race walking in the United States. USATF encompasses the world's oldest organized sports, some of the most-watched events of Olympic broadcasts, the #1 high school and junior high school participatory sport and more than 30 million adult runners in the United States.

For more information on USATF, visit www.usatf.org

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