Team USA Takes Seven Golds, 17 Medals on Final Day at Pan Am Juniors

8/25/2013

MEDELLIN, COLOMBIA -- Overcoming storms rolling in over the mountains and torrential downpours, Team USA produced lightning strikes all over the Alfonso Galvis Duque Stadium Sunday to win seven golds and 17 medals on the final day of the 17th Pan American Junior Championships.

U.S. teams swept the relays and Megan Glasmann broke the meet record in the women's javelin to cap off the night as Team USA finished atop the medal table with 15 golds, 16 silvers and 7 bronzes. Canada had 19 medals to finish second on the table.

Glasmann came from behind to win, uncorking a massive 53.93m/176-11 on her final throw to break the PAJ meet record and move to second on the all-time high school list. Her throw added almost three feet to the previous record set in 2011 by Avionne Allgood of the U.S.

The gold rush started with the women's 4x100m relay, as Morolake Akinosun, Jennifer Madu, Alexis Faulknor and Ana Holland teamed up to clock 43.97 and win by more than two seconds. Akinosun made up the stagger on the runner outside her before handing off to Madu, who stretched the lead down the backstretch. Faulknor, the long jump gold medalist, increased the lead on the curve and had a good handoff to Holland, who stormed home to victory.

Crisp passes and a sizzling first leg set up the U.S. men for gold, with a quartet of Tevin Hester, Cameron Burrell, Riak Reese and Trayvon Bromell recording a 39.17 that beat Jamaica by more than half a second. It was the second fastest time in Pan Am Juniors history, missing the meet record by only .11.

American shot put domination continued with gold for Joshua Freeman and silver for Coy Blair in a competition that carried on despite a flooded ring and miserable conditions. Freeman hit his lifetime best in round four with a 20.20m/66-3.25, taking over the lead from Blair, who hit his best of 19.69m/64-7.25 in the third round. Freeman's final throw, which was ruled a foul, was measured at almost 70-feet.

Featuring the gold and silver medalists from the open 400, the U.S. women were runaway winners in the 4x400. Robin Reynolds (54.1), Kendall Baisden (53.5), Olicia Williams (54.9) and Courtney Okolo (54.0) combined for a 3:36.48 that was five seconds faster than runners-up Canada.

Not to be outdone, Team USA's men also rolled to victory in 3:06.57 with Marcus Chambers (46.1), Alexis Robinson (46.9), Lamar Bruton (46.6) and Juan Green (47.0). Green held off a late challenge from Brazil, the silver medalists at 3:06.94.



With the track events done and only the women's javelin taking place on the far end of the field, basketballer Wally Ellenson cleared 2.16m/7-1 on his first attempt to grab the gold in the men's high jump. Justin Fondren took the bronze at 2.13m/6-11.75.

Besides Blair in the shot put, six other Americans won silver medals. Jade Miller opened the evening session with a 58.13 in the women's 400m hurdles after running 57.54 earlier in the semifinals. Kelsey Margey endured the brunt of the evening's rainfall and wind during the 1500m, where she was second at 4:38.84. Rachel Stewart ended up fifth at 4:43.75.

American Junior record holder Brianna Nerud fought through for silver in the women's 3,000m steeplechase at 10:46.88, three spots ahead of Bethany Neeley, who ran 11:13.51. In the men's pole vault, Dylan Duvio was second with a best of 5.20m/17-0.75, and Daven Murphree took bronze at 4.90m/16-0.75.

Kendell Williams just missed her own high school record in the heptathlon, falling six points shy and finishing second with 5,572 points, 55 points behind gold medalist Yusleidys Mendieta of Cuba. Kendall Gustafson was fifth with 5,138 points.

Unheralded Tim White-Edwards blasted a big PR in the men's triple jump, leaping 16.49m/54-1.25, the same distance as Cuba's Lazaro Martinez, but he had to settle for silver based on a better second jump by Martinez. Bronze went to Felix Obi with a best of 15.75m/51-8.25.

In the morning session, Avana Story finished second in the women's hammer with a PR 57.40m/188-4, and Cara McClain was fifth at 54.11m/177-6.

Pole vaulters Megan Clark and Bonnie Draxler finished 5-6, with Clark clearing 4.00m/13-1.5 and Draxler 3.90m/12-9.5. Marcus Dickson took fifth in the men's 800 at 1:52.00, two places ahead of Nicholas Rivera, who clocked 1:53.88.

TEAM USA MEDALISTS

GOLD (15)

Stamatia Scarvelis, women's shot put
Stamatia Scarvelis (Dos Pueblos HS, Goleta 2014)
Alexis Perry, women's 100m hurdles
Courtney Okolo, women's 400m
Hayden Reed, men's discus
Matt McClintock, men's 10,000m
Khallifah Rosser, men's 400m hurdles
Alexis Faulknor, women's long jump
Craig Engels, men's 1500m
Wally Ellenson, men's high jump
Joshua Freeman, men's shot put
Megan Glasmann, women's javelin (Pan American Junior Championships record)
Men's 4x100 relay (Tevin Hester, Cameron Burrell, Riak Reese, Trayvon Bromell)
Women's 4x100 relay (Morolake Akinosun, Jennifer Madu, Alexis Faulknor, Ana Holland)
Men's 4x400 relay (Marcus Chambers, Alexis Robinson, Lamar Bruton, Juan Green)
Women's 4x400 relay (Robin Reynolds, Kendall Baisden, Olicia Williams, Courtney Okolo)

SILVER (16)

Jennifer Madu, women's 100m
Kendall Baisden, women's 400m
Andre Jefferson, men's long jump
Rudy Winkler, men's hammer
Olicia Williams, women's 800m
Scottie Hearns, men's 400m hurdles
Tony Brown, men's 110m hurdles
Maggie Ewen, women's discus
Avana Story, women's hammer
Tim White-Edwards, men's triple jump
Dylan Duvio, men's pole vault
Dylan Duvio (John Curtis Christian School, River Ridge, LA 2013; Stanford 2017)
Kelsey Margey, women's 1500m
Jade Miller, women's 400m hurdles
Jade Miller (Great Oak HS, Temecula 2013; Harvard 2017)
Brianna Nerud, women's 3000SC
Coy Blair, men's shot put
Kendell Williams, women's heptathlon

BRONZE (7)

Chase Ealey, women's shot put
Trayvon Bromell, men's 100m
Reggie Jagers, men's discus
Thomas Awad, men's 5,000m
Daven Murphree, men's pole vault
Felix Obi, men's triple jump
Justin Fondren, men's high jump


Glen McMicken
Statistician
USA Track & Field
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