Mike Kennedy's 2015 World Youth Championships Prospects-April 16 Update

Hannah Waller (Buchanan, CA) ran U.S. No.2 53.57 for 400 meters at the Arcadia Invitational.Hannah Waller (Buchanan, CA) ran U.S. No.2 53.57 for 400 meters at the Arcadia Invitational.

2015 WORLD YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIPS (WYC)

At Cali, Colombia, July 15-19

2015 U.S. WORLD YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP TRIALS

At Benedictine University, Lisle, Illinois, June 30-July 1

Boys Report | Girls Report

April 16 Update

To be eligible to compete you must 1) be a U.S. citizen with a valid passport; 2) be born in 1998 or 1999; and 3) have met two qualifying standards, one standard for the U.S. World Youth Championship trials and a second standard for the World Youth Championships (there are two separate standards and two different time frames when marks must be achieved). Those 2015 World Youth Standards can be found on the separate Boys List and Girls List. Those marks must be made between October 1, 2014 and July 1, 2015. The 2015 U.S. Trials standards for the World Youth Championships are now listed. The qualifying window for the U.S. Trials for the WYC is between October 1, 2014 and July 26, 2015. Here is a link to the USATF web site for the U.S. Trials. http://www.usatf.org/Events---Calendar/2015/World-Youth-Track---Field-Trials.aspx)

Fifth in a Series -- Compiled by Mike Kennedy (e-mail mkentrk@aol.com )

ARCADIA INVITE PROVIDES A GREAT PLATFORM
FOR YOUTH ATHLETES

T.J. Brock, Lauren Williams, Hannah Waller, Elana Bruckner, Fiona O'Keeffe & Ben Veatch Star

In a matchup of two of the best sprinters in the nation sophomore Lauren Rain Williams of Oaks Christian (Westlake Village) was able overcome the rocket start of junior Zaria Francis of Rio Mesa (Oxnard) in a wind-aided 100, 11.42 to 11.45. In the 200, run in windless conditions, Williams was a very easy winner in 23.57 after Francis scratched. T.J. Brock of Chaminade (West Hills) ran a storming anchor leg on his teams 4 x 100 relay that almost caught the all-underclass Vista Murrieta (Murrieta) team that raced to a national-leading 40.68. Chaminade was timed in 40.80. Both teams featured athletes that are age-eligible for the World Youth championships in Cali (Colombia) this summer. Last week Brock won the Legends Invitational at UCLA last week in 10.53. Teammate Diab Davis equaled that time in finishing third at Arcadia for the two best times Youth times in the nation. Running for Vista Murrieta were sophomore Cole Dubots, who was fifth in the 100 at 10.69 and Antonio Mitchell, who was sixth in the 200 at 21.56. Junior Hannah Waller of Buchanan (Clovis) introduced herself to the nation in the 400 with a 53.57 for the second fastest high school time in the nation.

The Arcadia Invitational meet and especially the 3,200 has long been a destination for distance runners and this year was no exception with 19 boys breaking nine minutes and 18 girls bettering 10:30. This is one of the few meets where intermediate times are taken at 1,500 and 3,000 that can be used to better the WYC qualifying standards. Ben Veatch of Carmel (In.) and Phillip Rocha of Arcadia ran 8:23.92 and 8:26.94, respectively, to easily better the WYC standard of 8:44.0. The two finished in that order with times of 8:53.42 and 8:59.42. In the girls' race Fiona O'Keeffe of Davis ran 9:30.20 to better the WYC standard of 9:44.0. In the 1,500 Katie Rainsberger of Air Academy (Colorado Springs, Co.) ran 4:28.24 and Lauren Gregory of Ft. Collins (Co.) ran 4:30.15 on the way to mile times of 4:47.85 and 4:48.85. The WYC 1,500 standard is 4:34.00. Sophomore Joseph Anderson of Upland was second in the 110 high hurdles at 13.90 for the third best Youth time in the nation. In the girls 100 high hurdles, sophomore Jurnee Woodward of Vacaville, at 13.90, led five runners under the World Youth standard of 14.35. Elana Bruckner of Valley Christian was a double weight winner taking the discus at 153-10 and the shot put at 48-5. Last month she threw 49-10 for the best high school outdoor effort this season.

There were a number of outstanding marks around the nation. Candace Hill of Rockdale (Conyers, Ga.) looks to be picking up with she left of last year as one of the nation's best sprinters. At the Taco Bell Invitational in South Carolina, she had a personal best of 11.30 and ran an easy 23.49 in the heats of the 200. Ja'Mari Ward of Cahokia (Il.) just keeps getting better and better. At the Belleville Invitational in Illinois he up his triple jump best to 51-11 while improving his outdoor best in the long jump to 24-10. Damion Thomas of Northeast (Oakland Park, Fl.) retook the national Youth lead in the 110 hurdles from Norman Grimes of Canyon (Tx.) with a 13.64 at the Florida Relays. For the past two years Florida's Amir Rasul has been one of the fastest Youth sprinters in the world. However, in both years his season has been interrupted with injuries in mid April. Rasul is now at Columbus (Miami) and opened his season last week with a wind-aided 10.70 in the 100 and a legal 21.93 in the 200. Hezekiah Jones of Stafford (Tx.) continues to improve and now has a legal best of 21.48. Josephus Lyles of T.C.Williams (Alexandria, Va.) opened up his serious outdoor season with a solid 47.73 but should soon be under 47.0. Katelyn Gochenour of Marian Catholic (Omaha, Nb.) has the national lead in the javelin at 167-2 but sophomore Madison Wiltrout of Connellsville (Pa.), who had a best of 151-1 last year, opened her year with a 164-11. Last year Tyra Gittens of Elsworth (Nashville, Tn.) set a national freshman record in the heptathlon at 4,934 and has already bettered 6-0 in the high jump this season.

U.S. Trials Qualifying Information (a must-read)

The United States is the seven-time defending World Youth team champion. The U.S. Trials are scheduled in just under four months at Benedictine University in Lisle (Il.). The first two finishers in each event, provided they have met the IAAF World Youth championships standard, will be placed in a pool and the U.S. team will be selected from that pool. Since 2001 there have been between 40 and 55 athletes selected, although in recent years the number has been between 40 and 43 athletes.

The 2013 U.S. World Youth team was made up of 43 athletes. The USATF has fixed the size of recent teams at around 40, twenty of which are paid for by the IAAF. The general guideline that has been used in selecting the U.S. team has been a demonstrated ability to advance to the finals of the World Youth Championships. Those standards are much higher than the entry standards set by the IAAF. However, the tougher standards have resulted in between five and ten athletes, who have shown that ability to reach the World Youth Championship finals, not being selected. With the success of U. S. Youth-age athletes (born in 1998 or 1999) at last year at the IAAF World Junior championship in Eugene, there is a high likelihood that additional well deserving athletes might not be selected. An example of the success selection method, 2013 World Youth Championships saw 19 of 20 girls selected for the U.S. team made WYC finals. Unless the size of the 2015 team is increased, there is a high likelihood that U.S. will again deny deserving athletes the invaluable experiences that can only be gained in competitions such as the WYC.

Perhaps the most important thing that athletes can do is to be sure to have a U.S. passport valid through 2015. You must have a passport with you when you participate in the U.S. World Youth trials. You will not be able to get a passport at the U.S. trials. Be sure to allow at least six weeks from the time that you apply for a passport until it is sent to you. You can apply for a passport through the Post Office. Getting a passport is a long-term investment. It is good for 10 years and there is every reason to believe that athletes with the talent to qualify for the World Youth Championships will have need of a passport multiple in the next 10 years.

A special note concerning the following events: 1,500 meters, 3,000 meters 2,000-meter steeplechase and 400-meter hurdles. All athletes must have a qualifying mark in these specific events to that meet the IAAF standards for entry into the World Youth Championships. You can not substitute 1,600, mile, 3,200, two-mile or 300-meter hurdles times to meet the IAAF standards. Because the distance standards are very tough, athletes are advised to compete in 1,500 and 3,000 races against college-open athletes. You can use times in those events to qualify. In the 100, 200, 100-meter hurdles and 110-meter hurdles plus the long jump and the triple jump, qualifying marks must be accompanied by wind readings of 2.0 meters per second or less. It should be noted that the hurdle heights at the U.S. Trials will be the heights at the WYC. The hurdle heights will be three inches shorter in the boys 110 and 400 hurdles and the girls 100 hurdles.

Although the World Youth Championships is an outdoor event, indoor marks may be used to qualify. However, the running events must take place on flat-floor tracks of 400 meters or less.

Here is the U.S.A. Track and Field website link for the U.S. Trials for the 2015 World Youth Championships.

http://www.usatf.org/Events---Calendar/2015/World-Youth-Track---Field-Trials.aspx

Here is a link to the 2013 U.S. Trials for the WYC that will give you an idea of what to expect in 2015. This includes results from the U.S. Trials in 2013.

http://www.usatf.org/Events---Calendar/2013/World-Youth-Track---Field-Trials.aspx

Here is the IAAF website for the 2015 World Youth Championships. That also includes the results from the 2013 World Youth Championships. When take comes up click on History for 2013 results.

http://www.iaaf.org/competitions/iaaf-world-youth-championships