Teen Sprint Queens Candace Hill, Kaylin Whitney Race World Leader in Florida

Star Athletics Sprint Series
Johanna Gretschel


Teen sprint phenoms Candace Hill of ASICS and Kaylin Whitney of Nike met at the Star Athletics Sprint Series this weekend in Clermont, Florida vs. a slew of Olympic and world medallists.

Both girls competed in the 100m, where the eighteen-year-old Whitney clocked the faster time in qualifying: 11.20 to Hill's 11.26, both with a tailwind of 2.1 meters per second. Murielle Ahouré of the Ivory Coast clocked a blazing -- albeit, wind-aided -- mark of 10.80 to advance with the fastest time.

In the finals, Ahouré ran even faster: 10.78 (+1.6) to win the competition with a new wind-legal world leading mark and Africa 100m Record. Seven-time Olympic medalist Veronica Campbell-Brown of Jamaica also broke 11 seconds with a mark of 10.83.

Watch the 100m finals below:



Event 1  Women 100 Meter Dash
=================================================================================
    Name                     Age Team                 Prelims     Finals  Wind H#
=================================================================================
  1   190 Ahoure`, Murielle      Star Athletics/N       10.80      10.78   1.6  1 
  2   163 Campbell-Brown, Ve  34 Modern Sprin           10.94      10.83   1.6  1 
  3   159 Atkins, Joanna      27 Life Speed             11.15      11.09   1.6  1 
  4   193 Whitney, Kaylin        Star Athletics/N       11.20      11.17   1.6  1 
  5   114 Hill, Candace       17 Asics                  11.26      11.19   1.6  1 
  6   150 White, Shelby       27 Hsinternatio           11.30      11.21   1.6  1


The two teen phenoms placed fourth (Whitney, 11.17) and fifth (Hill, 11.19).

"It was very, very different [from high school competition]," Hill said. "Running against pros who have won Olympic and World titles is just nerve-wracking, you're on the line next to them, but I think I held my own. The 11.1 is good for just my second race of the season."

The seventeen-year-old rising high school senior at Rockdale County High in Ga. fared better in the 200m, which she won in 22.38 with a tailwind of +2.1 meters per second, just above the legal limit.

"The 200m, I think I redeemed myself," Hill said. "Usually, I'm running around 23s at this time so to hit 22 is really amazing."





Watch the 200m finals below:



Event 5  Women 200 Meter Dash
=================================================================================
    Name                     Age Team                    Seed     Finals  Wind H#
=================================================================================
  1   114 Hill, Candace       17 Asics                  22.43      22.38   2.1  1 
  2   164 Solomon, Shalonda   30 Modern Sprin           22.15      22.59   2.1  1 
  3   220 Hackett, Semoy      27 Unattached             22.60      22.62   2.0  2 
  4   247 Stewart, Kerron     32 Unattached             22.50      22.69   2.1  1 
  5   227 Jones, Cambrya      25 Unattached             22.72      22.87   2.1  1 
  6   191 Love, Alexis           Star Athletics/N       22.20      23.01   2.1  1


Todd Grasley of FL MileSplit talked to Candace Hill after the meet:


Hill says she plans to race the USATF Jr. Nationals in the 100m and 200m before competing at the U.S. Olympic Trials in June.

Whitney will race the Olympic Trials, but not contend for a spot at World Juniors.

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