Hannah Carson

It was the last big weekend to qualify for state and many athletes were taking a shot at it but the wind was just not cooperating.  Some were even competing in two different meets the same weekend. Photo:  Davonte Neal (Fr., Cesar Chavez) at the Freshman Showcase

Just when you think the track and field season is officially done, guess what...it's not! The USATF National Junior Olympic T&F Championships take place this week, July 22-27, in Omaha, Nebraska. While many of the nation's top seniors have taken their break and now prepare for their collegiate squads, some younger prep athletes take a stab one more time at putting up big marks and improving their personal bests. MileSplit will bring you day-to-day highlights of each final and hopefully news of some new U.S. top ten performances. Top USATF Junior Olympic Highlights - William Wynne (GA) hurdles to victory in YM 400m hurdles in 49.84 - Turquoise Thompson (CA) goes 57.67 in YW 400m hurdles - Booker Nunley (NC) earns win in YM 110m hurdles in 13.41 - Jack Whitt (OK) vaults 17-02.75 to win Young Men's pole vault - Phyllis Francis (NY) runs 2:04.83 800m, new IG record, U.S. #3 - Chalonda Goodman (GA) blazes 23.29 YW 200m, 11.36 100m - Elias Gedyon (CA) wins Intermediate Boys 800m dash in 1:51.91

 Just completing her freshman year at Dobson HIgh School, Hannah Carson was named to the All-USA Track and Field in the throws.  Her distance of 167-11 with the Javelin was one of the top throws in the nation and she was one of two Javelin throwers to make the list.  Will Claye (Mt. Pointe) and Bryce Lamb (Chandler) made the team in both the long jump and the triple jump.  Claye whose season ended early because of a broken wrist jumped distances of 24-3 in the long jump and 52-4 3/4 in the triple jump while Lamb jumped 24-2 in the long jump and 52-2 in the triple jump.  Both boys have one year left in their High School Career.   Click here for USA Today article

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Some of the top athletes in Arizona headed to the Jesse Owens Stadium on the Ohio State Campus in Columbus Ohio for the USA Track and Field Junior National Championships. The three day event serves as a selection meet for the 2008 IAAF World Junior Championships to be held July 8 – 13 in Bydgoszcz, Poland. The top two finishers in most of the events qualify for the World Team. An athlete competing in events like the 3000 also need to hit a qualifying time in order to make the team regardless of where they place. Click on header for full article! Click here to see photos

The first day of the USATF Junior National T&F Championships got off to a great start Friday as athletes from across the country conviened at Ohio State University. Leading the way on Day 1 was Roxi Grizzle (Tonganoxie, KS). Grizzle (pictured left by Margot Kelly) placed second in the womens javelin competition with a U.S. #5 all-time effort of 170-03. Elsehwere, Booker Nunley (Garner, NC) ran one of the fastest prep marks ever in the 110m hurdles, taking home the title with his 13.40 effort. With two more days of competition remaining, this weekend in Ohio promises to be exciting. Meet Page / Live Results / Official Website Top Junior National Friday Highlights - Roxi Grizzle (KS) throws U.S.#5 all-time javelin in 170-03 - Booker Nunley (NC) blazes 13.40 in mens 110m hurdles - Anna Jelmini (CA) throws 173-01 to win womens discus throw - Elijah Greer (OR) top mens 800m prelim time in 1:50.15 - Marquise Goodwin (TX) leaps 25-00 to win mens long jump - William Wynne (GA) goes 50.76 in mens 400m hurdle prelims - Hannah Carson (AZ) throws javelin to third place in 163-05  

The decision for many athletes this year was hard. Go to Nike Outdoor Nationals, our sports high school track and field champion, or take their talents to Ohio and compete at the USATF Junior National T&F Championships and try to make the world team. Both meets fell on the same weekend this year, so athletes had to make a choice. Well, it turns out many of the top athletes across the country want their shot to make Team USA and the Junior National meet is loaded with talent. See who's got a shot to make the team.

Hannah Carson (left) from Dobson Photo by Alan Versaw (Colorado Milesplit) Athletes from all over the West headed to the University of New Mexico over the weekend to compete in The Great Southwest Invitational. The elevation was over 5,000 feet and the winds were swirling around making it difficult to post some great times. Four Arizona athletes hit gold as they ran......jumped........and threw!   Click here for complete article.... More articles.... Photo Gallery.....

Several Arizona athletes will be heading to Albuquerque New Mexico for the Great Southwest Invitational this weekend. Nationaly ranked Larissa Matthews from Chandler will be competing in the 100 and 300 hurdles before heading to the USA Track and Field Junior Nationals in two weeks. Super freshman Hannah Carson from Dobson is seeded first in the Javelin, 7th in the Shot Put and 12th in the long jump and sisters Ashley and Amanda Weber from Sierra Vista are seeded 1st and 2nd in the Hammer Throw. Sprinters Serene Williams (Peoria) and Terra Evans (South Mountain) are both schedule to compete in the 100 and 200 elite races and the 4 x 100 relay. Top Arizona Pole Vaulter Cara Carpenter from Mesa Mountain View is seeded third in the Pole Vault. On the boys side top National Triple Jumpers Will Claye (US#3 Mountain Pointe) and Bryce Lamb (US#4 Chandler) are ranked 1 and 2 in the triple jump and 2 and 3 in the long jump. Sprinters Allante Battle (Desert Vista) and Giorgio Giurdanella (Mountain Ridge) will be running in the 100 and 200. Battle and Giurdanella faced off against each other at the State Meet with Giurdanella winning but the two will not be racing against each other on Saturday as they are in different heats. To see a full list of Arizona runners competing at the Great Southwest..... click on the title.

It was blistering hot at the May 24th Meet of Champions......no wait.....it was in the 70's and the weather was perfect. It's hard to believe it was May in Arizona and hot chocolate was selling faster than ice cream. Spectators were wearing jackets or wrapped in blankets and the runners were enjoying another unusually cool day at the track. The Meet of Champions is a race where the State Champions and top runners from each division come together and race for one title. Some State Champions finish their season at the State Meet but others come to compete. To see videos of the Meet of Champions (click here) To see the complete article click on the title.

5A-1 Finals Three Footlocker finalists toed the line Thursday evening at the 5A-I State Championships. US#9 Nadya (pictured middle) and US#15 Nastia Bishton (pictured far left), seniors at Mountain Ridge and US#10Jessica Tonn (pictured right) a sophomore from Xavier Prep pushed the pace right from the start.....they were there to race. By the time the three of them crossed the 200 mark they had already separated themselves from the rest of the field crossing the half way mark in 5:09. With one lap to go an offcial held up the 2 lap sign by mistake causing a few moments of confussion and the crowd to jump to their feet. Tonn won the race with a time of 10:30.55 breaking the sophomore state record of 10:33.11 set by Sarah Gordon in 1998 and winning her second 3200 state championship. Nadya Bishton finished second in 10:31.97 while Nastia finished in 10:35.42. A late surge by junior and Xavier teammate Sarah Penney put her in fourth place.

With the boys scattered across 7 division in most events the girls are a little different. Three Footlocker Cross Country finalist will be competing in the 5A-I division for the state title in the 1600 and 3200m races. The 1600 is scheduled for Saturday evening and top seeded sophomore Jessica Tonn (Xavier Prep,4:52.44) will be racing Nadya (Mountain Ridge, 5:05.17) and Nastia (Mountain Ridge, 5:06.04) Bishton along with teammate, Sarah Penney (junior, Xavier Prep, 4:54.74). All four runners plus freshman, Kristina Vanderhout, will face each other in the 3200 event tomorrow evening. Lindsay Prescottfrom Sandra Day O'Connor will be hoping to add a few more state titles (4A Division I) to an already impressive resume.