Discus thrower and American high school record holder Shelbi Vaughan will lead the prep female at the World Games July 10-15 in Barcelona.
File photo by Kirby Lee
called it "an unbelievable experience."
The recent
Mansfield Legacy (Texas) graduate just finished fourth in the women's discus at the U.S. Olympic team trials in Eugene, Ore. behind three legendary athletes in her event.
The Texas A&M signee will have one more chance to compete for Legacy July 10-15 at the IAAF World Junior Championships in Barcelona, Spain.
Jennifer Madu is USA's top triple
jumper heading to Barcelona.
File photo by Kirby Lee
Vaughan will represent her country after setting a national high school record of 198 feet, 9 inches to win in the USA Junior National Track and Field Championships June 15 at Indiana University.
Though Vaughan didn't quite reach her dream of making the Olympic team - her best was 195-9 at the trials - she said it was a time she'll never forget. She finished behind Stephanie Brown Trafton (213-10), Aretha Thurmond (204-2) and
Suzy Powell-Roos (197-6).
Vaughan needed an Olympic A standard throw of 203-5 to make the team.
“I’m 17 years old and came in
here competing with older throwers," she told reporters. "Just being able to have this
experience is great.”
Here are a group of other female prep stars who will join Vaughan in Barcelona. All the marks and places (the top two advanced) are from junior nationals at Indiana.
* Incoming
Bronxville (N.Y.)
junior Mary Cain won in the 1,500 meters, leading start-to-finish in a time of 4 minutes, 14.74 seconds for the No. 2 time ever by a 10th grader. She broke the meet record of 4:16.98 set by Jordan Hasay of
Mission Prep (San Luis Obispo, Calif.) but just missed Hasay's national record of 4:14.50 set at the 2008 USA Olympic Trials.
*
Gresham (Ore.)
junior javelin thrower
Haley Crouser won with a toss
of 166-7. Crouser also has a shot to make the Olympic team. She'll
compete in the trials on Friday.
*
George Washington (Denver) incoming junior
Dior Hall
made it in the 100 hurdles after finishing second behind collegian
Morgan Snow of the University of Texas, 13.26 to 13.45.
*
Jennifer Madu of
Plano East (Texas) not only made it in the women's triple jump (42-9¾) but she also qualified in the 100.
* Also in the 1,500,
Hannah Meier of
Grosse Pointe South (Mich.) qualified after going 4:18.44.
*
Brianna Nerud of
North Shore (Glen Head, N.Y.) in the steeplechase. She won in 10 minutes, 23.87 seconds.
*
Tori Owers of
Athens Academy (Ga.) advanced in the shot put, going 50-4¾ on her final attempt.
*
Robin Reynolds, a recent
Jackson (Miami)
graduate, won the long jump at 20-5¾.
Ajee Wilson made the Olympic Trials
semifinals in the 800, but will be
among the favorites in Barcelona.
File photo by Kirby Lee
*
Shayla Sanders of
Boyd Anderson (Lauderdale Lakes, Fla.) starred in the 100 meters. She finished second in 11.57 seconds.
*
Sydney White of
East Forsyth (Kernersville, N.C.) made the team in the pole vault after going 13-3½.
*
Kendell Williams, an incoming senior from
Kell (Marietta, Ga.),
will compete in the heptathlon. She set a junior class record of 5,481 points, which is No. 4 all time in prep history.
* Reigning World Youth champion
Ajee Wilson of
Neptune (N.J.) returns to defend her title in the 800 after winning in 2:04.86. Also qualifying in the 800 is
Danielle Aragon of
Billings (Mont.) who has a time of 2:05.06.
