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photos courtesy Victah Sailer / PhotoRun.net
Nick Vena (Morristown, NJ) advanced to the final of the men’s shot put Wednesday morning at the World Junior Championships in Moncton, New Brunswick. Using the international 6k implement, Vena put 65-3.5 for an automatic qualifier. He finished second in the preliminary round, behind Yongheng Deng of China, who did 65-11.5.
The other American entrant, Hayden Baillio of the University of Texas, also had an auto Q, 63-7.75.
Ajee Wilson (Neptune, NJ) barely avoided disaster in the semifinals of the women’s 800. Running in Heat II, Wilson led through a quick first 400, then appeared to let up down the final straight. Thinking she had second place – the top two advanced auto – she relaxed at the tape with Ekaterina Zavyalova of Russia bearing down on her.
“I looked up and I thought I had second, so I decided to bring it in,” Wilson said. “My coach (Dawn Bowles) always tells me to run to the end, and I didn’t.”
“I should have started faster when I had the strength,” Zavyalova said, “but later, I lost strength and couldn’t run faster. I hope I was second.”
Zavyalova caught her, and after a long reading of the photo, both were given the same time of 2:04.33. Zavyalova, however, was given second on the basis of thousandths of a second.
Wilson survived, however, advancing as one of the two time qualifiers. She finished just ahead of the other American competitor, Laura Roesler of North Dakota. Roesler finished fourth in Heat I in 2:04.34, .01 behind Wilson.
Jamaican Natoya Goule, of Manchester, finished fourth in Heat II behind Wilson in 2:05.07 and did not advance.
In the semifinals of the women’s 400, two University of Texas freshman teammates finished 1-2 in Heat III, as Chantel Malone, a resident of the British Virgin Islands, ran 53.37, and American Stacey-Ann Smith 53.48. Smith is from Bloomfield, Conn. The other American entrant, Regina George of the University of Arkansas, appeared to advance on time. She was fourth in Heat I in 53.59.
“It’s been a long season for me,” said George, a native of Illinois. “I’m doing the best I can out here. These are great athletes here.” George was a member of the Arkansas team that won the New Balance women’s 4x4 championship at the Armory in February.
“I just need to stay relaxed,” Malone said. “I’m OK with my time today.” Malone has a lifetime best of 52.35.
In the first round of the men’s 400 hurdles, also contested Wednesday morning, Leslie Murray of Delaware State University, representing the U.S. Virgin Islands, advanced out of Heat VI, finishing second to the favorite in the event, Jehue Gordon of Trinidad, 51.58-51.94.
“I’m OK,” Gordon said. “That race was good…. I just wanted to go out there and be relaxed and comfortable.” Gordon ran a remarkable 48.26 for fourth place in the World Championships a year ago in Berlin.
Murray said, “I didn’t want to use too much energy, because we have three rounds, so I just wanted to get out and then maintain a good pace…. In the semis, I can run a little bit faster, get a good lane and then get on the podium.” Murray, a sophomore at Delaware State, ran 49.83 as an 18-year-old freshman a year ago.
In Heat VII, Sheroid Evans (Dulles HS, Sugarland, Tx) advanced, finishing third. Evans, who has a year left in high school, won the 200 and 400 at the National Scholastic at the Armory in March.
“I just want to get to the finals,” Evans said. “I have two more rounds after this, so I did what I needed to do, and that’s that.
“Honestly, I’m just getting over the hurdles. I just wanted to get over the hurdles nice and smooth, because I had a few problems.”
In competition Tuesday evening, Justin Hunter (Ocean Lakes, Chesapeake, Va) moved on in the men’s long jump, jumping 25-0.75, but his U.S. teammate, Carlton Lavong (Methacton, Pa.) did not, jumping 23-5.25 for 28th place. Raymond Higgs, a freshman at the University of Arkansas competing for the Bahamas, also advanced, with a lifetime-best 24-7.25.
Both Americans, Josh Mance, a prep from California, and Errol Nolan, a freshman at the University of Houston, advanced out of the first round in the men’s 400 on Tuesday evening. Nolan, who ran at the Armory over the winter for Houston at the New Balance Collegiate Invitational, had the fastest time of the first round, 46.67.
“It was a good race to build back up my confidence,” Nolan said. “I hadn’t run in a couple of weeks, so I’m glad it went the way it did…. I was hoping to go just like the other guys, but my heat was a little faster at 300 meters.
“I feel fine. I’m looking forward to (the semifinal).”
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The favorite in the event, Kirani James of Grenada, won his heat in 47.12. James, 17, was NCAA champion last month for the University of Alabama.
“I feel good,” James said. “The body feels good. It was a hard run, but it was a good run. My main goal is just to try and qualify, just conserve as much energy as I could possibly save, and I did that in that run.
“My goal is faster than my personal best (45.01), that’s all I can say for now.”
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