Collegians Cas Loxsom and Robby Andrews won the silver and bronze medals in the men’s 800 on Sunday, the concluding day of the weeklong World Juniors championships in Moncton, New Brunswick.
After a frustrating and somewhat disappointing week, the U.S. team showed its one area of dominance by winning all four relay races, taking the men’s and women’s 4x1s on Saturday and the 4x4s on Sunday. The Americans won just two individual golds, in the women’s 200 and the men’s hammer.
The hammer throw was won by Conor McCullough, the Californian who just completed his freshman year at Princeton. McCullough had an enormous throw of 265-0 on Sunday to set an American Junior record with the Junior 6-kilo implement, and break the meet record as well. He was not far from the world Junior record, of 272-2. This spring McCullough also broke the AJR with the international 16-pound weight, throwing 232-3.
“The atmosphere was great,” McCullough said. “I was rested up, it all seemed to come together, so it felt good.”
Loxsom and Andrews entered Sunday’s 800 final with two of the fastest times in the world this year for Juniors, but David Mutinda Mutua of Kenya swept by for the win, running a lifetime best of 1:46.41, ahead of Loxsom’s PR 1:46.57 and Andrews’s 1:47.00.
In his postrace rermarks, Mutua displayed the confidence, and occasional smugness, shown by the East African runners throughout these championships. “It was not very hard race,” Mutua said. “When there was 110 meters left, my body woke up and I knew I could win the race. I feel very good.”
The Americans, Loxsom and Andrews, were impressed.
”I sat on the Kenyan,” said Loxsom, a freshman at Penn State. “Man, he was strong at the end. I thought I had it.
“But, I mean, I still felt strong. I’m happy with the PR. I think I can go a little faster. I’m happy with the silver. I’m happy with two medalists. It’s definitely a cool experience to be able to run around the track with another American (with the flag).”
His companion on that celebratory lap was Andrews, the University of Virginia freshman.
“I really think I had it,” Andrews said. “I did feel comfortable, but the last kick just wasn’t there. It’s been a long year, and I’m very happy with my year.
“I worked hard to stay up with the pack. The Kenyans will just run away with the race if you let them. I believed in myself, I thought I had it, but in the end I still got the bronze and Casimir the silver, so I’m happy.”
Kenyan athletes won seven individual golds in all, all in the distances, and 15 total medals, equaling the U.S. total. Ethiopians won five – two gold, three silver, including Sunday’s women’s 1,500, in which Tizita Bogale won in 4:08.08, a PR. Bogale had predicted ahead of time that she would win.
In fourth was American Jordan Hasay, the Oregon freshman, in 4:13.95.
In the relays, the U.S. defeated the nation that is now its international rival in the sprints and relays all four times –- Jamaica. The Jamaicans finished with one set of relay silvers, one set of bronze, and two fourth-place finishes.
The Americans were not far from world Junior records in the 4x1s, running 38.93 in the men’s race, 43.44 in the women’s. Both are No. 3 all-time.
“We feel really good,” said Takeia Pinckney, the LSU freshman who ran the second leg on the women’s 4x1. “Our chemistry was great. You know, we got the stick around and did our best,” perhaps a reference to the calamities in recent years by American relay teams in international meets.
Pinckney was joined by Stormy Kendrick, who won the 200 on Saturday, upsetting the British star, Jodie Williams, with a PR 22.99; Dezerea Bryant, and Ashley Collier. They ran 43.44, ahead of Germany (43.74), the Netherlands (44.09) and Jamaica (44.24).
In the men’s 4x1, the U.S. squad of Michael Granger, Charles Silmon, Eric Harris and Oliver Bradwell ran 38.93, well ahead of Jamaica (39.55) and Trinidad and Tobago (39.72).
In the 4x4s, the U.S. men ran 3:04.76, the women 3:31.20. Jamaica was fourth in the men’s race, third in the women’s. Overall, Jamaica finished with just one individual medal – Dexter Lee’s victory in the 100 – to go with the relays.
“We can’t be happy with three medals,” the Jamaican head coach, Raymond “KC” Graham told the Jamaica Observer. “We came in here with some expectations, but we also had some near-misses, and with just that bit more we might have done much better.”
Of course, only the Americans and Jamaicans have rigorous scholastic track seasons, most of which begin in January. The rest of the world is able to focus on summer, and it showed in these championships.
In all, the Americas won 30 medals – half of those by the U.S. – Africa 30, Asia 15, Oceania 2 and Europe 56. Gold medals were won by 25 different countries, including 12 different European nations – Russia, Great Britain, France, Germany, Romania, Belarus, Lithuania, Norway, the Netherlands, Sweden, Finland and Montenegro.
And you didn’t have to win to be satisfied. In Sunday’s women’s 1,500, the silver went to Ciara Mageean of Ireland, who ran a lifetime-best 4:09.51.
“It’s Ireland’s first-ever medal on the track,” Mageean said. “I’m so bloody happy. I’m so proud. I just wanted to do it for everyone back home. And to finish with a national record, I’m thrilled.” /JP/