USA Track & Field – News – Jacobs, Dendy & Wilson win in Japan

INDIANAPOLIS – Myasia Jacobs, Marquis Dendy and Trinity Wilson each won their respective events Saturday at the 2011 Germany-Japan-USA Trilateral Friendly Indoor Meet in Osaka, Japan.

The competition consisted of junior athletes (ages 16-19) competing in the 60 meters, 60m hurdles and long jump. Team USA athletes were selected first by using the 2010 end of year high school rankings in the 100m, 100m/110m hurdles and long jump. Athletes were also invited to join the squad based on top indoor performances this season.

A resident of Patterson, N.J., Myasia Jacobs was named the women’s MVP of the meet in winning the 60 meters in 7.41 seconds.  Stephanie Pahler of Germany was the runner-up in 7.44, with Team USA’s Christal Peterson of Hampton, Va., finishing third in 7.53.

The men’s MVP of the event was Marquis Dendy of Middletown, Del., who captured the long jump with a best of 7.54 meters/24 feet 9 inches.  Dendy will be a freshman at the University of Florida next year.

His teammate, Jarrett Semuels of Charlotte, N.C., gave the U.S. a clean sweep of the event with his best effort of 7.17m/23-6.25, which made him the runner-up.

The other American winner in Japan on Saturday was Trinity Wilson of Berkeley, Calif., who won the women’s 60m hurdles in 8.41 seconds.  The runner-up was Franziska Hofmann of Germany in 8.50 and Shelley Black of Wilkes Barre, Pa., finished third in 8.60.

In other events, Gregor Traber of Germany won the men’s 60m hurdles in 7.73 seconds, with Team USA’s Kenneth Minkah of DeSoto, Tex., finishing as the runner-up in 7.77, and his teammate Demetrius Lindo of Washington, D.C., placing third in 7.79.

 In the men’s 60 meters, Takumi Kuki of Japan gave the hometown fans something to cheer about with his win in 6.74 seconds. Finishing as the runner-up was Damiere Byrd of Sicklerville, N.J. in 6.76 seconds, with Ronald Darby of Oxon Hill, Md., placing third in 6.77.

The women’s long jump winner was Germany’s Lena Malkus, who soared to 6.18m/20-3.50.  Team USA was led by fifth-place finisher LeTristan Pledger of Kansas City, Kans., who had a best leap of 5.69m/18-8, and Amber Dandy of Chattanooga, Tenn., finished eighth with her jump of 5.29m/17-4.25.

For more information on Team USA at the Germany-Japan-USA Trilateral Friendly Indoor Meet in Osaka, visit: www.usatf.org.
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Tom Surber
USA Track & Field
Media Information Manager