USA Track & Field – News – USATF Foundation recipients shine at USA Championships
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05
07
2011

INDIANAPOLIS - At the recently completed 2011 USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships held at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., a total of sixty-three current and former elite athlete grant recipients competed for national titles and an opportunity to wear the USA

USA Track & Field – News – USATF Foundation recipients shine at USA Championships

By GRR 0

INDIANAPOLIS – At the recently completed 2011 USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships held at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., a total of sixty-three current and former elite athlete grant recipients competed for national titles and an opportunity to wear the USA singlet at the upcoming IAAF World Championships this summer in Daegu, South Korea, announced Foundation Executive Director Tom Jackovic and Chairman Bob Greifeld.

In total, sixteen of those athletes won medals – seven gold, five silver, four bronze.

"That so many of our grantees won medals, seven of which were gold, is extremely gratifying," noted Jackovic. "We look forward to seeing many of these, and other grantee athletes, representing Team USA at next year's summer Olympic Games in London."

Foundation Grantee Medalists

  • Kibwe Johnson (‘11, ‘10 grantee) – 1st Place (hammer throw)
  • Kara Patterson (‘10 grantee) – 1st Place (javelin throw)
  • Mike Hazle ('11, '10, '09, '08, ‘07 grantee) – 1st Place (javelin throw)
  • Stephanie Brown Trafton ('08, ‘07 grantee) – 1st Place (discus throw)
  • David Oliver ('08, ‘07 grantee) – 1st Place (110 meter hurdles)
  • Morgan Uceny ('09, ‘08 grantee) – 1st place (1500 meters)
  • Kylie Hutson ('10 grantee) – 1st place (pole vault)
  • Jon (Ryan) Harlan ('06 grantee) – 2nd place (decathlon)
  • Dan Huling ('10 grantee) – 2nd Place (3000 meter steeplechase)
  • Aretha Thurmond ('09, '08, ‘07 grantee) – 2nd place (discus throw)
  • Maggie Vessey ('09 grantee) – 2nd place (800 meters)
  • Rachel Yurkovich ('10, ‘09 grantee) – 2nd place (javelin throw)
  • Kyle Alcorn ('08 grantee) – 3rd place (3000 meter steeplechase)
  • Lance Brooks ('11, ‘10 grantee) – 3rd place (discus throw)
  • Alice Schmidt ('09 grantee) – 3rd place (800 meters)
  • Sarah Stevens-Walker ('11, ‘10 grantee) – 3rd place (shot put)

Athletes achieving the IAAF "A" standard are: Kibwe Johnson, Stephanie Brown Trafton, David Oliver, Morgan Uceny, Kylie Hutson, Kara Patterson, Aretha Thurmond, Maggie Vessey, and Alice Schmidt.

Athletes achieving the IAAF "B" standard are: Jon Harlan, Dan Huling, Kyle Alcorn, Lance Brooks, Sarah Stevens-Walker and Mike Hazle.

Rachel Yurkovich has not yet achieved either the IAAF "A" or "B" standard. Final roster spots for the World Championships will be announced in the coming weeks.

There were also seven athletes that narrowly missed making the podium, finishing in 4th place: Chris Helwick (decathlon), Mark Hollis (pole vault), A. G. Kruger (hammer throw), Suzy Powell Roos (discus throw), Jamaal Torrance (400 meters), Bettie Wade (heptathlon) and Russ Winger (discus throw).

Twenty-two other grantee athletes finished in the top ten in their respective events.

The Foundation Elite Athlete Grant Program contributes to the pursuit of world-class performances by American post-collegiate track and field athletes. Athletes must meet minimum performance and financial need standards to be eligible and agree to participate in the Win With Integrity program.

The USATF Foundation provides a means to attract and guide funds to new and innovative track & field programs with an emphasis on providing opportunities for youth athletes, emerging elite athletes, distance training centers and anti-doping education. The Foundation depends upon donations from its Board of Directors and from generous fans of track & field.

For more information or to contribute to the USA Track & Field Foundation, visit www.usatffoundation.org or contact Tom Jackovic, Executive Director at (412) 398-2484 or Tom.Jackovic@usatf.org.
About USA Track & Field

USA Track & Field (USATF) is the National Governing Body for track & field, long-distance running and race walking in the United States. USATF encompasses the world's oldest organized sports, the World's #1 Track & Field Team, the most-watched events at the Olympics, the #1 high school and junior high school participatory sport, and more than 30 million adult runners in the United States: www.usatf.org.

Tom Jackovic
USATF Foundation
Executive Director
412-398-2484
Tom.Jackovic@usatf.org

author: GRR