Posted: July 31, 2005

Athletics: Record-Setters Samuels, Michta lead Team USA's 18-medal haul Saturday at Pan Am Juniors

Windsor, Ontario, Canada -- Newly minted high school 100 record holder J-Mee Samuels of North Carolina added a meet record to his resume as he sprinted to a 10.20 to win the gold on the second day of the Pan American Junior Championships here Saturday.

Samuels, who lowered the prep record to 10.08 last week at the Russell Blunt Invitational in Greensboro, powered away from the field from the start on his way to gold ahead of Canada's Justyn Warner, who set a national junior record of 10.26.

"I was surprised my hamstring wasn't hurting," Samuels said. "It had been hurting after my prelim earlier today, but it felt fine in the final. I was happy to get the meet record but I wanted to go faster. I'm looking forward to starting college at Arkansas now."

Race walker Maria Michta of C.W. Post-LIU lowered her own American Junior record in the women's 10-kilometer event, clocking 49:43.85 to win bronze and chop more than 40 seconds off her previous standard, set in winning the U.S. junior title at Carson last month.

"The race could have been a lot faster," Michta said. "But no one really wanted to take it out. I had to lead after the third lap, and that made it tough since I had two people hanging just off my shoulder for a long time after that. I got caught off guard with about three laps to go and got passed, and I couldn't quite get back in rhythm for a while. I got a 'friendly caution' from the officials with 100 to go and decided to just be safe and settle for the bronze."

Team USA swept the medals in four events and ended the day with 18 medals, seven of them gold. The team stands atop the medals table with 29.

Justin Oliver of Stone Mountain, Ga., and Nate Anderson of Portland, Ore., waged a spirited battle in the men's 400, with Oliver taking the gold in 46.71 and Anderson the silver at 46.93. Oliver said, "This one hurt a lot more than usual. I took it out hard over the first 200 to set myself up for the win and then held on down the home straight."

In the women's 800, Rebekah Noble of Spokane, Wash., moved with 150 to go to take the lead for good and win in 2:04.07, just .05 ahead of teammate Heidi Magill of BYU. "I wanted to settle in and see what the pace would be like," Noble said. "It could have been a little faster through the 400 (62.1), but I felt so good and I had a lot left at the end."

Shot putters Sarah Stevens of Arizona State and Missy Faubus of California made short work of the field, taking the gold and silver. Stevens launched her best throw of 16.10/52-10 on her final attempt, but all five of her legal attempts were good enough to win. Faubus nabbed silver with her put of 15.35/50-4.5.

"The set up of this meet made it a really special experience to throw and to win," Stevens said. "Even though the ring was a bit slick with dust, the whole international flavor made it great. I knew if I slowed down and just worked my technique I would do well."

Following the lead of their Team USA 5000-meter counterparts from Friday's competition, Eastern Michigan teammates Neal Naughton and Josh Perrin went 1-2 in the 10,000. Naughton won in 30:12.14, with Perrin second in 30:19.53.

Last year's world junior 400 champion Natasha Hastings of South Carolina closed out her individual junior career in style with a 52.15 to win the gold. Hastings set a cautious pace for the first 150, before making a strong move into the final curve. She held off Canada's Carline Muir, who closed fast to claim silver in 52.38.

"I was very confident out there," Hastings said. "This was a great way to close out my junior career, going out as a champion. This was my fourth national junior team, and I am very happy to have won here. The crowd really helped me, even though they were cheering for the Canadian."

Nebraska's Dustin Jonas was the class of the high jump field, clearing 2.21/7-3 for the gold. Jonas, who won the U.S. junior title with a 2.24/7-4.25 leap, had the bar set at 2.28/7-5.75, which would have been a meet record, but he narrowly missed on all three attempts. "I made 2.21 on my first attempt," Jonas said. "I was really feeling good out there and wanted the meet record. The runway was pretty fast today so I had to adjust and I got my approach together at 7-1.5. I just clipped 2.28 on my last attempt."

Other medal-winning efforts were turned in by Gayle Hunter, who took silver in the women's long jump; Marie Lawrence and Lindsay Allen, who garnered silver and bronze in the women's 3000 steeplechase; Karjuan Williams and Jacob DuBois, who also won silver and bronze in the men's 800; and Michael Bingham, who grabbed decathlon bronze.

Full results can be found at: www.panamswindsor.ca.