USA Track & Field Championships await 24 with ties to ASU


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Twenty-four athletes with ties to the Arizona State University track & field program are in Eugene, Ore., this weekend as they are all set to compete in the 2009 USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Hayward Field on the Oregon campus. The athletes are not only competing for national titles, but also for placement on to various world-level U.S. teams, including the World Championships team that will compete in Berlin, Germany.

Of the 24 entrants, 12 are men and 12 are women with 10 current Sun Devils set to compete along side 12 former members of the program while two women, both of which will be freshmen at ASU in the fall, are also competing. The senior national event will run at the same time with the junior championships.

Current Sun Devils set to compete include men's team members Brandon Bethke (5,000m), Jordan Clark (junior and senior shot put and junior discus), Jason Lewis (discus and hammer), Mason McHenry (800m) and Ryan Whiting (shot put and discus) while the women's team will be represented by Cara Carpenter (junior pole vault), Dominique' Maloy (100m and 200m), Kayla Sanchez (junior 400m hurdles), Sarah StevensCharonda Williams (100m and 200m). The future Sun Devils that will compete include Anna Jelmini, who is entered in the junior and senior division of the discus and the junior shot put, and Shakeia Pinnick, who is set to compete in the junior heptathlon and the junior 400m hurdles. (shot put and hammer) and

Several big names in the track and field world that competed at ASU will be in the field this weekend, including former American record holder in the women's steeplechase Lisa Galaviz, 2004 Olympic Gold Medalist Dwight Phillips in the long jump and 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials long jump champion Trevell Quinley. ASU will have a third entry in the men's long jump competition as Matt Turner also will compete.

The Sun Devils will have three entries in one other event as the trio of Aaron Aguayo, Kyle Alcorn and Ryan Warrenburg all are set for the men's steeplechase. Marcus Brunson is the final former men's athlete in the field for ASU as he will run in the 100m dash. On the women's side, Amy Hastings is set to run in the 5,000m and 10,000m events while Latosha Wallace will compete in the 400m hurdles. The throws will once again be well represented on the women's side as Stevens will be joined again by Tai Battle in the discus and Jessica Pressley in the shot put.

Several Sun Devils will compete on the first day of action on Thursday with 11 in total set to participate. The track events will see Wallace (400mH), Williams and Maloy (100m), Brunson (100m), McHenry (800m) and the trio of Alcorn, Aguayo and Warrenburg (steeplechase) all compete in the first rounds of their events while Hastings will run in the final of the 10,000m run. The women's discus is the only field event with ASU athletes on the first day with Battle and Jelmini set for the senior event.

2009 USA Senior/Junior Outdoor Track & Field Championships
June 25-28 • Hayward Field • Eugene, Ore.
Current Sun Devils competing
Men:
Bethke, Brandon - 5,000m
Clarke, Jordan - Shot Put (junior & senior) & Discus (junior)
Lewis, Jason - Discus & Hammer
McHenry, Mason - 800m
Whiting, Ryan - Shot Put & Discus

Women:
Carpenter, Cara - Pole Vault (junior)
Maloy, Dominique' - 100m & 200m
Sanchez, Kayla - 400m hurdles (junior)
Stevens, Sarah - Shot Put & Hammer
Williams, Charonda - 100m & 200m

Former Sun Devils competing
Men:
Aguayo, Aaron - Steeplechase
Alcorn, Kyle - Steeplechase
Brunson, Marcus - 100m
Phillips, Dwight - Long Jump
Quinley, Trevell - Long Jump
Turner, Matt - Long Jump
Warrenburg, Ryan - Steeplechase

Women:
Battle, Tai - Discus
Galaviz, Lisa - Steeplechase
Hastings, Amy - 5,000m & 10,000m
Pressley, Jessica - Shot Put
Wallace, Latosha - 400m hurdles

Future Sun Devils competing
Women:
Jelmini, Anna - Discus (junior & senior) & Shot Put (junior)
Pinnick, Shakeia - Heptathlon (junior) & 400m hurdles (junior)