Team USA stars to compete at 2006 Norwich Union International
Posted Thursday, 17 August, 2006
Contact:
Tom Surber
Media Information Manager
USA Track & Field
317-713-4690
INDIANAPOLIS -Allyson Felix, Dwight Phillips, Lauryn Williams, Bershawn Jackson, Wallace Spearmon, Bernard Lagat, Tianna Madison and Erin Gilreath are just a few of the Team USA stars who will compete against teams from Great Britain and Russia at the 2006 Norwich Union International Match, August 19-20 at Alexander Stadium in Birmingham, England.
After finishing second to the Commonwealth Select team in 2004 and runner-up to Russia in 2005, Team USA will look to get back on the winning track this weekend.
Defending U.S. Norwich Union champions include Olympic and world champion Dwight Phillips, who won the men's long jump last year with a leap of 8.26 meters/27 feet, 1.75 inches. Olympic 200m silver medalist and reigning women's world 200m champion Allyson Felix won the 400 meters in 2005 in a personal best time of 51.12 seconds. Felix will compete in her specialty, the 200 meters, this weekend in Birmingham.
Also look for reigning Norwich Union women's hammer throw champion Erin Gilreath to compete against Great Britain and Russia's best. Last year Gilreath won with a best throw of 69.94 meters/234 feet 6 inches, which gave her the victory over Russia's Olympic gold medalist Olga Kuzenkova, who was the runner-up with a throw of 69.64m/228-6.
Other U.S. men's standouts to watch for this weekend include 2005 World Outdoor Championships silver medalist Wallace Spearmon in the 200 meters, Olympic 4x400m relay gold medalist Darold Williamson at 400 meters, two-time Olympic medalist and reigning U.S. Outdoor 1,500m and 5,000m champion Bernard Lagat in the 3,000 meters and 2005 world champion Bershawn Jackson in the 400m hurdles.
U.S. men's shot putters will be favored to take top honors in Birmingham as 2006 World Indoor champion Reese Hoffa and 2004 World Indoor champion Christian Cantwell vie for the top spot on the awards podium. Cantwell has dominated the 2006 outdoor season with six of the top eight throws in the world this year, the farthest being a toss of 22.45 meters/73 feet 8 inches at Gateshead, England, on June 11.
Other men's field event stars to watch for include world indoor champion Brad Walker and 2004 Olympic Games silver medalist Toby Stevenson in the pole vault, 2006 USA Outdoor champion Brian Johnson in the long jump and 2006 USA Outdoor runner-up Keith Moffatt in the high jump.
The U.S. will field a potent 1-2 punch in the women's 100 meters led by World Outdoor champion Lauryn Williams and 2003 World Outdoor Championships 100m gold medalist and 200m silver medalist Torri Edwards. Joining Allyson Felix in the 200 meters is 2005 World Outdoor Championships 400m silver medalist Sanya Richards, who owns the three fastest 400m times in the world this outdoor season, and the fifth-fastest 200m time this year of 22.25 seconds from her win at Gateshead in June.
2006 USA Outdoor Championships runner-up Dee Dee Trotter and fellow 2004 Olympic 4x400m relay gold medalist Moushaumi Robinson will compete in the women's 400 meters, with three-time USA Outdoor champion and 2005 World Outdoor Championships finalist Hazel Clark and 2006 USA Outdoor runner-up and USA Indoor champ Alice Schmidt carrying U.S. hopes in the 800 meters.
Also look for the U.S. to be strong in the 100m hurdles, where reigning USA Outdoor champion and two-time NCAA Outdoor champ Virginia Powell will team up with two-time World Outdoor Championships finalist Jenny Adams.
Three-time Olympian and 2006 USA Outdoor runner-up Amy Acuff will compete in the women's high jump, and look for reigning USA Outdoor champion Jenn Stuczynski and 2006 USA Outdoor runner-up Jillian Schwartz in the pole vault. 2005 World Outdoor champion Tianna Madison will compete in the long jump along with 2006 national outdoor champion Rose Richmond.
Team USA Roster - 2006 Norwich Union International
(As of August 16 - Subject to Change)
Men
100m: Jordan Vaden, Kaaron Conwright
200m: Wallace Spearmon, Rodney Martin
400m: Darold Williamson, Jamel Ashley
800m: Khadevis Robinson, Nicholas Symmonds
1500m: Gabe Jennings, Christian Smith
3,000m: Bernard Lagat, Sean Graham
110m Hurdles: Ryan Wilson, Robby Hughes
400m hurdles: Kerron Clement, Bershawn Jackson
4x100m Relay Pool: Jordan Vaden, Kaaron Conwright, Kelly Willie, Brian Johnson, Dwight Phillips, Rodney Martin, John Woods
4x400m Relay Pool: Darold Williamson, Jamel Ashley, Kelly Willie, Mitch Potter, Matt Scherer
High Jump: Marcus Harris, Keith Moffatt
Pole Vault: Brad Walker, Toby Stevenson
Long Jump: Brian Johnson, Dwight Phillips
Triple Jump: Rafeeq Curry, Brandon Roulhac
Shot Put: Christian Cantwell, Reese Hoffa
Javelin Throw: Robert Minnitti, Barry Krames
Women
100m: Lauryn Williams, Torri Edwards
200m: Allyson Felix, Sanya Richards
400m: Dee Dee Trotter, Moushaumi Robinson
800m: Hazel Clark, Alice Schmidt
1500m: Treniere Clement, Lindsey Gallo
3,000m: Lauren Fleshman, Carrie Tollefson
100m Hurdles: Virginia Powell, Jenny Adams
400m Hurdles: Tanisha Mills, Dominique Darden
3,000m Steeplechase: Lisa Galaviz, Kristin Anderson
4x100m Relay: Antonette Carter, Stephanie Durst, Wyllesheia Myrick, Virginia Powell, Brianna Glenn, Connie Moore, Shana Cox, Tianna Madison, Torri Edwards
4x400m Relay Pool: Dee Dee Trotter, Moushaumi Robinson, Mary Danner, Shana Cox, Monique Henderson, Sanya Richards, Licretia Sibley, Dominique Darden, Connie Moore
High Jump: Amy Acuff, Kaylene Wagner
Pole Vault: Jennifer Stuczynski, Jillian Schwartz
Long Jump: Rose Richmond, Tianna Madison
Hammer Throw: Jessica Cosby, Erin Gilreath
Javelin Throw: Kayla Wilkinson, Dana Pounds
For more information on Team USA at the 2006 Norwich Challenge, visit www.usatf.org.
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