KEVIN JENISON
GoSycamores.com
EUGENE, ORE. ? Sycamore freshman Kelly Steffen completed the first four events of the heptathlon while former Sycamores Erica Moore and Jordan Fife advanced in their respective events on the first day of the USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
Steffen is one of five Indiana State athletes who are competing in the USA Junior Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Shayne Cureton and Nigel Jolly will be competing in the long jump on Friday while Ray Skamay will compete in the first round of the 400 meter hurdles. Marcel Hamilton will compete in the triple jump on Saturday.
Major Clay is the only current Sycamore competing in the USA Senior Outdoor Track & Field Championships as he competes for the second straight year in the high jump. He will compete at 3:20 p.m. (ET) Sunday. Former Sycamores Moore and Fife will be joined by Kylie Hutson and ISU graduate student Juliane Masciana in the senior competition as Hutson competes in the pole vault Sunday and Masciana in the women's 3,000 meter steeplechase semifinals on Friday.
Steffen sits in 19th place with 2,631 points in her first national competition. The ISU freshman ran 15.46 in the 100 meter hurdles, tied her personal best by clearing 5'-3” (1.60 meters) in the high jump, had a toss of 28'-6” (8.69 meters) in the shot put, and closed out her opening day with a time of 27.52 in the 200 meters.
The final three events will be contested on Friday starting with the long jump at 12:40 p.m. (ET). The javelin throw will start at 1:55 p.m. (ET) with the final event, the 800 meters, set to start at 3:30 p.m. (ET).
Moore was in the same heat as Alysia Johnson Montano who won a bronze medal at the IAAF World Indoor Championships in the 800 meters and entered the USA Championships with the top American time (1:59.40). Johnson edged Moore by just six hundredths of a second (2:03.50 to 2:03.56). Phoebe Wright had the top time of the day at 2:03.42. The former Sycamore advances to run in the semifinals which will start at 8:00 p.m. (ET) Friday.
Moore competed in the 400 meter hurdles at the 2010 USA Outdoor Championships and finished 15th overall.
Fife competed in the men's 3,000 meter steeplechase semifinals Thursday and advanced to the finals with a time of 8:46.51. The former Sycamore is a six time qualifier for the USA Outdoor Championships in the 3,000 meter steeplechase and finished eighth in 2009. He holds the Indiana State record for the steeplechase and for the 1500 meters.
Masciana will run in the women's 3,000 meter steeplechase semifinals at 9:55 p.m. (ET) Friday while Hutson will compete in the women's pole vault at 3 p.m. (ET) Sunday.
