KEVIN JENISON
GoSycamores.com
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Two former Sycamores, a recent graduate, and two current members of the Indiana State track & field team will be in competition this week at the 2013 USATF Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Des Moines, Iowa.
Former Sycamores Kylie Hutson (pole vault) and Erica Moore (800 meters) will be competing along with recent graduate Felisha Johnson (shot put) in the women's competition. In addition, two current Sycamores will compete in the USATF Junior Outdoor Track & Field Championships which run at the same time as the senior championships including rising sophomores Kimyanna Rudolph (women's pole vault) and Derek Bunch (men's shot put).
Johnson is no stranger to high level competition and was recently selected to compete for Team USA in the shot put at the World University Games in Kazan, Russia this July. She posted her best finish in the shot put at the 2013 NCAA Outdoor Championships where she placed third. Johnson captured her first Missouri Valley Conference shot put title this year and followed that up by breaking her own school record in the event as she placed first at the NCAA East Preliminary with a heave of 59'-11¾” (18.27 meters).
As a rising senior in 2012, Johnson competed in the U.S. Olympic Trials and placed 13th just weeks after finishing fifth at the 2012 NCAA Championships. She has earned two First Team All-American honors in the shot put during her Indiana State career. Johnson is also a two-time First Team All-American in the indoor shot put after placing eighth at the 2013 NCAA Indoor Championships and seventh in 2012. She holds the Indiana State indoor record at 58'-4¾” (17.80 meters) set at the 2013 Indiana Relays.
Johnson enters the USATF competition with the third best distance of the season. Michelle Carter, a two-time Olympian with Team USA and a graduate of the University of Texas, has the best throw of 64'-5¾” (19.65 meters). She was sixth at the 2012 London Olympics. Recent Oklahoma graduate Tia Brooks, the 2013 NCAA Outdoor and Indoor Champion has the second best throw of the season at 63'-0¾” (19.22 meters).
Former Southern Illinois athlete Jeneva McCall is also entered along with SIU's Kim Fortney and Illinois State's Brittany Smith who was second at the 2013 NCAA Championships. Also in the field will be Purdue's Dani Bunch who was eighth at the 2013 NCAA Championships.
The shot put competition will start at 2 p.m. (ET) Saturday.
Rudolph is one of 13 athletes who will be competing in the Junior women's pole vault competition which will be held at 2:15 p.m. (ET) Friday. As a freshman, Rudolph cleared a collegiate best of 13'-5¼” (4.10 meters) at the Auburn Tiger Track Classic. She competed in the Women's Pole Vault Elite competition at the Sycamore Pole Vault Saturday and tied for fifth by clearing 12'-11½” (3.95 meters).
Bunch is one of 18 athletes who will compete in the Junior men's shot put which begins at 1:30 p.m. (ET) Thursday. The Sycamore has a personal best distance of 56'-10¼” (17.33 meters) that he accomplished at the Sea Ray Relays.
Former Sycamore Kylie Hutson, who won the 2011 USATF Outdoor Championship in the pole vault, tuned up for the 2013 Championships by winning the Sycamore Open Pole Vault Competition Saturday at Marks Field. Hutson cleared her outdoor personal best of 15'-5” (4.70 meters) on her final attempt to break the Marks Field record that she had set as a Sycamore senior in 2010 when she cleared 14'-3¼” (4.35 meters) at the Pacesetter Invitational.
Hutson, a two-time NCAA outdoor national champion while a member of the Indiana State Sycamores, ranks second heading into the 2013 Championships and is tied for sixth in the world. The former Sycamore cleared a personal indoor best of 15'-7” (4.75 meters) in finishing second at the 2013 USATF Indoor Championship.
She was eighth at the 2010 USA Outdoors before winning the 2011 title and finished seventh at the 2012 USA Olympic Trials.
Jennifer Suhr won the gold medal at the 2012 Olympic Games after silver in 2008 and is a four-time outdoor and six-time indoor champion. She leads the competitors after clearing a world record height of 16'-5½” (5.02 meters) at the USATF Indoor Championship. She has a 2013 outdoor season best of 15'-9” (4.80 meters).
The women's pole vault competition will begin at 2:30 p.m. (ET) Sunday.
Erica Moore is looking to make her mark in the 800 meters two years after finishing third in the event at the World Indoor Championship. The former Sycamore has a time of 2:00.05 entering the USATF Championships which is sixth fastest of those entered into the competition.
Five women have posted marks under two minutes this year including Alysia Montano (1:57.93), Brenda Martinez (1:58.18), Genna Gall (1:59.24), Phoebe Wright (1:59.72), and Maggie Vessey (1:59.98). Montano is a four-time USA Champion and has won the last three titles.
The first round of the women's 800 meters will run at 4:30 p.m. (ET) Thursday with the semifinals at 9:08 p.m. (ET) Friday and the finals at 4:04 p.m. (ET) Sunday.
Results: http://www.flashresults.com/
Television Schedule
2013 Outdoor USATF Championship Series
All broadcast times Eastern. Check local listings.
USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships
June 21 LIVE 8-10 p.m. on ESPN2
June 22 LIVE 4-5 p.m. on Universal Sports, LIVE 5-7 p.m. on NBC Sports Network
June 23 2-3 p.m. on Universal Sports, LIVE 3-4 p.m. on NBC Sports Network, LIVE 4-6 p.m. on NBC
USATF 36: Sanya Richards-Ross
June 21 7-7:30 p.m. on NBC Sports Network, 11:30 p.m.-midnight on NBC Sports Network
Webcast Schedule
USATF.TV Webcasting Schedule
2013 USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships and Junior Track & Field Championships
All times Eastern
June 19 – 1 p.m. to 7:20 p.m.
June 20th – 11 a.m. to 10:25 p.m.
June 21st – 11 a.m. to 10:35 p.m. (Only field events from 8-10 p.m.)
June 22nd - 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. (Only field events from 4-7 p.m.)
June 23rd – 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Only field events from 3-6 p.m.)
