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TRACK & FIELD NEWS

Boys and Girls High School Sets Another National Record at the Penn Relays

On Friday, April 26th, the Boys and Girls High School Girls' 4x800-meter relay team showed the world once again that they are truly dominant. At the famous Penn Relays, Boys and Girls H.S., after winning the Championship of America distance medley a day earlier, set a national record in the 4x800-meter relay (8:51.60). Along with the national record, Boys and Girls H.S. also became the first NYC team to win this event at the Penn Relays since Brooklyn Tech in 1980. The win also ends the 16-year Jamaican winning streak in this event at the relays. Finishing second in the event was another NYC powerhouse, AP Randolph. Their second place time of 8:53.68 was still one of the fastest times in Penn Relays history.

Stacy Ann Livingston, the anchor of the Boys and Girls H.S. 4x800-meter relay, was named the 2002 "Athlete of the Meet" in her respective category-High School Girls' Athlete for Relay Events-at the Penn Relays. Livingston ran the 1,200-meter leadoff leg in Boys & Girls' victorious Distance Medley Relay along with her anchoring the Boys & Girls 4x800-meter relay to another Penn Relays Championship and a national record. Livingston's 1,200-meter split of 3:35.1 is the fourth fastest in Penn Relays history and the team's overall time of 11:49.34 ranks sixth all-time at Penn Relays. In addition, Livingston's 54.6 anchor leg for the 4x400-meter relay on Thursday, April 25th, was the fastest 400-meter split of the day.

Hastings Sets National High School 300m Record!

On Sunday, February 10th, Natasha Hastings of AP Randolph High School set the National 300m record of 37.77 seconds while competing at the Manhattan Borough Championships at the Armory Track and Field Center. The previous women's high school record of 37.86 seconds, held by Maicel Malone of North Central High School in Indiana, had stood for 16 years. After breaking the 300m record 16 years ago, Malone had an illustrious track and field career that included one Olympic gold medal (4x400m relay) in 1996 and two World Championship gold medals (4x400m relay and 400m) in 1993. There is no way of knowing whether Hastings will be able to replicate Malone's world renowned success, but if her record breaking performance at the Armory is any indication of what is to come, than she has definitely gotten off on the right foot.

NYAC ATHLETES SHINE AT USA CHAMPIONSHIPS!

An impressive contingent of athletes from the New York Athletic Club gave a convincing performance at the USA Track & Field Outdoor Championships held from June 21st to June 24th in Eugene, Oregon. Three NYAC athletes, Curt Clausen, Dawn Ellerbe and Kevin McMahon were victorious in their respective events. Clausen captured gold in the Men's 20 km Racewalk with a time of 1:24.50. This victory was the third USA Outdoor Championship for Clausen, a two-time Olympian.

Earning her sixth U.S. outdoor title and third consecutive championship in the Women's Hammer Throw with a throw of 226 feet, 8 inches, Dawn Ellerbe broke her own USA Championship record from 1999 (212'05'') and the Hayward Field record of France's Florence Ezeh (219'4''). The American record holder, Ellerbe, has now won six of the 10 U.S. women's championships ever contested, including six of the last seven. For her record setting performance, Ellerbe was named the Female Xerox Athlete of the Day on Friday, June 22nd.

Kevin McMahon, a two-time Olympian, became a two-time USA Outdoor Champion by winning the Men's Hammer Throw with a throw of 251 feet. The former Dartmouth Football star, McMahon, began competing in the Hammer Throw in 1990 and captured his first USA Championship in 1997.

Several other NYAC athletes gave impressive performances at the USA Championships.

Event	Name	Place	Time/Distance
Men’s Hammer Throw	Kevin McMahon	1^st	251 feet
Men’s Hammer Throw	Kevin Mannon	4^th	232 feet, 4 inches
Men’s 10,00 Meter	Chris Graff	8^th	29:32.61
Women’s Hammer Throw	Dawn Ellerbe	1^st	226 feet, 8 inches
Women’s Hammer Throw	Jessica Cross	4^th	206 feet, 11 inches
Men’s Shot Put	John Davis	3^rd	67 feet, 4 inches
Men’s 5,000 Meter	Peter Sherry	7^th	13:40.78
Men’s 20,000 Meter Racewalk	Curt Clausen	1^st	1:24:50
Men’s 20,000 Meter Racewalk	Tim Seaman	2^nd	1:26:15
Men’s 20,000 Meter Racewalk	Gary Morgan	10^th	1:44:02
Women’s 1,500 Meter	Kimberly McGreevy	10^th	4:17.77
Men’s 3,000 Meter Steeplechase	Clint Wells	4^th	8:25.73

Note: The top three finishers in each event qualify to compete at the World Championships in Edmonton, Canada from August 3^rd to August 12^th.

BOYS AND GIRLS HS SETS NATIONAL TRACK RECORD!

The Boys and Girls High School of Brooklyn girls' 4x800-meter relay team set a new National High School Record on Saturday, June 16th, at the Adidas High School Championships at NC State. Although they were able to finish first on the track, they nearly arrived too late to compete in the event. After a lengthy flight delay, the Kangaroos landed in Raleigh just in time for the girls to rush through their warm-ups for the 4x800-meter relay. Not phased by the situation, the girls dominated the event setting a new national high school record time of 8:51.60 and breaking the previous national record of 8:52.85 set by the same Boys and Girls HS team in April at the Penn Relays. Stacy Ann Livingston, the anchor of the girls' 4x800-relay team, finished the race by extending the lead to an impressive 35 meters. Livingston also prevailed in the Golden West High School individual 800-meter race last Saturday, June 9th, in Sacramento with the fastest time in the nation this season (2:07.41).

NYC PUBLIC SCHOOLS SHINE AT PENN RELAYS!

On April 26th and 27th the most highly regarded track meet in the country served as center stage to two PSAL schools that gained national recognition. The girls' teams from Boys and Girls High School and from AP Randolph High School accumulated 24 medals of the total 38 that were won by American teams in all of the high school relays. To add to their achievements, the schools combined for three New York State records and one national record. AP Randolph provided two state records in the 4x400-meter relay (3:39.90) and the 4x100-meter relay (46.16 seconds). Boys and Girls High School team set an American High School record in the 4x800-meter relay. Despite finishing second in the race a the Jamaican team, Boys and Girls H.S. registered an astounding time of 8:52.84 becoming the first American team to set the National Scholastic record.

RECORDS SET AT NATIONAL SCHOLASTIC CHAMPIONSHIPS IN NEW YORK

Held at the Armory Track & Field Center, the National Scholastic Indoor Championships is one of the premier meets for high school students in the country. During the weekend of March 9th, a number of high school records were broken on the Armory's renowned track. Angel Perkins of Gahr High School (Calif.) set new high school records in both the girls 400 (53.25 seconds) and 200 (23.59 seconds) meter events. Along with Perkins, Brendan Christian of Reagan High School (Texas) broke the boy's 200-meter record (21.02). In the field events, Samantha Shepard of Weston High (Mass.) set a U.S. high school girls pole vault record of 13 feet 3 inches.

ARMORY CONTINUES TO HOUSE RECORD-SETTING PERFORMANCES

On Tuesday, February 27th, the Armory Track and Field Center held the Eastern States High School Indoor Championships. As a number of meet records were broken throughout the evening, Campus Magnet, located in Queens (Cambria Heights), broke the New York State record in the 800 meter relay. In this race, Campus Magnet led throughout, posting a time of 1:28.05, erasing the state record of 1:28.34 they had set earlier this season. With the abundance of strong performances taking place at the 168th St. Armory Track and Field Center, the site continues to illustrate why it is considered by many to be "The Fastest Track in the World."

RUNYAN SHATTERS AMERICAN RECORD AT THE ARMORY!

Marla Runyan, member of the U.S. Track and Field team in Sydney, set an American indoor record on February 17th at the Armory Track and Field Center in Manhattan. The record came during a challenge race organized by the New York Road Runners Club in the 5,000 meters event, where Runyan turned in a time of 15 minutes 7.33 seconds. Runyan, who is also legally blind, finished eighth in the 1,500 in Sydney this past year. It was the best finish ever by an American woman in that particular event. She praised the excited Armory crowd of over 2,000 as a source of inspiration as they cheered her on as well as all of the other athletes competing.

HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR RUNS SUB-FOUR-MINUTE
MILE AT THE ARMORY!

On Saturday, January 20, Alan Webb of South Lakes High School in Reston, Va., became the first high school competitor to run a sub-four-minute mile indoors and only the fourth in history to break the elusive barrier. Webb, an 18-year-old senior, cruised around the Armory Track and Field Center in 3 minutes 59.86 seconds.

Marty Liquori, the last high school miler to break the barrier, ran 3:59.8 in 1967 at an outdoor meet during his senior year of high school. Jim Ryun's 3:55.3 is the fastest mile ever recorded by a high school athlete. Webb also shattered the national 1,500-meter mark on his way to his record- breaking performance in the mile. His 3:43.27 took 3.33 seconds off of the previous record set in 1976 by Thom Hunt.

Last Updated On: Friday, May 10, 2002



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