Sanders and U.S. Women's 4x100 Run World-Leading Race at IAAF World Junior Championships
Friday, July 13, 2012 | Track and Field
Incoming freshman Shayla Sanders (Lauderdale Lakes, Fla.) advanced as a member of the U.S. women's 4x100-meter relay on the fourth day of the 2012 IAAF World Junior Track & Field Championships at Montju?c Olympic Stadium.
Sanders, the Gatorade Florida Girls' Track and Field Athlete of the Year, ran the anchor leg of the race, crossing the finish in 43.95 to help the U.S. women win their heat and finish first overall to advance to Saturday's final at 3:35 p.m. ET.
The relay's time of 43.95 is the fastest in the world among juniors this year. The U.S. women's 4x100 has won the last four golds and 11 medals total (out of 13) in World Junior Championships history.
Rising sophomore Taylor Burke (Medina, Ohio) saw her title hopes come to an end, as she finished 16th overall in the women's high jump with a clear of 1.79m/5-10.50. Burke finishes her freshman campaign with the SEC Outdoor title in the women's high jump and an All-America honor at the 2012 NCAA Outdoor Championships.
Even more impressive is that Burke splits her time between the high jump and the pitch, starting in 18 matches on the soccer field as the Gators' goalkeeper last fall.
Joining Sanders in competition on Saturday is incoming freshman Arman Hall (Pembroke Pines, Fla.). Hall and the men's 4x100-meter relay finished first in their heat and finished fourth overall in 39.25 and advanced to Saturday's final at 3:50 p.m.
Hall and the U.S. men's 4x400-meter relay will race in heats at 1:35 p.m. ET on Saturday. Hall won silver in the men's 400 meters on Thursday, turning in the third-fastest time in the world this year with a personal-best 45.39.
Competition runs through Sunday, July 15. Montju?c Olympic Stadium in Barcelona was the site of the 1992 Olympic Games, where Team USA brought home 32 medals in track & field, the second-most in American history.
Live results and coverage of the World Junior Championships can be found at IAAF.org. UniversalSports.com will offer live broadcast coverage starting on Saturday, July 14 at 12:20 p.m., Eastern. Day five and six evening session coverage can be found on the site for $5.99. DirecTV and Dish Network subscribers can log on to the site and watch the broadcast for free.
Follow the World Juniors team and send your best wishes via Team USA's Facebook page.
For all of the latest information on Florida track and field, please log on to www.GatorZone.com/trackfield or, for up-to-the-minute updates, follow Florida track and field on Twitter at @GZTrackField or www.twitter.com/GZTrackField. You can also find the Gators on Facebook.
| 2012 IAAF WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS – JULY 10-15 – BARCELONA, SPAIN (ALL TIMES ET) | |||
| TIME | EVENT | ROUND | GATORS COMPETING |
| SATURDAY, JULY 14 – DAY FIVE | |||
| 1:35 p.m. | Men's 4x400-Meter Relay | Heats | Arman Hall |
| 3:35 p.m. | Women's 4x100-Meter Relay | Final | Shayla Sanders |
| 3:50 p.m. | Men's 4x100-Meter Relay | Final | Arman Hall |
| SUNDAY, JULY 15 – DAY SIX | |||
| 1:45 p.m. | Men's 4x400-Meter Relay | Final | Arman Hall |
| Gray Rows are Finals and are contingent upon advancing from Qualification/Relay Heats/Semi-Finals | |||
2012 Team USA at World Junior Championships – Gators by the Numbers (via USTFCCCA)
Most Squad Members by Hometown State
OHIO – 6 (Taylor Burke)
FLORIDA – 6 (Arman Hall, Robin Reynolds, Shayla Sanders)
CALIFORNIA – 5 (Ciarra Brewer)
Most Squad Members by College (leaders)
TEXAS A&M – 4
LSU / OREGON / STANFORD – 3
MISSISSIPPI STATE / FLORIDA / NOTRE DAME – 2
(34 of 80 on squad were in high school in 2012)
International Experience among U.S. Junior Squad Members
2011 World Youth Championships – Lille, France
Arman HALL – Medley Relay (GOLD), 400 (GOLD)
Robin REYNOLDS – Medley Relay (SILVER)
Ciarra BREWER – Triple Jump (7th)
2010 Youth Olympic Games -- Singapore
Robin REYNOLDS – 400 (GOLD), Sprint Medley (GOLD)
Collegiate Gems on World Stage
NCAA Champs and World Junior Champs in same year:
Kerron CLEMENT (Florida/USA), 400 meter hurdles, 2004
2012 NCAA Championships – Des Moines, Iowa (national top-eight)
(U.S. junior squad members finishing in national top-eight)
Ciarra BREWER (Florida) – Triple Jump (4th)
A Glance into the Future
Team USA – 2012 Olympians on Past World Junior Teams
2008 World Junior Championships – Bydgoszcz, Poland
Christian TAYLOR – Triple Jump
2004 World Junior Championships – Grosseto, Italy
Kerron CLEMENT – 400 Meter Hurdles
