|
Other Stories - U.S. Elite Community Involvement
U.S. Elite launched its Health and Wellness Program on Saturday June 26, 2010 at the Fitness & Wellness Day held at Woodstream Baptist Church. The event brought together many vendors who shared a plethora of information and tips about living a healthy lifestyle and taking care of one's health. The community was very involved in this event and took away some valuable information from this. We want to expend a big thank you to all the coordinators of the event for all their hard work in making this successful and also for inviting us. Help us promote Health and Wellness in your communities! To order your FREE T-shirt, go to the home page, click the volunteer link, complete the short form with your mailing information.
U.S. Elite successfully hosted its 2nd Annual Athletic Convention on June 5th at the PG Sports Complex in Landover, MD. High School and College Athletes, Parents and Coaches were invited to the event, Speakers at the event included Neema Conner - Compliance Director: UMES, Natalie McCarthur - Admissions Officer: BSU, Tiombe Hurd - Olympian: American Record Holder, Joe Burno - Master Athlete: American Master's Record Holder, and Marc Harrison - Cheyney University, who served as a brilliant host and represented the Liaison Program as a member coach. The Event was sponsored by: Chick-Fila and PG Suite Magazine.
2011 Caught in the Penn Relay Buzz
April 28-30, 2011 - The city of Philadelphia was buzzing once more with the sound of horns from traffic congestion and jay walking. Athletes from all over the world mixed in with local residents and university students scampered all around the city streets. But inside the Franklin Field an occasional calm followed by loud outbursts to end each race.
The collegiate competition was fierce as usual with the weather cooperating for the most part. Even though the last day of competition began with wind chills, the relay teams warmed up the track early with riveting performances. A little over 48 thousand spectators filled the stadium in their bright array of colors. Memorable performances came from colleges like Tennessee whose women last year desecrated the 4x1500m relay with their anchor leg Phoebe Wright who is now a new addition to team USA. However, under the leadership of the former Fort Valley State University coach Marlow Mincey, Georgetown was projected as the favorite entering into the event. This trajectory was upset by Boston College with a winning time of 17:25.19 with Georgetown following closely behind in 17:25.65. The 4x1500m relay has not been won by Boston since1975 so this was a great victory for them.
Another striking relay performance came from the College Women 4x200m Women Championship of America won by Texas A&M with a time of 1:29.32 which was their third champion title of the day. In addition, the ECAC top runner in the 4x200m was Morgan State University with a time of 1:36.53.
On the men’s side, LSU captured the first place title in the College Men 4x100m Championship of America in 38.77 barely missing the Penn Relays record 38.68. This time will record as the second fastest 4x100m in the history of the Penn Relays and LSU’s nineth victory in the event. The champions were presented their award by the legendary Carl Lewis.
In the high school section, the excitement was no less than it has been over the years. The High School Boys 4x100m Championship of America was as usual packed with teams from Jamaica. Wolmer’s Boys of Jamaica set the record in this event last year with a time of 39.78 and was back to defend their title. This time they were a hair shy of their own record but desecrated the field to regain their title with a time of 40.42; Monroe College and Camperdown High School also of Jamaica followed closely behind with 40.52 and 41.69 seconds, respectively.
As the events continued, Bill Cosby gave the spectators much to chuckle about in introducing and starting some of the races. While introducing the Philadelphia Area High School Boys 4x400m, he commented that it was one of the first races that the Jamaicans were not in. The spectators agreed with a loud applaud. As usual, the very organized Penn Relays came to a close before sun down, leaving spectators to maneuver themselves through the heavy flow of the crowd through the narrow tunnels; but to the spectators, “it’s all worth it.”
2011 Olympic Development (OD) News
April 29, 2011 Penn Relays: In Friday’s press conference, USA vs. the World, the first panel consisted of Kenia Sinclair (JA), Sanya Richards-Ross, Phoebe Wright and Alyson Felix (USA). This year will be an interesting showing with Phoebe Wright going head-to-head with Kenia Sinclair on the 800m leg of the sprint medley relay. Sinclair, who usually battles Hazel Clark will now contend with Phoebe who competed with University of Tennessee last year and one of their top athletes. Richard-Ross was back in full gear from her injury that she sustained last year at the Penn Relays. She maintained “I have no lingering feelings from my injuries from last year”, so she is ready to compete.
The men’s panel consisted of Walter Dix and Russel Brown from the USA and Jeff Riseley from Australia. There were no representatives for the rivals—Team Jamaica—because the athletes were in training. Usually, the panel would be composed mainly of sprinters but there was a twist this time around to include the distant runners because events like the DMR was usually overlooked, Chaz Dorman illuminated. In 2006, a relay team from Kenya set the record in the DMR, an event that the USA has never won at the Penn Relays. However, Australia was one to watch this year with Jeff Riseley, the world’s fastest man in the 1500m and Australia’s anchor leg.
In Saturday’s showing of the SMR in which Jamaica had won consecutive years prior to this, the fans did not seem skeptical about who would take the crown this time around. This was very evident in their applause from the introduction of the athlete line-up on the track. Jamaica started out with a clear lead and then the baton was handed off in first place to Kenia Sinclair, the anchor leg. Phoebe Wright seemed to be make up the distance early but couldn’t close the gap as Kenia opened up the field and gave a strong finish in a time of 3:34.64 barely missing the world record set at 3:34.56. Team USA Red finished second with 3: 37.81 followed by USA Blue with 3:43.17, Russia and Nigeria.
The OD Men 4x100m relay which was won by Jamaica last year with Usain Bolt anchoring the winning team created a buzz in the stadium because no one knew who the Jamaican team would be consisted of this year. However, applauses rang throughout the stadium when Asafa Powell, also a fan favorite, graced the track for the Jamaican team. Also, many spectators were surprised when Justin Gatlin appeared on the field, his first USA track and field showing since his four year ban for allegedly using performance enhancing substances. Justin who is usually an anchor leg ran the first leg of the relay for USA Blue (USA’s “B” Team). Walter Dix who had been focusing on the 100m over the last year was set to anchor the team. The race began with Gatlin out of the blocks very strong, but his team did not completely follow through, leaving the victory to the Jamaicans in 38.33 with USA Red following closely behind. The USA Red Team consisting of Shawn Crawford, Ivory Williams, Mike Rogers, and Darvis Patton contributed their loss to poor baton exchanges. The athletes all agreed that the selection process for the USA relay teams needed to change and hoped that the new CEO will make things better.
USA Red won the Men’s 4x400m in 3: 02.40 and proved to be much competition for the Bahamas, Grenada, USA Blue, and Jamaica who seemed to have been lost in the competition. Bershawn Jackson wh ran a 44.51 on the third leg extended the lead to Angelo Taylor for the win.
In the Women’s 4x100m, USA Red rained victorious with Lauryn Williams to lead off the team which broke the record set in this event in the year 2000 with a time of 42.28. The team consisted of Carmelita Jeter, Lauryn Williams, Alyson Felix and Marshavet Myers. According to Jeter, this was the team’s first time running together and exploring a new team dynamic that they think is working. Williams followed up by stating that “we all trusted each other to run a great leg.”
USA Red, like the Men’s team, also won the Women’s 4x400m in 3: 22.92 just missing the Penn Relays record ahead of USA Blue, Jamaica, and the World All Stars. This was another disappointing performance by the Jamaican team who made a valiant effort to close the gap in the race, but could not pervade over the two USA teams. Among the field participants were also Grenada and Canada.
Many spectators and coaches seemed to like the changes in Penn Relays Program this year, particularly the USA vs. the World events that were now spread out over numerous other events instead of being clustered together as in previous years. This allowed high school and collegiate athletes to display of their talents in front of a packed stadium that would have otherwise cleared out after the USA vs. the World events had been completed. For more information and complete results of the three days of competition, visit www.ThePennRelays.com.
Justin Gatlin’s Return to the Track in 2011
Each year at the Penn Relays, there is continuous media frenzy as reporters and photographers have a rare chance to interact closely with elite athletes from across the world. On Friday April 29, 2011, a host of reporters gathered in the press room not only to hear the Olympic Development athletes speak about their preparations and future endeavors, but anxious to hear the athletes thoughts about the return of Justin Gatlin to the track after being banned for four years of competition for allegedly using performance enhancement substances. Gatlin who had remained under the radar last year by competing abroad has been chosen to been to represent the USA at the Penn Relays this year. His race on Saturday will be his first in a USA jersey since 2006. Gatlin has earned many coveted track titles, the highest of which is the 2004 Olympic Gold Medalist in the 100m dash.
The USA Women team members who appeared fickled about why the reporters questioned them about Gatlin’s return were nevertheless very supportive of their teammate. The athletes shared the consensus that they are moving forward and staying positive. This reaction was no less than the than that of the men’s panel last year when Darvis Patton conceded that the press should stay away from dwelling on the negative aspects of the sports but to highlight the young talented athlete who are the future of track and field.
Marshevet Hooker exclaimed that it will be a humbling experience for Gatlin to run in front of such a large crowd. When the men’s panel was asked the same question about what they thought about Gatlin’s return, Asafa Powell of Jamaica stated, “He’s done his time. He’s just a competitor.” The panel which also included other members of the Jamaican 4x100m relay team, noted that Gatlin should be granted a fair chance in the sport as he has shown penitence and has continued to show that he still possess the skills to compete at a high level. The display of support for Gatlin by his peers, especially his teammates did not seem to be diplomatic but quite genuine.
In Saturday’s press conference, followed by the ODM 4x100m, Jill Geer, Chief Public Affairs Officer of USA Track & Field introduced Gatlin to the buzzing reporters to set the record straight. Geer announced that Gatlin was reinstated because he has a great chance of making the team. First to mention, Gatlin denounced any implication of guilt towards his prior banishment because of his character and upbringing. Gatlin—who after he was banned, tried his hands at football unsuccessfully—was asked if football was in any of his aspirations. In Gatlin’s response, he exclaimed that his love was for track and field and he was not pursuing football.
During the interview, Gatlin seemed very composed and at ease with the line of questioning and even displayed a little wit which created a wave of occasional laughter in the room. Gatlin reported that he was ready to come back to the sport of track and field and had been working very hard with his coach Brooks Johnson in Florida who he claimed was his greatest source of motivation. Gatlin had been careful not to let the “noise” distract or discourage him, or as he pronounced in his coach’s simple words “let your feet do the talking.” To verify Gatlin’s competitive ability that many had been questioning, he pointed out that in 2010 he ran the 100m in 10.04 against Yohan Blake of Jamaica and in 2011 he clocked 20.30 in the 200m. These performances, despite the fact that he was now older than most of his competitors, were confirmation of his ability.
Following the Penn Relays, Gatlin’s next showing will be in Ponce, Puerto Rico. As Gatlin confidently moves forward under the world’s microscope, he seems prepared to deal with the challenges ahead with respects to his career in track and field. Many will be watching his progress towards the 2012 Olympics and are equally anxious how the competition will fair with his new rival Usain Bolt.
2010 USA Oudoor Track and Field Championships: Athlete Spotlight
After a grueling track and field season, Keith Anderson qualified and participated in the 2010 USA Outdoor Championships held in Des Moines, IA where he competed with Olympian athletes such as Bershawn "Batman" Jackson in the 400 meter hurdle race. He also earned the coveted award as U.S. Elite's Most Valuable Athlete or 2010. Keith has represented the team since 2008-2009 track and field year, and has show phenomenal growth.
Penn Relays 2010: Usain Bolt Stole the Show
Approximately sixty thousand spectators flocked the Franklin Field Stadium for the Penn Relays Carnival on Saturday, April 24th to see the world’s greatest sprinter, Usain Bolt, compete. At a press conference on Friday, April 23rd, seven of the gold medal caliber athletes to compete on Saturday in the opening of the Visa Championship series, shared their own perspective on the Penn Relays. All the athletes expressed that they were excited about the meet. Kerron Stewart and Shelly-Ann Frazer of the Jamaican 4x100m team revealed that they are looking forward to the competition.
Sanya Richards a member of the USA 4x400m team told us that she was looking forward to competing but is had doubts, because she tweaked her quad during practice earlier. She also revealed that her favorite thing about the Penn Relays is the whoop…whoop, which she thinks is unique to this event.
When asked by the media how they can help the athletes promote the sport of track and field, Darvis Patton the veteran USA sprinter responded that the media should focus on the younger athletes and portray them in a more positive light. This comes after another USA track and field athlete La Shawn Merritt has been recently suspended after he admitted to using DHEA for performance enhancement. This is another blow for track and field, after athletes have been trying to bounce back from the negative image of track and field left by other veteran athletes like Marion Jones, Tim Montgomery and others.
This did not stop the track and field fans, who showed up to a sold out Franklin Field on Saturday to see the USA vs. the World competition, or as many would say “USA vs. Jamaica”. As usual, the Jamaican supporters turned out in numbers, in their bright array of Jamaican colors. Among the events that the Olympic Development athletes competed in, the men’s 4x100m was the most memorable. The Jamaicans for the first time had two teams in the event: Jamaica Black and Jamaica Gold. Once Usain Bolt was introduced as the anchor for his team, the crowd could not be contained. The officials had to quiet the crowd in order to begin the race. The Gold team consisting of Marvin Anderson, Yohan Blake, Mario Forsythe, and Usain Bolt, put on a riveting performance breaking the previous record of 37.92 seconds to set a new Penn Relays record of 37.90 seconds with a noticeable lead. The USA Blue and Red teams clocked a time of 38.33 and 38.50 seconds, respectively.
Bolt applauded his teammates for bringing the baton in with a lead and for making it an easy run for him. He also credited his coach Glen Mills, who he said prepared the team thoroughly for the event. The other Jamaican prodigy, Asafa Powell, was not in attendance because of a toe injury.
The USA women’s team dominated the sprint relays by winning both the 4x100m and the 4x400m relays. Jill Geer, who was present at Friday’s press conference, announced USATF’s new contract with Nike, which extends their sponsorship to 2016.
The track and field momentum will take Sanya Richards and Tyson Gaye to Jamaica for the Jamaica Invitational, May 1, 2010 at the Jamaica National Stadium. Other upcoming sold out track and field events are the Adidas Grand Prix at the Icahn Stadium, NY June 12, 2010 and the Prefontaine Classics in Eugene, OR July 3, 2010.
Even though the Olympic development athletes stole the spotlight, the high school and college athletes competed fiercely as well. There were quite a number of high school and college records that were broken. The Wolmer’s High School Boys set a new Penn Relays record in the Championship of America 4x100m relay. In the college section, the Tennessee women’s team put on an outstanding performance in all three distant relays. The stand out on their team was Phoebe Wright.
2009 USATF National Club Championships, Randall’s Island, NY – July 10-11, 2009
After two days of several rounds and hot sticky weather, the competition finally came to an end. The U.S. Elite women placed 7th and the men placed 15th overall at the 2009 USATF National Club Track and Field Championships. Keishia Thorpe was the Most Valuable Athlete for the team at this event as she survived three rounds of the 200m dash with a qualifying time of 24.97 seconds and then missed the medal spot by one place in the finals. She also competed in the 400m hurdles (1:00 secs., 2nd) and ran a leg of the 4x100m and the 4x400m relays over the weekend. The team did a splendid job by medaling in all the relays and dominating the sprint medley relay as they have in previous years. There was great competition by the Southwest Sprinters and the Norfolk Real Deal as they took a large team of sprinters that showed out in all the sprint events. U.S. Elite also has a strong sprint team, however we were outdone by there numbers. Tammy King-Foster was a great addition to our team this year and one of our best long distance runners the team ever had. She showed great fortitude and team spirit as she competed aggressively and put some points on the board for the team in the 800m (2:10.52 secs.) and on the final day she ran the 800m leg of the sprint medley relay (SMR). U.S. Elite holds the meet record in the 800m since 2007 and Tammy did her best to redeem a close spot by medaling among the top three.
Keith Anderson who was named U.S. Elite’s Most Improved Athlete of the year held on to his seeded spot in the 400m hurdle final placing second with a time of 53.37 seconds behind Jerome Miller of the Southwest Sprinters. New comers Maurisa Williams and Andria Smallwood along with veteran members Treisha Thorpe and LaTrica Dendy were a great asset to the relay teams that competed fiercely this weekend. Other team participants included Godson Akinnawo, Rannon Harris, Dominic Berger, Brittany OgunMokun, and Keya Willis.
U.S. Elite still remains the number one Elite Olympic Development Club to represent Maryland under the Potomac Valley Association. The athletes are one of a kind and always strive to represent the club well. Among the accolades mentioned earlier, Keya Willis was awarded Most Improved Female Athlete and Adam Grossman (who was not able to participate due to injuries) was awarded Most Valuable Male Athlete for the 2008-2009 track year. According to Treisha Thorpe, President of the organization – the team did a fantastic job. The organization is looking forward to increasing the athlete membership pool and to continue providing an avenue for athletes to come together in realize their common goals while preparing for elite competitions. Now that the season is on shut down mode for the athletes, the managing staff plans to create a retention strategy and start preparations for the next season which is fast approaching.
U.S. Elite Tradition: The Penn Relays Report
On April 23-25, 2009, it was time again for the annual historic meet, the Penn Relays. It has become a tradition for U.S. Elite to participate at this event, and this year the club was present with a women's 4x100m and 4x400m relay teams and two individual male athletes.
The relay teams competed on Friday in the Olympic Development Women's (ODW) section. The women's 4x100m relay team (Keya Willis, Sirdonea Davis, Treisha Thorpe and Keishia Thorpe) placed third (47.94) behind long time rival The Executives Track Club who placed second and the New Horizon Track Club who stole the championship title.
Later that afternoon, the U.S. Elite women were back on the track for the 4x400m relay which consisted of the Thorpe sisters and Davis who ran earlier that day on the on the 4x100m relay and added Tammy King-Foster to complete the relay team. They were determined to take the title from the Executives who took first place last year. The women gave a very competitive performance, however, in the same exact order as the WOD 4x100m relay event, the teams placed in the same position with U.S. Elite taking the bronze medal in a time of 3:48.
On Saturday, Keith Anderson, former Morgan State University standout competed for the first time in the Olympic Development Men's (ODM) 400m hurdles placing 4th overall with a time of 54.69. Rondrick Parker also placed 7th in the ODM 100m dash with a time of 10.71 among some great elite athletes. The team represented well at the games this year and is looking forward to entering both the men and women relay teams next year as the 2010 Penn Relays countdown starts.
U.S. Elite's track season is not over by a long stretch, since the athletes will continue to compete and prepare for the USATF East Club Regional Championships (date TBA) and the USATF National Club Championships which will be held at the Icahn Stadium (Randall’s Island, NY) on July 10-11, 2009. Some of the athletes will also be vying to qualify for the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships on June 25-28 in Eugene, Oregon. As a young team, U.S. Elite has had many successes including breaking different meet records along the coast. Being the team president and a current athlete, Treisha Thorpe continuously strive to improve developmental athlete support and educate potential members about competing as an Olympic Developmental athlete.
Summer 2008 News
After being a very successful track and field season, Chris Lawson made the potential 200m list for the 2008 Olympic Trials. Unfortunately Lawson did not make cut, but it was pretty close. Still feeling the urge to continue his competitive streak, Lawson took the opportunity to compete abroad where he teamed up with Justin Byron, one of the team's better 400m runner.
Report from one of the Europe Meets: Italian sprinter Fabio Cerutti, European indoor finalist in the 60m in Birmingham, sprinted to a new 100 meters PB with 10.25 improving his previous lifetime best by 0.03 seconds. The young Italian sprinter, a European under 23 fourth placer in Debrecen last year, beat Chris Lawson from the USA (10.31) and Ricardo Chambers from Jamaica (10.35). For more results, visit this site: http://www.iaaf.org/news/kind=100/newsid=45690.html.
USATF National Championship, Olathe, KS, July 18-19, 2008: U.S. Elite Broke Another National Record
Ayanna posted a record breaking performance at the National Championships in the Long Jump and took first place in the event. Yetsa placed third in both the triple jump and long jump, Keishia Thorpe placed second in the 400mIH and 5th in the 400m dash and Treisha Thorpe placed 10th in both the 400m and 200m dashes (her effort was commended for competing with her injury). These five athletes placed the women’s team 6th overall, which was a great achievement. Byron Gibson was the only male representing the team and he placed 7th in the 100m dash. Even though the meet was very competitive, with great caliber athletes who posted great season times, the meet times were slower than expected. The Olathe District Activities Center facility was very accommodating along with the USATF officials who ran the meet smoothly. Despite the hot, windy and gloomy weather, everyone did their best and represented well.
The team is looking forward to the next Regional and National Championships to prove they are the best Elite team around. According to the President, the team is usually outdone by the numbers on other teams, not performances, because they have one of the best sprint team around.
USATF East Regional Championships, July 5, 2008, Kinderhook, NY
The team competed fiercely as the women placed second with only five athletes and the men placed fourth overall. It was no surprise that U.S. Elite dominated the relays and majority of the athletes took first place in their individual events. Most of the athletes stepped out of their box and scored points for the team in events that they were not use to competing in (Kira Sims – long jump, shot put and high jump, SMR 200m; Yetsa Tuakli-Worsornu – high jump and 4x100m relay; LaTisha Moulds – long jump; Ronnie Beard – long jump).
It was a busy and fun day for all the athletes as they ran back to back events. Keishia ran the winning 800m on the sprint medley after placing third and then second in the 400m dash and 400mIH respectively and also running a leg of the 4x100m relay which was the first sprint event of the day. Kira, USATF Indoor National Qualifier and participant, also 2008 regional champion in the pole vault, ran 200m longer than the PV runway to help the SMR team post their victory. Treisha showed her enduring strength competing on the 4x100m and the SMR relays and also placed second in the 400m dash and seventh in the 200m dash. LaTisha placed second in both the 100m and 200m dashes after competing as the lead off leg on the winning 4x200m relay. Yetsa racked up points for the team after placing first in the women’s long and triple jump events.
The men ran away from the pack in their first winning track event, the 4x100m relay with Adam Grossman, Ronnie Beard, Andrew Peresta and Byron Gibson. This set the stage for how the rest of the day went. Byron Gibson place first in both the 100 and 200m dashes, Adam placed third in the 100m dash, Uri Robinson placed first in the 400m dash, Ronnie placed second in the 110mHH and Andrew placed first and second in the 110mHH and 400mH, respectively.
It was a really good day even though the weather presented intermittent sprinkles. There was a good number of teams represented at the meet. Greater Boston Track Club took the women’s title and Connquest Track Club took the men’s title. Next year U.S. Elite plans to take the women’s crown from Greater Boston and journey on a quest to put their men in the top spot. The President remarked that U.S. Elite has been trailing behind at the championships and it is time to break the winning streak of the other teams. For more results, visit the site at http://www.finishright.com/OUTDOOR/OUT%2008/EASTREG08.htm
April 24-26, 2008 - University of Pennsylvania: U.S. Elite excels @ Penn Relays
Team US Elite continued their wonderful progress towards becoming the number one USATF track and field club and solidifies their hold as the number two sprint club by collecting three silver medals and a bronze at the historical Penn Relays. The team competed in the Olympic Development section on Friday April 25.
The men’s 4x100m relay team set a team record in taking the silver in an impressive mark of 40.30. The team of Rondrick Parker (Savannah, GA - USA), Tanko Braimah (Raleigh, NC – Ghana), DeRico Tilley (Mobile, AL – USA) and Bryon Gibson (Atlanta, GA – USA) was forced into 2nd by a championship record run of 39.82.
The woman’s 4x100m relay teams were just as impressive considering that it’s the first time the teams were running together. The “A” team of LaTisha Moulds (Baltimore, MD – USA), Nico White (Bowie, MD – USA), Keishia Thorpe (Atlanta, GA – USA) and Ayanna Alexander (Baton Rouge, LA – Trinidad) collected their silver medal with a 46.47 mark. The “B” team placed 4th with a time of 48.02. This team included LaTricia Dendy, LeKisha Barnaby (Fort Washington, MD – USA), Treisha Thorpe and Yetsa Tuakli-Wosornu (Columbia, MD – Nigeria).
The women’s 4x400m relay also set a team record in picking up the silver medal in the event. The team of Keishia Thorpe(54.14), Ayanna Alexander (55.9) (first time running the 400m in about 5 years), Treisha Thorpe (57.1) (Largo, MD – USA) and LaTricia Dendy (59) (New York, NY – USA) set the mark of 3:47.22.
The men’s 4x400m team has their trials leading up the race (including losing a leg 15 minutes before the start) but still performance to expectations. The team of Keith McMillian (Boulder, CO – USA), Justin Bryon (Baltimore, MD – USA), Kemar Brown (Langley Park, MD – JAM) and Andrew Peresta (Hampton, VA – USA) placed 3rd with a mark of 3:15.45. On the final day Andrew Peresta placed 5th in the OD men’s 400m hurdles with a time of 51.53.
The team will compete next at the University of Delaware on May 3rd, 2008, then at the New Balance Open at the Icahn Stadium on May 10th.
April 19, 2008 - Int'l Friendship and Freedom Games, North Carolina A&T University
Potomac Valley Assoc. Leading Elite Track & Field Club:U.S. Elite Broke Meet Record at the International Friendship & Freedom Games
The International Friendship & Freedom Games, hosted by Durham Striders was held at the NC A&T State University in Greensboro, NC this past weekend, April 18-19, 2008. The meet participants competing were nowhere close to being shy of star athletes. U.S. Elite was among the stars and made their shine in the men’s 4x200m relay Friday evening by shattering the meet record with a time of 1:25.88. The relay team consisted of DeRico Tilley, Tanko Braimah, Byron Gibson and Keith McMillian.
Early into the second day, the team was motivated and ready to compete with the “best of the best”. Ayanna Alexander showed the fortitude of a strong competitor as she ran a personal best in the 100m dash with a time of 11.97, anchored the team’s women 4x100m relay and later dominated the Triple Jump (13.17m) placing first overall. Alexander’s teammate Yetsa Tuakli-Wosornu also competed in the 100m dash and the triple jump.
The men competed fiercely in the 100m dash with the likes of top Collegians, top USA athletes and Olympians, which included Jason Smoots, John Capel, Calesio Newman and others. Tilley, Braimah, Gibson and Parker teamed up again to run the men’s 4x100m relay, after they all ran superbly in the 100m dash posting season best times. The men’s 4x400m relay team was a hair shy of taking the bragging rights in this event as they finished close behind USA Red (3:11.01) with a time of 3:11.48. This very energetic race was executed by Keith McMillan, Bryan Steele, Kemar Brown and Andrew Peresta.
Notable mention this week goes to Keishia Thorpe (400m hurdler) who ran her PR in the 200m dash (24.92) and Tanko “Iron Man” Braimah who ran the 200m dash in 21.04. President Treisha Thorpe remarked, “the performances and dedication I witnessed from my athletes this past weekend encourages and motivates me to work harder for them. The members of the men's team were named athlete of the week for their outstanding performances, cohesiveness and for displaying great sportsmanship”. To see more results from the meet and how well the team performed, please visit NCAT Aggies . The team would like to thank Coach James Daniel of NCAT for the meet invitation and the wonderful hospitality.
U.S. Elite’s next showing will be at the Penn Relays, which will be held at the University of Pennsylvania this upcoming weekend April 24-26. The team will be represented by the men and women 4x100m and 4x400m relays teams in the Olympic Development (OD) section. Parker and Peresta are also scheduled to compete in the 100m dash and in the 400m hurdles, respectively. To find out more about the team, please visit www.uselite.org or contact us at www.uselitetrack@uselite.org.
March 29, 2008 - Univ. Of Maryland, College Park MD
U.S. Elite Dominated Jump Events at UMD Invitational
U.S. Elite (North) had their first outdoor team showing at the University of Maryland Invitational meet this past weekend. Rob Ludwig started the day off as the first team competitor in the men’s pole vault placing first with a cleared height of 15 feet. Yetsa Tuaklli-Wosornu followed suit in the women’s long jump event. This was a very great opening for Yetsa as this was her first meet for the 2008 season. Ayanna Alexander placed first in the triple jump event later, after sprinting her way to third place in the 100m dash finals with a time of 12.16 seconds.
Other competitors for U.S. Elite included Treisha Thorpe – 100m, 200m; Kemar Brown – 400mh and LaTricia Dendy – 400m, 400mh. The team showed great fortitude and supported each other along with other non-competing team-mates. The overall performance by the team was very successful despite the cold weather. Down South (U.S. Elite South) at the Georgia Tech. Invitational meet, Keishia Thorpe posted an opening season time of 56.8 a close margin from where she left off indoor. She is one of the team’s most improved athletes that should help the team greatly throughout the outdoor season.
Another great accomplishment for the team this past weekend was the remarkable time posted by the men’s 4x100m team at the Raleigh Relays. Despite the fact that the team had to compete in the rainy and cold weather, DeRico Tilley, Tanko Braimah, Adam Grossman and Byron Gibson managed to set a new record for U.S. Elite at 40.78 seconds. The team (North meets South) will be competing at the Freedom Games on April 19, 2008 hosted by NC A&T University; and the Penn Relays - University of Pennsylvania, PA on April 26-28, 2008. Please continue to visit the team’s website at www.uselite.org for updated meet information and reports.
Chick-Fil-A Meet, UNC, Chapel Hill, February 16, 2008: U.S. Elite had great showing down South: Parker and Thorpe Named Athlete of the Week
National Indoor qualifier Rondrick Parker showed he is good for the upcoming AT&T Indoor Championships by winning the 60m dash in 6.75 sec. at the Carolina Chick-Fil-A meet in Chapel Hill, NC. Parker speed to another win over a field that included U.S. Elite teammates and previous National qualifiers Bryon Gibson and DeRico Tilley to bring his total to three for the season. Gibson and Tilley produced their season's best mark in the 60m dash to signal a great readiness for the spring track and field season.
Keishia Thorpe made the long trek and it was well worth it as, she won the 400m dash in a season and personal best time of 56.60 sec. Thorpe also placed 2nd in the 200m dash in a seasonal best of 25.06 secs. Treisha Thorpe placed 6th in the 400m dash. LeKeisha Barnaby quietly made a nice return to the track and is looking good for the spring season after making another final in the 60m dash. LaTisha Moulds participated in the 60m and 200m dash posting her seasonal best times. Rodney A. Strong was also among the competitors making his showing for the team in the long jump.
Bucknell Invite, Lewisburg, January 9, 2008
USATF National Championship, Icahn stadium, July 13-14, 2007
Two years ago hungry for a good club to compete with and tired of the politics of the old boy's network, twins Central Missouri State All-American Treisha Thorpe and former Howard University standout Keisha Thorpe started the U.S. Elite International Track and Field Club. Primarily a women's club the first year (2005) – this year saw a huge increase in male membership. On Saturday, July 14th, 2007 – the twin's dreams came full circle as their club won three National club crowns including both men and women sprint medley relays and the women's 800m run, all in a national club championship record time. Most of the athletes are from Maryland, but includes elite athletes from Texas, New York, Alabama and Louisiana.
The winning started on day one as former LSU All-American and Grenadian national champion Neisha Bernard-Thomas won the 800m run in the new meet record (2:03.94). Former Maryland State Champion and Maryland Eastern Shore standout Ronnie Beard (14.45) and former Maryland State champion and Crimson Tide standout Byron Gibson (14.45) qualified for the 110m hurdle finals and former Texas Tech. All American and Bahamas National 200m Champion Michael Mathieu qualified for the finals (20.84). Co-founder Keishia fighting through pain and suffering, achieved a personal best (56.84) and (25.2) in the 400m and 200m dash respectively, and just missed a point in one of the events.
On day two, former Howard standout Tilita Lutterloh collected a bronze medal in the triple jump, which bettered the previous meet record. Gibson (14.34) and Beard (14.39) placed 5th and 6th respectively in the men's 110m hurdles final. Mathieu collected a silver medal in the 200m dash final in 20.99.
The relays showed the Elite's true strength – the team. The men's 4x100m team comprised of South Alabama 100m and 200m school record holder DeRico Tilley, former Long Island University champion Jeremy Bascom, Northeast Conference and UMBC champion Adam Grossman and Bryon Gibson. They lost at the line to the pre-favorite Executive Track Club (40.57 to 40.61). It's the closest anyone have come to defeating the sprint powerhouse in recent years whose team included the 1st and 2nd place winners in the 100m dash finals.
The sprint medley (200 – 100 – 100 – 400) was not even close as U.S. Elites dominated both the men and women's race. First the women's team of Keishia Thorpe, Latisha Moulds, Treisha Thorpe and Neisha Bernard-Thomas left the competition in the dust create from Harlem River breeze to win by over three second (1:44.53). On the men's side, the race was over at the gun as Michael Mathieu fresh off his silver medal performance in the 200m dash put the team in the lead for good and DeRico Tilley and Adam Grossman extended the lead to give Andrew Peresta a smooth and efficient run to the gold medal taking down teams - runner-up champion Shore AC and the Executive Track Club. K. Thorpe finished 5th in the 400m hurdles (1:02.14).
Overall the women's team with five (5) athletes finished 8th with 30 points and the men's team with 10 athletes finished 7th with 39 points.
USATF East Regionals, Albany, NY, July 7, 2007
U.S. Elite's men and women both placed third at the championships after dominating the relays.
April 26-28, 2007 - Penn Relays, University of Pennsylvania
The team made their male team Penn Relay debut. The women placed 3rd in the OD 4x100m and men also placed 3rd in the club section. DeRico Tilley placed 5th in the OD men's 100m dash with a time of 10.80
Morgan State Invitational, April 20, 2007
Lou Onesty Invitational, April, 2007 Bucknell Open, February, 2007
Akron Invitational, February 3, 2007
U.S. Elite took three athletes to compete at htis meet. This included Treisha Thorpe, Keishia Thorpe and Kira Sims. Kira had a ground breaking performance at this meet qualifying her for the 2007 USA Indoor Championships which will be held in Boston, MA later this month. Teaming up with her past college coach, Kira was able to jump an outstanding 13"6' placing first at the meet and meeting her goal of qualifying for championships. Another great performance came from Keishia, who ran her personal best time in the 400m dash and placed third overall at the meet. Later Keishia competed in the 200m dash and clocked another personal best of 25.66. She was named U.S. Elite's Athlete of the week. Teammate Treisha also competed in the 400m dash with a time of 58.79.
Penn State Invitational, January 20, 2007
The team was represented by Treisha Thorpe and Keishia Thorpe who both competed in the 60m dash with a time of 8.19 and 8.09 respectively and 57.59 and 57.48 in the 400m dash. They both ran a strong race, placing 1st and 2nd in their 400m heat.
Maryland Invitational, January 20, 2006
Kira Sims was the only athlete from our team to participate in this meet. She went particularly to concentrate on making a good mark in the pole vault competition. She finished the day with a mark of 12'08".
UMES Coach O Invitational, January 6, 2007
This meet was a season opener for the team as a whole. There were 5 athletes that represented the team at this meet, namely, Treisha Thorpe, Kira Sims, Keishia Thorpe, Erin Curtis and Tara Witmer. The team coach Fitzroy Francis was also there helping the athlete prepare for their events. Kira and Erin started the day off by participating in the first field event - pole vault, placing first and fourth overall with a vault of 3.81m and 3.30m respectively. Later Keishia and Treisha competed in the 60m dash posting times 8.06 and 8.31 respectively, and later the 400m with times 58.29 and 59.23 in the same order with teammate Tara posting 1:02.57. Tara also ran the 60mh in 10.44.
USATF East Regional Championships, July 1, 2006
The 2006 USATF East Regional Championships was held at the University at Albany in Albany, New York. The U.S. Elite team joined over 15 other teams and unattached athletes for an exciting and competitive day. The U.S. Elite team participated with nine (9) team members who led the team to an astounding finish, walking away with 2nd place overall behind Greater Boston.
The Thorpe sisters started out the day well, both scoring in the field events along with Jessica DeFrietas and Kira Simms. Throughout the day, the girls were piling up on medals. The team’s goal was to walk away with the first place title, but Greater Boston posed a great challenge as they had more bodies to move around in every event. Even though Greater Boston was far ahead in points, this did not deter the U.S. Elite team from socializing with them in great spirits.
One of the most memorable performances of the day was the 4x400m relay. U.S. Elite’s athlete, Keishia Thorpe, who did not train or compete all season because of a knee injury, stepped up courageously and ran a leg of the 4x400m with pure heart. She brought in the baton in from two places behind, helping the team to take home the gold medal for this event. All the athletes who competed did an outstanding job and they all left the meet with at least one medal. Jessica DeFrietas was MVP for the team, as she walked away with 5 medals, three of which were from her individual events. Tara competed in the steeplechase for the first time and did a great job scoring for the team. For more information on team results and individual performances please visit http://www.usatfadir.org.
Penn Relays Fever, April 26-28, 2006
The U.S. Elite Int’l Track and Field Club participated at Penn Relays, one of the biggest track and field events in the U.S. The weather was great all weekend and there was also a record breaking attendance for the Penn Relays. U.S. Elite competed in the Olympic Development 4x400m relay and came in second place behind the Executives, who had on their team a former Olympian, Inez Turner. The U.S. Elite team hit a personal best of 3:49 consisting of Treisha Thorpe, Julia Stephens, Maria Ferguson, and Tara Witmer. U.S. Elite plans to return to the Penn Relays in 2007 to sweep both the 4x100m and the 4x400m relays.
University Of Virginia, April 15, 2006
The team was represented by four of our athletes. We entered into the 4x100m relay and got 7th place overall with a time of 47.86. Maria Ferguson gave an astounding performance as she ran two of her personal best today in the 100m dash - 11.75 placing first overall and the 200m dash - 24.38. Treisha Thorpe competed also in the 100m with Eboni Reavis running a time of 12.66 and 12.5 respectively. Later we entered in the 4x400m placing sixth with a time of 3.54 which wasn't bad for our first relay of the season.
George Mason Last Chance, February 26, 2006
U.S. Elite participated in their last meet for the indoor season at George Mason University. To start off the day, Jessica DeFreitas and Maria Ferguson made the finals in the 55m dash running 7.04 and 7.15 respectively. The both competed in the finals with Ferguson running 7.04 with DeFreitas close behind with 7.16.
Later Treisha Thorpe competed in the 400m dash placing fourth (4th) overall with a time of 57.23 seconds. She also competed in the 200m dash with team-mate Ferguson. Their times were 25.86 and 25.1 respectively.
DeFreitas also place first (1st) in the women triple jump with an outstanding mark of 5.97m (20ft), which will qualify her for an open entry at the 2006 Penn Relays. Due to some constraints, DeFreitas was not able to complete her jumps in the women triple jump and withdrew from the event.
Bucknell University, February 11, 2006
U.S. Elite team gave a strong, outstanding performance at this weekend's meet in Lewisburg, PA. Representing the team were: Jessica DeFreitas, Maria Ferguson and Treisha Thorpe. Ferguson gave a phenomenal ground breaking performance shattering two of her indoor personal records. In the heats of the 55m dash she ran 7.03 seconds which qualified her for the finals - in which she ran 6.99 placing her second in the event. Ferguson also gave a great performance later that day in the 200m dash placing third overall with 24.98 seconds.
Other great performances came from Jessica Defreitas who finished second in both the long jump (6.13m) and the triple jump (11.70m). This has been DeFreitas' best distance in the long jump this indoor season. She admitted to her teammates that with a little more commitment to training she hopes to reach her goal of 6.20m before the indoor season ends. DeFreitas also placed third (3rd) behind teammate Ferguson in the 55m dash with a time of 7.05 - a personal best for her in this event.
Treisha Thorpe placed fourth (4th) overall in the 400m dash with 58.58 seconds and 25.90 seconds in the 200m dash placing tenth (10th) overall. The team effort at this meet was striking and definitely recognized by the spectators. In addition, Bucknell University's staff were very good hosts.
Terrapin Invitational, February 2006
The Terrapin Invitational was hosted by the University of Maryland and was held at the Prince George's County Sports Complex in Landover, MD. U.S. Elite was represented by Treisha Thorpe and Jessica DeFreitas. Thorpe competed in the 400m dash running 58.8 placing seventh (7th) overall and ran the 55m dash in 8.16.
DeFreitas finished first in both the women long and triple jumps. She was named athlete of the month of January for her outstanding performance.
UMES Lid Lifter, December 10, 2005
U.S. Elite came back for their second meet of the indoor track season. With only four women competing against a field that included University of Maryland College Park, Bowie State University, Morgan State, Maryland Eastern Shore, and numerous track clubs, the ladies took a fifth place team finish overall with a total of 24 points.
Jessica Defreitas started the day with a first place finish in the women’s long jump jumping 6.01 meters. DeFreitas also ran the 60 meter dash qualifying for the finals, but she didn’t compete in the finals. Deborah Meadows finished 6th in the 500 meter dash with a time of 1:21.16.
Treisha Thorpe and Eboni Reavis finished 8th and 12th in the 200 meter dash posting times of 26.17 and 26.53. Thorpe just missed a win in the 400 meter taking second with a time of 58.29 behind Morgan State’s Mariama Gondo who ran 57.82.
For the final event of the day, the women’s 4x400 meter relay, the ladies of U.S. Elite had Reavis run a strong first leg handing off to Meadows followed by Thorpe. An unattached runner, Kori Barrett, finished off the relay. The team finished 7th overall with a time of 4:13.29.
Home Page
|
