Four HBCU products punch their ticket for Athens
Thirty-seven-year-old Jearl Miles-Clark won the 800-meter dash and 34-year-old Tisha Waller captured the high jump title at the Olympic Trials in Sacramento and will join two others and Olympic coach George Williams as those with connections to historically black colleges on the 2004 Olympic Track and Field team.
Williams, head coach at St.
Augustine's, will coach Miles-Clark in her fourth
Olympic Games and her second in the 800 meters
after winning the 800 Monday in 1:59.06. The American record holder and
Alabama A&M alum is a two-time Olympic gold medalist in the
4x400m relay (1996, 2000), and a relay silver
medalist from 1992.
"I'm looking forward on going to Athens and representing the United States," she said. "I want to better my performance of 2000."
Waller left no doubt that she was in control, clearing all heights except her winning height of 1.98m/6-6 on her first attempt. After taking a year off to complete a master's degree at Clark Atlanta University, the kindergarten teacher from Georgia cleared 6-6 on her third attempt to capture her fifth U.S. title and second Olympic berth.
"It's a relief that this is over," she said. "I've worked very hard to get these results."
Tiombe Hurd, who has an MBA from Howard University, set a new American record in the triple jump with a leap of 14.45 meters. Hurd, who is legally blind, broke the eight-year-old record on her fourth attempt. The West Virginia native is the reigning U.S. Indoor champion. This will be her first trip to the Olympics.
"I cannot explain how good it feels the moment you find out you're an Olympian," said Hurd. "Being an Olympian and knowing I'm going to Athens is all I've been waiting for the last four years."
Hampton alum James Carter will make his second trip to the Olympic Games as the top US qualifier in the 400 meter hurdles at the trials.
Carter won his event with a time of 47.68 beating St. Aug's Bershawn Jackson, who entered the finals as the top qualifier. After leading for most of the event, Jackson stutter-stepped on the last two hurdles leaving an opening for Carter, who drove through the final hurdles into first place. Carter's time was the best in the world this year in the event.
Carter got off to a solid start only to see Louisiana State's Bennie Brazell catch him over the fifth hurdle, with 2000 Olympic champion Angelo Taylor and world junior champion Jackson right up there, too.
At the seventh hurdle, it seemed like anyone's race. Soon, though, Carter dug down deep. He surged ahead over the ninth hurdle, added to the lead over the 10th, and won going away.
In 2000, he had edged onto the team with a third-place finish in the trials. The 1999 MEAC champion finished fourth in the Sydney Games, just missing a medal.
"It means so much to make another Olympic Team," said Carter following the race. "(The) 2003 season was a horrible season altogether."
© 2004 Azeez Communications, Inc.