Strong Collegiate Presence on Team USA Roster for World Juniors

NEW ORLEANS – The Team USA roster for the IAAF World Junior Championships from July 22-27 in Eugene, Ore., was announced Wednesday by the USATF, with collegians figuring very prominently among its ranks.

A total of 46 collegians – evenly split at 23 men and 23 women – from the 2014 season will compete against the world’s best athletes between the ages of 16 and 19 either in individual events and/or in the pools for the 4×100 and 4×400 relays.

Collegians account for more than half of the 89-person roster that also includes many of the nation’s top high school student-athletes: collegiate track & field’s potential future stars.

Kendall Baisden of Texas, Shamier Little of Texas A&M, and Kendell Williams of Georgia are all returning for their second trip to the IAAF World Junior Championships — and their first as collegians — after competing for Team USA as high schoolers in the 2012 Barcelona edition.

World Junior-leading 400 meter sprinter Baisden was a Gold Medalist as part of the 4×400 relay, an event in which she also won an NCAA title earlier this summer. World Junior-leading 400-meter hurdler and NCAA champion Little was a finalist two years ago in her signature event.

Williams — the World Junior leader in the 100-meter hurdles — was eighth in the heptathlon, an event in which she won the NCAA title this year and set the U.S. Junior Record. She will only contest the hurdles in Eugene this time around after setting another U.S. Junior Record of 12.87 at the U.S. Junior Championships last weekend.

Several collegiate coaches are also serving on the staff for the Team USA delegation to the World Championships.

Dana Boone of Texas State is heading the women’s staff, assisted by Colorado State’s Tim Cawley and Cory Young of Miami (Fla.).

Thomas Johnson of Northwood (Fla.) is the head coach of the men’s team, assisted by Dave Smith of Oklahoma State, Norm Tate of Rowan and Ty Sevin of Texas.

The full IAAF World Championships roster for Team USA can be found here, and the official homepage of the IAAF World Junior Championships can be found here.

Universal Sports will be broadcasting live from the meet throughout the week. Its full broadcast schedule for the meet can be found here.