U.S. Elite International Track & Field, Inc.
Meet Recap
Justin Gatlin’s Return to the Track 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....Read more
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.....Read more
Olympic Development (OD) News
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.....Read more
Penn Relays 2010: Usain Bolt Stole the Show
April 22-24, 2010: 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 were looking forward to the competition.
Sanya Richards a member of the USA 4x400m team told us that she was looking forward to competing but had doubts, because she tweaked her quad during practice earlier that day. She also revealed that her favorite thing about the Penn Relays is the whoop…whoop sound the crowd makes, which she thinks is unique to this event.In other news, U.S. Elite women competed in the Olympic Development Women’s 4x100m relay section of the meet. This was the first time the team did not place in the top three, and took fourth place in the race in this event with a close finish behind Glenarden Track Club. The team consisted of Keishia Thorpe, Melissa Cowen, Treisha Thorpe and Simone Cater. Keith Anderson also represented the team in the Men's 400mh and placed third. This was quite an accomplishment for Anderson as he prepares for the USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Read more.....
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. Read more....
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. Read more....
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"The heights that great men
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Were not attained by
sudden flight
But they, while their
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"The heights that great men
reached and kept,
Were not attained by
sudden flight
But they, while their
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Kept toiling upwards
through the night."
Upcoming Track Meets
Jan. 21, 2012 Terrapin Invite, UMD
Jan. 28 Hagerstown CC Invite
Feb. 3-4 New Balance Meet, NY
Feb. 11 Millrose Games, NY
UMES Invite, MD
Feb 17-18 MEAC Champs, MD
TBA UMD Last Chance, MD
Feb 25-26 USA Indoor Champ,NM
Mar 10-11 USATF Youth Ch., IL
Mar 16-18 USA Master Champ, IN
Mar 23-24 Raleigh Relays, NC
Florida St. Relays, FL
Apr. 7 UPenn Invite, PA
Apr. 14 Coppin St. Invite, MD
April 21 MSU Legacy Meet, MD
Freedom Games, NC
April 26-28 Penn Relays, PA
May 3-5 MEAC Champs, NC
May 13 Aggie Classic, NC
June 6-19 NCAA Champs, IA
June 15-17 USA Junior Champ, IN
June 22-25 US Olympic Trial, OR
June 28-Jul 1 US Olympic Trial, OR
June 26-Jul 1 USA Youth Champ, TX
Jul 23-29 US Junior Olympics
Aug 2-5 USA Masters Ch. IL
TBA USATF Club Regional
TBA USATF Club Champs
Archived meet schedules
Jan. 28 Hagerstown CC Invite
Feb. 3-4 New Balance Meet, NY
Feb. 11 Millrose Games, NY
UMES Invite, MD
Feb 17-18 MEAC Champs, MD
TBA UMD Last Chance, MD
Feb 25-26 USA Indoor Champ,NM
Mar 10-11 USATF Youth Ch., IL
Mar 16-18 USA Master Champ, IN
Mar 23-24 Raleigh Relays, NC
Florida St. Relays, FL
Apr. 7 UPenn Invite, PA
Apr. 14 Coppin St. Invite, MD
April 21 MSU Legacy Meet, MD
Freedom Games, NC
April 26-28 Penn Relays, PA
May 3-5 MEAC Champs, NC
May 13 Aggie Classic, NC
June 6-19 NCAA Champs, IA
June 15-17 USA Junior Champ, IN
June 22-25 US Olympic Trial, OR
June 28-Jul 1 US Olympic Trial, OR
June 26-Jul 1 USA Youth Champ, TX
Jul 23-29 US Junior Olympics
Aug 2-5 USA Masters Ch. IL
TBA USATF Club Regional
TBA USATF Club Champs
Archived meet schedules
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