June 22, 2002

PALO ALTO, Calif. - Baylor track freshman Darold Willamson won the 2002 USA Junior National Championship title in the 400 meters Saturday at the Cobb Track and Angell Field on the campus of Stanford University.

The 2002 Big 12 indoor and outdoor champion in the 400 meters, Williamson returned to his winning ways holding off South Carolina's Jonathan Fortenberry down the stretch. Williamson's final 45.54 clocking bettered Fortenberry's 45.99 mark and qualified him to compete at the World Junior Championships in Kingston, Jamaica July 16-21.

"I felt pretty happy with my race," said Williamson. "I listened to what my coach told me and got out hard and stayed relaxed. I tried to stay smooth and strong in the last 100 and I felt pretty relaxed at the end of the race. I'm happy to have qualified for worlds and I'm looking forward to it."

Also competing in the USA Junior National Championships were fellow freshmen Dwight Ruff, Danielle Myricks and Lakadron Ivery. Ruff finished third in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 51.06, while Myricks posted a 58.45 mark in the women's 400-meter hurdles to place fourth overall.

Running in both the 100 and 200 meter races, Lakadron Ivery just missed qualifying for the finals in both events placing 10th in the 100 meters (12.02) and 12th in the 200 meters (24.78).

Jumper April Holliness was also in action over the weekend competing in the long jump as a part of the USA Track and Field Championships. Holliness' distance of 18-8 was good enough for a 18th-place finish.