Jarred Rome
GUADALAJARA, Mexico – Team USA earned three medals in field events to highlight the first day of track and field competition at Telemex Athletic Stadium Monday.
Jarred Rome (Chula Vista, Calif.), the 2011 USA Outdoor champion, led the way by collecting a silver medal in the men’s discus with a toss of 61.71m/202-5.
Amber Campbell (Myrtle Beach, S.C.) became the first U.S. athlete to earn a medal in the women’s hammer throw at the Pan American Games since 1999 by capturing the bronze medal in the event.
Campbell posted a mark of 69.93m/229-5 on her fourth attempt. It marked just the fourth medal Team USA has won in the women’s hammer throw competition in Pan American Games competition and first time Team USA has medaled in the event since Dawn Ellerbee won the gold in 1999. Cuba’s Yipsi Moreno won her third straight gold medal in the women’s hammer throw, setting a Pan American Games record of 75.62m/248-1.
Becky Holliday (Penryn, Calif.) concluded the day’s activities by capturing the bronze medal in the women’s pole vault at 4.30m/14-1.25. Holliday’s performance marked the fourth straight Pan American Games in which Team USA has earned a medal in the women’s pole vault.
Also performing in tonight’s throwing events, Jason Young (Lubbock, Texas), the 2010 and 2011 USA Outdoor runner-up, finished fifth in the men’s discus at 60.91m/199-10. Keelin Godsey (Williamstown, Mass.) placed fifth in the women’s hammer throw at 67.84m/222-7 with her best throw coming on her first attempt.
Anne Bersagel (Greely, Colo.) finished fourth in the women’s 10,000-meter run in 35 minutes 23.31 seconds, while Cassandra Slade (Conifer, Colo.) was seventh in 36:14.96.
In the finals of the men’s 5,000 meter run, Brad Bethke (Lake Forest, Calif.) was fifth in 14:17.31, while Stephen Furst (Goshen, N.Y.) finished eighth in 14:21.94.
After the first day of decathlon competition, Mark Jellison (Reading, Mass.) sits ninth with 3,812 points, while Matthew Johnson (Groves, Texas) is 13th with 3,366 points through five events. Johnson no-heighted in the high jump.
Team USA advanced both runners in both the qualifying semifinal rounds of the women’s 100m dash and 400m hurdles.
Barbara Pierre (Waco, Texas) won the second semifinal heat of the women’s 100, while posting the second fastest qualifying time overall of 11.37. Kenyanna Wilson (Glendale, Ariz.) also advanced to the finals out of heat three in 11.74.
MacKenzie Hill (Long Beach, Calif.) had the third fastest overall qualifying time out of the semifinal heats of the women’s 400m hurdles in 57.82. Takecia Jameson (Upper Marlboro, Md.) also advanced out of heat one in 58.68.
Qualifying rounds also were held in the men’s long jump and 100m. Randall Flimmons (Columbia, Miss.) was ninth overall in qualifying in the men’s long jump, soaring 7.69m/25-2.75 on his first attempt. Meanwhile, Jeremy Hicks (Houston, Texas), competing in Group A, was the last overall qualifer at 7.53m/24-8.50.
Calesio Newman (Green Sea, S.C.) advanced to the finals of the men’s 100-meter dash after finishing fourth in the first semifinal heat with a time of 10.42. Earlier, Newman was second in the second heat of round one in the 100m in 10.30. Rea Edwards (Opelika, Ala.) did not make it out of round one qualifying in the men’s 100m after finishing fourth in heat three in 10.53.
