Last summer, Providence Day star Anna Cockrell earned a spot on Team USA for the Pan American Junior Championships in Edmonton, Canada. This year she will represent her country again, as she is heading to Poland for the IAAF World U20 Championships, commonly known as "World Juniors." Cockrell earned her spot at the USATF Junior Nationals in Clovis, CA, by clocking 55.89 in the 400 Hurdles, improving her All-Time NC Record and moving up to US #4 All-Time! She will form a potent duo with winner Sydney McLaughlin, the national record holder - the two are #1 and #2 in the world for athletes under 20 this year! The USC-bound Cockrell also finished 3rd in the 100 Hurdles final, after tying her PR with a 13.17 in the prelims (and beating future Trojan teammate Jasmyne Graham in the process!).
Joining Anna on Team USA will be Vincent Crisp, the North Mecklenburg graduate who just completed his freshman year at Texas Tech. He won the 800 on Saturday, running a PR of 1:46.97, 9th-best in the world for juniors this season (and one of the athletes ahead of him is likely Rio-bound Donovan Brazier).
Other current and former North Carolina high school stars competing in Clovis this weekend include:
- Marcus Abraham (Victory Christian/Gardner-Webb), 13th in the Shot Put
- Gabrielle Cunningham (Mallard Creek/NC State), 10th in the 100 Hurdles
- UNC freshman Nicole Green, who is from Florida, won the High Jump to qualify for worlds
- Elizabeth Olesen (Hickory Ridge/UNCC), 10th in the High Jump
- Sara Platek (Ragsdale), 8th in the 3000 Run
- Khayla Dawson (Olympic), 7th in the Shot Put
- Mikaela Siebert (Cuthbertson/Ohio State), 7th in the Triple Jump
- Kylie Polsgrove (Avery County/Liberty University), 9th in the Heptathlon