Johnson, Future Wildcats Shine at Pan-Am Games

By University Communications August 3, 2009

UA sophomore thrower Tyler Johnson finished in fifth place and future Wildcat Julie Labonte finished second in the women's shot put.

The 2009 Pan-American Junior Championships wrapped up competition Sunday and several Arizona Wildcats saw time in the spotlight over the course of the weekend. One current athlete, two future Wildcats and one coach were among those with ties to The University of Arizona track and field program that were involved in the bi-annual event held in Port of Spain, Trinidad.

The Pan-American Junior Championships are held every two years and welcome some of the top talent under the age of 20 from around the world. Through the years, future Olympic champions s such as Carl Lewis, Jeremy Wariner and Usain Bolt have all seen competition at the event – helping it to be regarded as one of the top places to find the future stars of the sport.

UA sophomore thrower Tyler Johnson started his journey by finishing third a month ago at the USA Junior Championships, making him the first alternate for the Pan-American Junior Championships. With one athlete ahead of him not being able to make the trip, Johnson moved up to take his spot and lived up to the billing on the big stage.

Johnson made the best of his last throw of the meet, going 63.34 meters to finish fifth place overall in the event. Cuba's Reinier Mejias Cabrera won the event with a throw of 78.38 meters, crushing the former Pan-American Junior record by more than 22 feet.

Also in competition this weekend was future Wildcat Julie Labonte, representing Canada. Labonte took second in the women's shot put event with a best throw of 16.29 meters.

Former UA Director of Operations Francesca Green is serving the U.S. team as an assistant coach with the male sprinters. Under her coaching, U.S. sprinting corps put on quite a show.  

In the 100-meters, Marcus Rowland set a Pan-American Junior Championship record and came close to a World Junior record with his winning time of 10.03. The time was the best junior time of 2009.

Fellow American D'Angelo Cherry finished second in the event in 10.17, a time that would have also been good enough to set the Pan-American record.    

Green also will assume duties as the UA's sprinting coach this season, and her role as director of operations with be given to Dawn Boxley, former UA sprinting assistant coach.