Adu-Bobie earns Pan Am silver on Canadian relay
Aug 03, 2007 | Track and Field
August 03, 2007
Pan American Games
Texas A&M senior-to-be Richard Adu-Bobie ran the first leg of Canada's 4 x 100 relay, which earned silver medals at the Pan Am Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, last weekend with a clocking of 38.87 seconds just behind the 38.81 run by the winning Brazilian squad. Canada finished just ahead of the United States, which claimed bronze with a 38.88.
During the semifinals the Canadians, with Adu-Bobie on the opening leg, posted the fastest qualifying time with a 38.81 as they edged Brazil (38.83) and drew lane four in the final.
Up next for Adu-Bobie and the Canada 4x1 relay is the World Championships in Osaka, Japan, which will be held in late August.
"Right now, we're at the bottom of the pedestal and we're trying to work our way up,"? said Adu-Bobie in an Edmonton Journal interview. "These Games are a stepping stone towards worlds, which are coming up in a month."
Also competing in the Pan Am Games was former student Bashir Ramzy, who claimed a bronze medal in the long jump with a mark of 25-11 (7.90).
In improving from sixth place to third on his last jump, Ramzy passed four time World Champion and 2000 Olympic gold medalist Ivan Pedroso of Cuba, who recorded a best of 25-9 ˝ (7.86). Ramzy was just an inch from matching the silver-medal effort of Cuba's Wilfredo Martinez.
Ramzy also contested the semifinals of the 110-meter hurdles and ran the anchor leg on the United States 4 x 400 relay within an hour of each other a couple of days after medaling in the long jump. Ramzy placed fourth in his hurdle heat with a personal best of 13.61 seconds. Then he closed out a 3:05.01 relay effort by the U.S. in the semis. Running the hurdle final Ramzy clocked 14.09 for seventh place.
All-America Prep Honors
Three incoming Texas A&M freshmen were selected to the high school All-America track and field team named by USA Today recently.
On the women's team Jessica Beard and April Williams were chosen to the team while Tyron Stewart was named to the men's team.
Beard, from Euclid, Ohio, posted the top prep 400-meter time in the country for the second consecutive year. The 51.63 she ran this season to win her fourth consecutive Ohio state championship ranks No. 8 on the all-time high school list. Beard went on to win a second U.S. Junior 400 title and added a bronze medal in the 400 at the Pan American Junior Championships along with a gold medal in the 4 x 400 relay.
Williams, of Dallas Skyline, recorded season bests of 13.37 in the 100 hurdles and 42.06 in the 300 hurdles as she earned a repeat appearance on the All-America team along with Beard.
Stewart flourished in the triple jump during his senior year at Cedar Hill, Texas. After posting a wind-aided 51-8 ˝ (15.76) at the Region II-5A meet in Lubbock, Stewart claimed the State 5A title with a mark of 50-9 ˝ (15.48).
During summer competition Stewart reached a distance of 51-0 ľ (15.56) to win a Junior Olympic regional title. Competing at the national USATF Junior Olympics in Walnut, California, this past weekend Stewart recorded a personal best of 51-6 ˝ (15.71) to place second to national leader Troy Doris, who produced a winning mark of 52-5 ˝ (15.99). World Youth champion Christian Taylor placed third with a windy 50-6 ľ (15.41).
UK Championships
Former student Tyrone Edgar placed fifth in the 100 meter final during the Norwich Union UK Championships, which served as the selection meet for Great Britain to the upcoming World Championships in Osaka, Japan.
Running into a -2.0 headwind, Edgar recorded a time of 10.48 seconds as he finished behind Marlon Devonish (10.31), Craig Pickering (10.32), Mark Lewis-Francis (10.39), and Jason Gardner (10.47).
Edgar, who has run on England's 4 x 100 relay squad twice this summer, was selected to the relay pool for Great Britain along with Devonish, Lewis-Francis and Pickering.
During the first round of racing in the 100 at the Manchester Regional Arena, Edgar posted the top time when he won his heat in 10.28 seconds. During the semifinals Edgar clocked 10.34 as he was runner-up to Marlon Devonish's 10.33.
In the women's triple jump A&M junior-to-be Yasmine Regis placed fifth with a mark of 41-10 (12.75). Earlier this summer Regis produced a personal best of 43-4 ˝ (13.22), which ties her for 10th on the British all-time triple jump list and currently has her tied for third on the 2007 marks list in Great Britain.
