Four WDAC Representatives for USA Team Set to Participate in NCAA Nationals

USA Team athletes Darius Flowers, Leslye Kang, Erin LaFave and Eric Klucar will compete in the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships on May 24-26.

Four USA Team athletes who will participate in the upcoming World Deaf Athletics Championships (WDAC) in Toronto, Canada on July 14-21 have earned their way to the NCAA Division II and III Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

The Four athlete representatives are: Triple Jumper Darius Flowers & Javelin Thrower Leslye Kang from Gallaudet University (Washington D.C.) and Steeplechase Runner Erin LaFave from Rochesater Institute of Technology (New York) will compete in the Division III nationals in Claremont, California. Pole Vaulter Eric Klucar of Lake Erie College (Ohio) will be the competing at the Division II nationals held in Pueblo, Colorado.

Flowers, a junior and an All-American, will be making his second trip to the nationals where he finished sixth in the Triple Jump with a distance of 15.07m (49′ 5 ½”) in 2011. His best jump in the 2012 season was measured at 14.69m (49′ 2″) which currently ranked him at 14th in Division III.

Kang, a sophomore, will be making her first trip to the nationals. Kang set the Gallaudet women’s Javelin record earlier this season with a throw of 43.98m (144′ 3″). This toss placed her fourth in Division III.

LaFave, a senior, will be making her first trip to the nationals, however she competed in the 2011 NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships. LaFave broke both RIT and the American record in the 3000m Steeplechase several times this season. Currently, her best time is 11:00.74, which good for the 25th best time in Division III as of May 17.

Klucar, a junior, will be making his first trip to the nationals. Klucar set a school record in the Pole Vault, going over the bar at 16′ 1 ¼” good for eighth in Division II as of May 3.

RIT Track Athlete Erin LaFave Sets American and School Record

Erin LaFave’s finish in 3000m Steeplechase good for 33th in the country.

Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) Senior Erin LaFave broke the school record in the 3000m Steeplechase with a time of 11:09.38. The time ranked her 33th in the nation. The old school record was 11:10.40

With the record, LaFave also lowered her own Personal Record which also was both women’s American and collegiate record. The record took place at the Oneonta State May Meet in New York on May 12.

The world record for the 3000m Steeplechase is 10:34.95 held by Russian Olga Yakubovskaya set at the 2009 Taipei Summer Deaflympics.

Story can be found at the RIT website:
http://www.ritathletics.com/news/2012/5/13/WTRACK_0513120554.aspx

Three Gallaudet University Track and Field records fall at Mason-Dixon Outdoor Championships

Gallaudet Women’s 400m Hurdles and Shot Put, Men’s 4x400m Relay records broken.

The Gallaudet University Track and Field team broke three school records at the Mason-Dixon Outdoor Championships in Gwynedd Valley, PA on May 5-6, 2012.

Mariah Ransom continued her stellar season, lowering her 400m Hurdles time by 0.36 seconds from 1:06.82 to 1:06.46. The older record was set at the Goucher Invitational on April 7.

Shot Put thrower Jessica Israel eclipsed Carley Lords’ seven-year-old record with a distance of 12.22m (40’ 1 ¼”). Lords at the 2005 Capital Athletic Conference Championships threw for 12.17m (39’ 11 ¼”).

The 4×400 Men relay team of Shawn Gordon-Davis, James Glenn, Michael Haynes and Darius Flowers combined for a time of 3:26.28. It was good enough to break the older record of 3.26.86 by 0.58 seconds. Rodd Gatewood, Alexander Jones, Steven Hubmer and Darrin Green held the 19-year old school record set at the 1993 Mason-Dixon Championships.

Western Oregon University Hurdler Breaks Her 100m Hurdles Record

Janna Vander Meulen sets a new women’s collegiate record in the 100m Hurdles.

Janna Vander Meulen of Western Oregon University ran a 14.80 in the 100m Hurdles, breaking her older record of 14.82 set in April 2011 at the John Knight Twilight Invitational.

The accomplishment took place at the Oregon Twilight meet at Hayward Field on May 5th, 2012.

The 14.80 finish is also a women’s collegiate record previously held by Vander Meulen, and only 0.05 seconds slower than the American record held by Jennifer Body’s 14.75 set at the 1985 World Games for the Deaf.

Vander Meulen also finished with a time of 1:05.58 in the 400m Hurdles on May 4th at the Mt. Hood Track & Field festival and is a threat to break Amber Nash (Spokane Community College)’s collegiate record of 1:04.99.

Track and Field Athletes Take Away Gallaudet Student-Athletes of the Year Honors

Darius Flowers and Leslye Kang were named Student-Athletes of the Year for the 2011-2012 Academic Year.

Track and Field Athletes Darius Flowers and Leslye Kang were named Student-Athletes of the Year for Gallaudet University for their school record-breaking performances.

The Gallaudet University Athletics’ department held its annual awards ceremony on May 1st.
Both Flowers and Kang are slated to participate in the upcoming World Deaf Athletics Championships (WDAC) in Toronto, Canada during July 14-21, representing USA Team.

USA Team athletes will have to fundraise to pay their way to the WDAC. If you would like to make a donation to financially support Darius, Leslye or any other USADTF athlete, please contact info@usadtf.org.

Link to the Gallaudet awards can be found – http://gallaudetathletics.com/news/2011-12/awardsceremony
Link to the WDAC website – http://2012wdac.org