June 13, 2012

MEMPHIS, TENN.- Freshmen Bronte' Smith, Maya Williamson and Kyle Bynum will represent Memphis at the USA Junior Championships this weekend in Bloomington, Ind. The annual event is the first step for many young athletes seeking the opportunity to one day represent the United States on a worldwide stage.

"Anytime you can qualify any athletes to the Jr. Championships it's quite an accomplishment," head track and field coach Kevin Robinson said. "We have three athletes that were freshmen for us this year that did a phenomenal job; they get a chance to represent Memphis at the biggest junior meet in the country. I am very excited."

Smith will take to the track in the women's 100m hurdles with first and final-round action set for Saturday. The freshman from Spring, Texas enters the Jr. Championships with a season and personal-best time of 14.05 set at the C-USA Outdoor Championships.

Fellow hurdler Williamson begins first round competition in the women's 400m hurdles on Friday. Williamson makes the trip to Bloomington, Ind. carrying a school-record mark of 59.30 set at the C-USA Outdoor Championships.

Bynum will throw in the men's javelin set for Friday. The freshman from Pearl, Miss. took gold at the C-USA Outdoor Championships and First-Team All-C-USA honors with a school-record throw of 70.27m (230'06"). Bynum and Williamson both qualified for the NCAA East Preliminary in their first season donning the Blue and Gray.

"This is the pre-courser to the Olympic Trials," Robinson said. "92 percent of the athletes that compete at the Olympic Trials competed at the USA Jr. Championships at some point. It's the best of the best that the U.S. has to offer that are under 20 years of age. It's a great developmental meet to prepare these elite athletes for national exposure."

Results from the USA Jr. Championships will be posted on GoTigersGo.com as they become available.