Assistant Track & Field Coach Jernail Hayes, competed at the Indoor Track & Field World Championships in Istanbul Turkey, March 9 – 11th. She was a member of the Women's USA 4x400m relay team, which brought home the Silver medal by placing second to Great Britain by a mere three one hundredths of a second; 3:28.76 to 3:28.79.
These were the two fastest times run in the world this year and was one of the most exciting races of the championships. In total, team USA left the Atakoy Athletics Arena Sunday after the final day of the World Indoor Championships with the most gold medals in team history. Team USA bettered the mark of eight gold medals it set in 1993, 2003 and 2010.The weekends performances brought Team USA's total medal count to 18 for the World Indoor Championships, which is second only to the 19 medals it won in 1999. Great Britain was second in the medal count with a total of nine.
According to Rahn Sheffield - Team USA women's coach; “I was very pleased. We had a young team and we were able to come through. They had challenges and I couldn't be more proud. The U.S. always has a good tradition. Today was an example of symbolic footsteps. We walked in the same footsteps as the great athletes in the past.”
This was Hayes' first national team, as she prepares to make her first Olympic Team this summer at the US Olympic Trials held in Eugene, OR (June 22nd – July 1st). Hayes shared “I feel very blessed and fortunate that I was able to represent our country at the World Championships. Our VSU Track & Field student-athletes have seen firsthand how hard work, discipline, consistency and encouragement can help you reach your goals. I have had tremendous support from the student-athletes, administration and the entire VSU family - I couldn't be more excited right now!”
For more information on the World Indoor Championships see www.usatf.org.
Team USA Medals
Gold (10)
Ryan Whiting, men's shot put, 22.00m/72-2.25
Ashton Eaton, men's heptathlon, 6,645 (WR)
Sanya Richards-Ross, women's 400m, 50.79
Chaunte Lowe, women's high jump, 1.98m/6-6
Justin Gatlin, men's 60m, 6.46
Bernard Lagat, men's 3,000m, 7:41.44
Aries Merritt, men's 60m hurdles, 7.44
Brittney Reese, women's long jump, 7.23m/23-8.75 (AR)
Will Claye, men's triple jump, 17.70m/58-1
Men's 4x400m, Frankie Wright, Calvin Smith, Manteo Mitchell, Gil Roberts, 3:03.94
Silver (3)
Janay DeLoach, women's long jump, 6.98m/22-10.75
Christian Taylor, men's triple jump, 17.63m/57-10.25
Women's 4x400m, Leslie Cole, Natasha Hastings, Jernail Hayes, Sanya Richards-Ross, 3:28.79