June 23, 2003
PALO ALTO, Calif. — Fresh off a junior national title in the high jump, Georgia Tech freshman Chaunte Howard placed fourth in the same event at the 2003 United States Track and Field National Championships Sunday at Stanford’s Cobb Track and Angell Field.
Howard, who won the U.S. junior title Saturday with a height of 5’11.25″, tied her personal best and school record by clearing 6’2.25″ Sunday. Howard’s performance was good for a tie for fourth with Ifoma Jones. Asics’ Amy Acuff, a 2000 Olympian, cleared 6’4.75″ to win the event. The top three finishers earned spots on Team USA for the 2003 World Championships in Paris. A two-time All-American in her rookie season, Howard also cleared 6’2.25″ in a win at the Penn Relays.
In the men’s 1500-meter final, junior All-American Brendon Mahoney ran 3:46.02 to finish eighth. Mahoney, who ran at the back of a 12-man pack for much of the race, kicked on the race’s final lap to move up to his finishing position. Nike’s Jason Lunn won the event in 3:44.00.
Additionally, sophomore Shanta Smith finished 16th in the triple jump with a leap of 41’2.50″. In junior action, Tech freshman Simone Parker placed 19th with a toss of 136’6″ in the discus, while classmate Brandy Depland was 11th in the triple jump at 38’9.00″.
-GT-
