August 13, 1999

Taylor captures 400 meters at USA Championships

ATLANTA (Feb. 27) — Georgia Tech’s Angelo Taylor (Decatur, Ga.) captured the men’s 400 meter championship Saturday at the 1999 USA Track and Field Indoor Championships being held at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.

Taylor, the 1999 NCAA Outdoor Champion in the 400 intermediate hurdles, ran a 45.50 to capture his first national title of the year. He had the second best time in the world in the 400 intermediate hurdles a year ago and ended the 1998 ranked No. 3 in the world. He also helped Tech win the 4×400 NCAA Outdoor Championship relay title and was second in the Goodwill Games in the 400 IM Hurdles. Taylor ran a 45.91 in the preliminary to capture his heat and was second overall in the preliminary round. A junior at Tech, he redshirted the 1999 NCAA Indoor Track and Field season, but will return to action for the NCAA Outdoor season.

Former Tech NCAA Champion and Olympic Gold Medalist Derek Mills, now running for Nike International, finished eighth in the preliminary with a 46.70 and missed the finals. Tech senior Jonas Motiejunas (Phoenix, Ariz.) was ninth after running a 46.79 and junior Michael Johnson (Littleton, Colo.) was 12th with a 47.09.

Tech’s Andria King (Atlanta, Ga.) placed third in the 60 meter hurdles with a time of 8.03 in the finals. She won her first round heat in a mark of 8.03 to place second overall and ran a career best 8.00 in the second round preliminary to finish third overall. She holds the nation’s top NCAA Indoor time in the 60 meter hurdles this season and was the NCAA Indoor Championship 55 meter hurdles runner-up last season. She has automatically qualified for the NCAA Indoor Championships this season to be held March 5-6 in the RCA Dome in Indianapolis, Ind. A senior from the Marist School, she is in her final season of eligibility at the Institute.

Men’s 400 Meter Finals

1. Angelo Taylor unattached 45.50

2. Milton Campbell adidas 45.60

3. Deon Minor Nike International 46.07

4. Andre Morris Team FILA 46.39

5. Brandon Couts Baylor 46.87

6. Steve Lewis Santa Monica TC DNF

Women’s 60 Meter Hurdles

1. Melissa Morrison Reebok Racing Club 7.85

2. Cheryl Dickey Nike International 8.01

3. Andria King Georgia Tech 8.03

4. Kimberly Carson Nike International 8.05