June 21, 2006

INDIANAPOLIS - Freshman Murielle Ahoure will run against some of the top athletes in the United States in the 14 to 19 year old age range when she competes in both the 100- and 200-meter dash at the Finish Line USA Junior Track and Field Championships, scheduled to begin on Wednesday at the IU Michael A. Carroll Track and Soccer Stadium on the campus of IUPUI in downtown Indianapolis.

The championships will take place over five days, starting with Wednesday's opening day and ending on Sunday, June 25. Ahoure's events are scheduled on two of those days - Thursday and Friday.

The 19-year-old Ahoure's first scheduled event is the first round of the 100-meter dash on Thursday at 11 a.m. Out of the 29 total participants in the event, eight of those athletes - the winner in each of the four heats, plus the next four best times - will advance to the final round of the event, which is scheduled for 1:50 p.m. on Thursday. In the first round, Ahoure will run in the fourth heat, lining up against Jonisha Boleware (Dallas Gold Track Club), Shayla Mahan (Motor City Track Club, Inc.), Kadeshia Fortune (unattached), Kenyanna Wilson (Arizona Rising Suns Track Club), Patrice Potts (Virginia Tech), Brittany Carr (Dallas Gold Track Club) and Sarah Lyons (unattached). Ahoure's personal best of 11.42 seconds ranks second in the heat to Wilson, who has recorded a time of 11.37 seconds.

The first round of the 200-meter dash is scheduled for Friday at 10:50 a.m. Thirty six athletes will run in the event, with the top eight times overall advancing to the final, scheduled for 1:55 p.m. on Friday. Ahoure is slated to run in the fourth heat with Porscha Lucas (Dallas Gold Track Club), Patrice Potts (Virginia Tech), Marion Tyson (Quicksilver Track Club, Inc.), Kara Budd (University of Connecticut), Yasmin Woodruff (Quiet Fire) and Lakeshia Williams (Club Elite of Birmingham). Ahoure has the top time in her heat with a personal best of 23.33 seconds.

After capturing the ECAC Championship in the 60-meter dash and placing second in the 200-meter dash during the indoor season, Ahoure had a brilliant outdoor season, as she was one of only three freshman that competed in the 100-meter dash - and the lone freshman in the 200-meter dash - at this year's NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. She won the ECAC Championship in both the 100- and 200-meter dash, and the CAA title in both events as well. She also anchored George Mason's 4x100-meter relay team that captured the CAA title, earning the Most Outstanding Track Performer Award for her performance at the CAA Outdoor Championship Meet.

The Junior Track and Field Championships will feature more than 600 athletes ranging from 14 to 19 years old competing for the chance to represent the United States at the 2006 World Junior Championships in Beijing, China. The meet is being held in conjunction with the 2006 AT&T USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, the final stop of USATF's 2006 Visa Championships Series.