Trio of incoming Longhorns named to USA TODAY's 2010 All-USA Track and Field Team
July 22, 2010
University of Texas Women's Track and Field signees A'Lexus Brannon (Beaumont, Texas), Marielle Hall (Haddonfield, N.J.) and Briana Nelson (Greenville, S.C.) have been named to the 2010 USA TODAY All-USA Track and Field Team, the publication announced. It is the second-straight year Texas has been represented on the All-USA team as sophomore Chalonda Goodman earned the recognition a year ago. The trio will join the Longhorns in August. Brannon, a triple and long jumper who also runs the 100m hurdles, had a dominant senior year at Beaumont Ozen High School as she swept the two jumping events at the Texas Relays, the Texas Class 4A State Championship and the New Balance Nationals. Brannon also currently holds the top high school girls triple jump mark in the nation (42-0.75) and was recently named the 2009-10 Texas Gatorade Track and Field Athlete of the Year. Nelson, a 400m sprinter out of South Carolina, most recently claimed her first national title after winning the quarter mile at the New Balance Nationals in 53.14. At the South Carolina High School AAA Championships, Nelson swept the 100m, 200m and 400m titles. She also held the top 200m and 400m times in South Carolina throughout the 2010 season. Like Brannon, Nelson was selected as the Gatorade Track and Field Athlete of the Year for her home state . Nelson is also one of just 10 athletes on the 53-person team over six categories to be a repeat All-USA selection. Hall, a middle distance specialist from New Jersey, posted times of 2:07.44 in the 800m and 4:25.05 in the 1,500m over the 2009-10 season. Hall most recently finished fourth in the 1,500m at the USA Junior Outdoor Track and Field Championships. The miler was also one of 13 female high schoolers invited nationally to take part in the elite Jim Ryun Dream Mile held at the adidas Grand Prix meet in New York in June. Hall clocked a personal-best 4:50.52 for 10th. Criteria included ranking on USA TODAY and Track and Field News national lists, the number of top performances and head-to-head competition during the regular season and in major postseason meets.
|
|
