Published by USATF on July 22, 2015

 

TORONTO -- Queen Harrison shattered the Pan Am Games record in the women’s 100-meter hurdles Tuesday night to win Team USA’s first track & field gold medal on a day that saw the U.S. pick up nine medals overall.
 

Charging out of the blocks and never challenged, Harrison (Woodland Hills, California) smashed the Pan American Games record in the women’s 100mH with a 12.52, her third-fastest time ever. Tenaya Jones (Rowlett, Texas) made it a 1-2 finish for Team USA, taking silver in 12.84. The last time the U.S. went 1-2 in the event was 1987, when it was LaVonna Martin and current USATF President Stephanie Hightower claiming the top two spots.

 

Team USA posted the fastest times in each of the women’s 100-meter hurdle heats as Jones ran a wind-aided 12.81 in the first heat, moving up around the fifth hurdle to gradually take the lead. Harrison ran smoothly and with a decisive victory as first in heat 2 with a barely wind-aided 12.72.

 

Amber Campbell (Myrtle Beach, South Carolina) was in second place after three rounds of the women’s hammer at 70.99m/232-11, six inches behind leader Rosa Rodriguez of Venezuela. Campbell took the lead in the fifth round with a throw of 71.22m/233-8, but Rodriguez came back on her penultimate effort to throw 71.61m/234-11. That held up for gold as Campbell became the first U.S. woman to get Pan Am silver in the hammer, moving up from the bronze she won in 2011. Deanna Price(Carbondale, Illinois) was just outside the medals in fourth at 68.84m/225-10.