World Express Athletes Travel to Guadeloupe, Jamaica and Jesse Owens Track Classic
Sherridan Kirk defends his title in Jamaica, Four go to Guadeloupe and Joel Brown goes to Jesse Owens Classic

April 29, 2008 - Baie-Mahault, Guadeloupe

World Express Athletic Management has confirmed lanes for six of its world-class T&F athletes this weekend. After a successful weekend at Penn Relays and Drake Relays, the international and highly competitive track meets will take center stage. All of the coming meets are in preparation for the Olympic Trials scheduled for late June.

Trinidad & Tobago’s Sherridan Kirk will travel to the Jamaica Invitational on May 3rd in Kingston Jamaica to defend his 800m title. Last year, Kirk destroyed the field in the men’s 800m run winning by over 2 secs. posting a 1:46 clocking. This year seems to be no different as coach Chris Fox notes that Kirk is in fantastic shape. Kirk skipped the World Indoor Championships to focus on the Olympic Games and running a 1:44 or better performance.

Recent world-record setter Joel Brown will travel back to his alma mater for the Jesse Owens Classic in Columbus Ohio on Saturday May 3rd. Brown is looking to get his season on track and what better place than in front of a hometown crowd. The Ohio State graduate holds several school and track records for Ohio State while competing as a Buckeye and looks to put on a show for the fans and OSU alumni. Brown is in great condition as he has run :20.55 for 200m (Int. Freedom Games on April 19th) and this weekend split :13.21 on the WR shuttle relay as well as a :46.37 clocking on the World All-Stars 4×400m relay in the USA vs World events at Penns.

Arriving today in the french region for the Le Grand Prix d’Athlétisme Région Guadeloupe meeting is Ivory Williams, Reggie Witherspoon, Dexter Faulk and Jessica Cousins. Ivory Williams will open his outdoor season in the 100 meters looking to improve on his lifetime best of :10.13 set last year. Witherspoon, Faulk and Cousins all competed at Drake and look for warmer weathers to post faster times this outdoors. Cousins placed 3rd at Drake with a :52.83 performance against strong winds and the cold. Witherspoon has clocked splits of :45.7 and :45.5 on the WACO All-Stars 4×400m relay at both Texas Southern & Texas Relays. He also ran a season opening :20.79 for 200m at the Michael Johnson Invitational. Faulk is looking for redemption after two races with hurdle crashing causing subpar performances at both Kansas & Drake Relays.

After this weekend, the group will travel to another french region island for the 13^th Grand Prix Meeting IAAF of the General Council of Martinique. Scheduled to open his 2008 outdoor season will be the USA’s Mark Jelks (:10.02). Jelks was a member of the USA World Championship team in Osaka this summer and looks to make his first Olympic team. In all, World Express will have six (6) athletes competing in Martinique. Start lists will be posted as the meet draws closer.

Joel Brown has been confirmed for the 110H at the Qatar Athletic Super Grand Prix 2008 in Doha on May 9th.

Bryan Steele (JAM - 400H) and Melissa DeLeon (T&T - 800m) have been confirmed for the Ponce GP Meeting in Puerto Rico on May 17th.

For more information on any of our athletes please visit our website at http://www.worldexpressmgmt.com. Check our website for all meet results and news regarding all of our athletes.

Thank you,

Mark A. Pryor
World Express Athletic Mgmt.
http://www.worldexpressmgmt.com

Jamaica’s Next 400m Hurdler Gearing Up for Olympic Year
Bryan Steele is Beginning to Hit his Stride in 2008

Greensboro, NC - April 20, 2008

Jamaica is a tiny island in the Caribbean that is known for its sandy beaches and clear blue waters. But to the athletics world, Jamaica is a hotbed for talented track & field athletes. Current 100m world record holder Asafa Powell is Jamaica’s recent athletic hero among many other stars like 20004 Olympic 200m champion Veronica Campbell and Usain Bolt. But from this small island comes many, many more of its natives whose names we don’t know with the same goal of Olympic and World Championship glory. One such name is Bryan Steele.

Bryan Steele is a Jamaican by way of Maryland. He has achieved athletic success on all levels of Track & Field (age-group, high school, collegiate). Now he strives to accomplish something that his native land would welcome in their history…….Olympic glory. Steele was a high school champion and in 2006 placed 2nd at the NCAA Outdoor Championships with a career best of :49.02 for Long Island University. 2007 was his first year out of college and a year of transition. Injury slowed his training and a few mis-steps at the end of races prevented Steele from improving his personal best. He did achieve a new career best in the 400m event running :45.78 at the Ponce GP meeting in Puerto Rico.

At the Jamaican National Championships, Steele led the men’s 400m hurdle final for 8 hurdles before crashing hurdle #9 and fading to 6th place. The same mishap occurred at the Drake Relays and in Europe. But now in 2008, Steele is training well and beginning to hit his stride. Coach Simon Hodnett notes that if Steele continues to train and remain injury free his times will surely improve to :48 secs or better. His strides carry more confidence and those last few hurdles will be cleared on his way to victories and possibly the Olympic Games.

So far, Steele has won two 400m races and is scheduled to run the men’s Olympic Developmet 400m hurdles at Penn Relays this coming Friday, April 25th in Philadelphia, PA. He hopes to run a leg on Jamaica’s 4×400m relay in the USA vs World relay events on Saturday at Penn Relays. His recent results are:

2008 International Friendship & Freedom Game - 4/18/2008 to 4/19/2008
North Carolina A&T - Greensboro, NC
Results

400 Meter Dash College/Open Men
===================================================================
Name Year Team Finals H#
===================================================================
1 Bryan Steele NIKE - JAM 46.32 2
2 Randy Curry GW Express 46.91 1
3 Nathaniel McKinney GW Express 46.99 1
4 Andrew Peresta Hampton 47.18 2
5 Garrett Blakely SC State 47.20 1
6 Derron Flood USC 47.40 2
7 Trevor Lee GW Express 48.42 1
8 Terrance Burton Hampton 48.52 1
9 Gerrod Sidbury Winston-Salem 48.69 2
10 Anthony Easter Hampton 48.80 2
11 Kenneth Rackins SC State 48.82 2
12 Jason Russell SC State 48.86 2

Lou Onesty/Milton G. Abramson Invitational - 4/11/2008 to 4/12/2008

Lannigan Field at The University of Virginia

Men’s Results

Event 10 Men 400 Meter Dash

============================================================================

NCAA Reg Qu: R 47.20

IC4A QUALIFY: I 48.50

COLLEGIATE: C 44.00 1992 QUINCY WATTS, USC

Name Year School Seed Finals H#

============================================================================

1 Steele, Bryan NIKE 45.50 46.74R 1

2 Blassingame, Kellen UNAT-VIRGINIA 45.70 46.94R 1

3 Campbell, Antony ZENITH VELOCITY AC 46.15 48.14I 1

4 FitzSimons, Tom FR MOUNT ST. MARY’S 48.26 48.52 1

5 Arnett, Cazal FR BINGHAMTON 47.79 48.90 1

6 Brown, Michael ZENITH VELOCITY AC 47.10 49.23 1

7 Lee, Brian SO VIRGINIA 48.25 49.32 1

8 Vuono, Chris SR MONMOUTH 48.75 49.47 2

9 Massar, Jimmy JR BINGHAMTON 48.40 49.55 2

10 Wyche, Marcus SO GEORGE MASON 48.02 49.73 1

Bryan Steele has been confirmed for the men’s 400m hurdles at the 2008 Ponce Grand Prix Invitational in Puerto Rico on May 17th.

For more information on Bryan Steele please visit our website at http://www.worldexpressmgmt.com. Check our website for all meet results and news regarding all of our athletes.

Thank you,

Mark A. Pryor
World Express Athletic Mgmt.
Fax: 860-392-1559
http://www.worldexpressmgmt.com

Said Ahmed Looking for a Fast Time in Oslo

Bislett Golden League meeting next up for USA 1500m runner

Oslo, Norway - June 5, 2008

USA middle distance talent Said Ahmed is running not only for himself but for his life. This year is one of, if not the most important years of his athletic life and he is pulling out all the stops to ensure that is successful.

Ahmed is originally from Somalia but migrated to the United States and became a US citizen. Because Somalia is under constant civil war and unrest, a lot of its natives leave and become citizens of other countries looking for better opportunities. Examples of this can especially be seen in Athletics with athletes like Mohammad Farah (5000m) who represents Great Britain but was born is Mogadishu, Somalia.

Ahmed was inspired to run distance by his country’s greatest T&F hero Abdi Bile. Bile was born is Las Anod Somalia and attended George Mason Univ. in the US . He is a former 1987 1500m world champion and a three-time Olympian (1984, 1992, 1996) who truly dominated the 1500m event in the mid and late ’80s. Bile was the first Somali world champion.

Ahmed became a high school national champion (800m) in Boston Mass and ran sub 4:10 for the mile. At the University of Arkansas , Ahmed was mentored by coaching legend John McDonnell and trained with super talented runners like Allistar Craig and Seneca Lassiter, becoming an NCAA college champion. Thus, Said has tasted success and knows exactly what it takes to be one of the best. It is no wonder that in 2008, Ahmed is running with determined focus.

In 2004, Ahmed ran 3:37.49 for 1500 meters and was looking to make the US Olympic team. He made the finals of the US Trials and with 300 meters to go was in the top 5. But down the stretch Ahmed faded and failed to finish in the top 3. The next year Ahmed was injured and only ran 3:43.54.

In 2006, Ahmed signed with NIKE and joined World Express Athletic Mgmt. He set a huge personal best at the DN Galan Meeting in Stockholm clocking 3:35.94. Things were looking bright for his future but a small injury in his foot prevented him from sprinting on his toes and he only finished 6^th at the US Championships in 2007.

Ahmed was upset but not discouraged. He trained hard during the summer and ran several races this indoor season to test his fitness. In March, Ahmed boarded a plane and headed for Egypt . From there he would travel to Kenya and spend months training harder than he ever did in preparation for the US Olympic Trials. Ahmed knew that if this was his last chance to make the US Olympic team that he would need to remain focused, train hard and be prepared to run 3:34 or better.

On May 26^th, Ahmed opened his 2008 outdoor season with his fastest opener ever winning in 3:38.47 at a African Grand Prix II meeting in Khartoum Sudan . In his next race, Ahmed fell in Algiers and did not finish. Fighting heavy winds, Ahmed ran 3:41.47 at the Folksam Grand Prix meeting in Malmo Sweden on June 3^rd.

Today, Ahmed will face his toughest challenge this season at the Bislett Games in Oslo Norway . This golden league meeting is known for producing some of the world’s fastest times in the distance events and Ahmed is looking for a new career best. The start list for the men’s 1500m event is as follows:

After Olso, Said Ahmed will return to the US and make final preparations for the 2008 US Olympic Trials where he will face some of the world’s top middle distance runners which include Bernard Lagat (2007 World Champion in both 1500m and 5,000m), Alan Webb (who set the US record in the mile last year), NCAA Champion Leo Manazo and Sudan refugee now US citizen Lopez Lomong.

Friday, June 6
IAAF Golden League–OSLO
Live Webcast(2:00pm/ET, 11am/PT)
http://www.usatf.org/events/2008/GoldenLeague/

TV
Friday ESPN Classic 3:00-5:00pm (Changed from 2:30-4:30pm)
Saturday ESPN Classic 7:00-9:00am
Sunday ESPN2 12:30-2:30pm
(All times Eastern)

More information regarding Said Ahmed and other World Express Athletic Management athletes can be found at http://www.worldexpressmgmt.com

Thank you,

Mark A. Pryor
World Express Athletic Mgmt.
Fax: 860-392-1559
http://www.worldexpressmgmt.com

Ivory Williams 2nd at Pre, Said Ahmed runs SB at Oslo, Joel Brown 4th at Pre
Williams and Ahmed clicking at right time for US Trials, Brown putting pieces together in hurdles

Eugene, Oregon - June 10, 2008

This weekend was the last test for a lot of US athletes before the biggest meet of their careers. The goal of every Track and Field athlete is to participate in the Olympic Games and compete for a medal. The Olympics are scheduled every four (4) years so if you miss it then you have to wait another four years. The time between each Olympic Games adds years to your life and can take them away from an athlete’s competitive life. Thus, timing is key and having all the right ingredients (coaching, health, confidence, training, support).

Sunday’s Prefontaine Classic was the last major test for US athletes to see where their fitness level is and how they measure up against the competition before the US Olympic T&F Trials. It is at these trials that the US Olympic team will be decided (top 3 finishers in each event - provided they have achieved the Olympic “A”standards).

Ivory Williams has been running well all spring and has positioned himself to make his first Olympic team. It will not be his first international experience as he was the 2004 World Junior 100m champion (:10.29). In 2008, Williams has been consistent, fast and quietly building an impressive resume. So far, Williams has posted the following results:

:10.09 at Guadeloupe- 1st , :10.07 at Martinique- 1st, :10.21 at Sao Paulo Brazil- 2nd, :10.13 at ISATF Berlin GL - 3rd

When asked why 2008 has been so successful Ivory replied, “I have a great coach, some fast training partners and a manager that believes in me”. The coach is Al Hopson of Kansas City (orginial coach of Maurice Greene). The training partners are Mark Jelks (PR :10.02), Rae Edwards (PR :10.08) and Dexter Faulk (PR :13.34). Coach Hopson has found great success in teaching his athletes proper technique, the different phases of sprinting and how to prepare for world-class performances. It is no wonder his athletes always seem to be in mix. Hopson is one of the best “unknown’ sprint coaches in the United States.

At the Pre Classic Williams had a great start and led the field for 95 meters before being dipped at the line for 2nd:

Said Ahmed has also had a great spring in 2008 and is ready for one of the toughest events in the US (men’s 1500m). Opening up the season in 3:38.26 in the Sudan and then a 3:41 in the cold & wind of Malmo Sweden and finally in Olso friday night with a season’s best:

Joel Brown has had a busy start to 2008 running both the 110m hurdles and the 200m event. Brown was 2nd in Doha, 1st in Sao Paulo Brazil, 1st in Belem Brazil (both 110H and 200m) and 4th in Berlin. Brown was alittle off his game in Eugene after his european trip to Berlin where he was 4th again in the hurdles but he is confident all the pieces will come togethe when it matters at the US Trials:

World Express is currently organizing the European tour for its group of athletes immediately following the US Trials as well as the national championships for Jamaica and Trinidad. Our scheduled departure date from the US to Europe will be July 5th. As soon as comfirmations are received our european meet schedule will be announced.

Please excuse the tardiness of updates and news stories loaded to our website. During the US Olympic Trials, daily updates will be loaded and distributed to our fans, family, friends and European collegues. The link to the US Olympic Trials is as follows: http://www.usatf.org/events/2008/OlympicTrials-TF/

We thank you for your support thus far in 2008. More information regarding World Express Athletic Management athletes can be found at http://www.worldexpressmgmt.comThank you,

Mark A. Pryor
World Express Athletic Mgmt.
Fax: 860-392-1559
http://www.worldexpressmgmt.com

Brown and Faulk Equal Career Best, Ivory Williams runs new PB

With the coming Olympic Games in August, most of the world-class T&F athletes are using the indoor season as early indications of how training is progressing toward peak performances at the Olympic Trials / National Championships scheduled for June. World Express Athletic Management athletes exhibited excellent indications with their recent performances at the US Indoor Championships held this past weekend at the Reggie Lewis Center facility.

In June it appears that the hurdle and sprint events will be the key for World Express and its hopes to put its athletes on the Olympic Team. Both Joel Brown and Dexter Faulk equaled their career best in the men’s 60m hurdles placing 3rd and 5th in the finals. Brown, the 2005 US Indoor Champ was barely leaned at the tape for second place by US hurdle legend Allen Johnson denying Brown his second selection to a world championship team. Faulk, still only 21 years old signaled his emergence as “one to watch” by adding his name as yet another talented hurdler from the rich history of the United States.

Brown who ran his career best in 2005 in winning the US indoor title equaled that mark (:7.54) but left Boston knowing there is more to come and confident that he will finish in a better position come June. Faulk also equaled his career best (:7.58) in the final and knows that he must finish as strong as he starts.

2008 USA Indoor Championships - Men 60 Meter Hurdles
==========================================

World: W 7.30 3/6/1994 Colin Jackson, GBR
American: A 7.36 1/16/1987 Greg Foster/Allen Johnson, WC
Meet: M 7.38 2/27/1999 Reggie Torian, Asics
Name Year Team Finals
==========================================

Finals
1 David Oliver Nike 7.47
2 Allen Johnson Nike 7.53
3 Joel Brown Nike 7.54
4 Antwon Hicks adidas 7.56
5 Dexter Faulk Nike 7.58
6 Anwar Moore Nike 7.71
7 Aubrey Herring unattached 7.77
– Jerome Miller unattached DNF

Ivory Williams has enjoyed international success in winning a World Junior title. Now only 21 years old, he is emerging as a talent in the “wide open” US 100 meter Olympic Team. The term wide open can be used because of the vast talent the US has in its sprinters who often produce world ranking results yet finish out of the top 3 spots for team selection. With a career best :10.13 this past summer, Williams was looking to continue that roll of career improvements. He achieved that with a :6.60 clocking in the semi-finals. The :6.62 clocking in the final can be signaled as a learning experience toward the coming 100m battles outdoors.

World Express athletes will now focus on the outdoor season and begin to sharpen their training toward world-class results. One such athlete is Mark Jelks. Jelks who has been running the 400m event all indoor season comes to World Express with World Championship experience from this summer in Osaka Japan and a career best :10.02. He too will be a major player in the wide open 100m event for the US.

World Express has expanded its roster of talented athletes and looks to 2008 as being one of the most successful in its 12 year history. The roster will now include the following athletes:

In the coming weeks, World Express will be releasing a new and improved web site with updated athletes bios, meet news & results, slide show pictures, coming events, media/television schedules and company history. We will attempt to keep our fans, business partners, industry colleagues, family and friends informed about this great sport in this all important Olympic year!!!! Stayed tuned for more!!! We hope you will enjoy the ride to Beijing China and Olympic Glory with World Express.

By DAVE SCHEIBER, Times Staff Writer

http://www.sptimes.com/2008/02/08/Sports/QA_with_Olympic_sprin.shtml

LAKE BUENA VISTA - At first glance, it might be easy to miss the man in the wide-brimmed straw hat in a foldout chair perched by the edge of the track at Disney’s Wide World of Sports.

The view at the far end of the massive athletic complex is dominated by muscular men and women - world-class hurdlers and sprinters - stretching and darting up and down the lanes to warm up for one more practice.

But there in his chair, Brooks Johnson keeps his eyes fixed on his performers. He knows each of their styles, what bad habits to correct, what techniques to tweak and what words he should muster to motivate them.

After all, the U.S. Track and Field Hall of Famer has been coaching at the Olympic level for nearly a half-century. He worked with his first Olympian in 1960, 110-meter hurdles silver medalist Willie May, and has coached an athlete at every Olympics since 1968. They include stars such as Evelyn Ashford and Chandra Cheesborough as coach of the women’s team for the 1984 Summer Games in Los Angeles.

These days, Johnson, 73, is hard at work with his wise, low-key style at Disney, trying to help the Olympic dreams of some of America’s speediest runners come true this summer in China.

We sat down with Johnson recently to ask him about some of his top prospects for ‘08, the woes of disgraced former Olympian Marion Jones and the state of the sport with the Beijing Games set to open Aug. 8.

How do you feel about this year’s group and how things are coming together?

On a national team basis, there’s a fantastic group of young, talented athletes; people like John Capel, Tyson Gay and Wallace Spearmon. I suspect we’ll be as strong as we have ever been in the sprints.

What is your challenge each Olympic year?

As a coach, it’s to help the ones who have the ability and the focus and the talent to make the team. But on a national level, I’m what’s called the Chair of the High Performance Division (in track and field). And that is mandated and charged to increase our medal count. And when we took over, the U.S. was averaging between 19 and 20 medals. It’s now up to 25-26 medals. And we’re expected to get between 27-30 in Beijing.

Is there pressure with those expectations?

If we don’t get the medals, you have one person to blame.

How do you feel about that?

I knew what I was getting into, so I just think it’s a doable challenge.

Does it bother you that most people don’t know who you are?

The loneliest thing in the world is when an athlete is in that holding pen just before you go into the stadium; maybe 60,000 people are watching from the stands and millions are watching on television. My point is that the athletes ultimately have to do it, so no coach can come up and take credit for that. Coaches should remain in the background as support and resource people. And the athletes who are going out under that kind of stress and pressure should get the recognition.

Does the crackdown on illegal substances mean that we’ll see slower times or less impressive performances?

No, at some point even a dirty world record will be exceeded by somebody who’s clean.

What are you thoughts on Marion Jones?

I don’t think people realize the real tragedy of Marion Jones. There are certain people who have star power within their sport. And when they retire, that goes with them. And there are some people who transcend the superstar status within their sport and become celebrities. Marion Jones had that quality about her, and she could have done it clean. She could have gotten enough medals clean that would have put her in the public spotlight, and she could have used that to catapult herself into celebrity status. She has a gift. So the tragedy is that it was so unnecessary.

What is the state of track and field today?

People make a big deal about the drugs, as they should. We should do it for the reason that it’s illegal, it’s unethical and it’s unhealthy. So you should be concerned for drugs because it’s unhealthy. But the sport is as strong as ever.

What got you into coaching?

To be honest about it, I think it’s competing vicariously; the competitive spirit. Plus, you don’t need somebody to pass you the ball or throw a block to do well in track and field. At the last world championships, the 100 meters for women was determined by a thousandth of a second, so success is determined by as objective a measure as you can get. It has nothing to do with degree of difficulty or whether the Russian judge and the French judge colluded or whatever. Plus, it’s the original sport.

What’s the one thing you’re thinking about looking ahead to China?

Just that this is going to be the most competitive Olympics of all time, basically because there are more counties that can medal, the climate and culture will be different than anything we’ve encountered before. And the Chinese and Asian nations are not going to willingly lose face. It’s going to be great.

‘Three of Johnson’s standout pupils’

David Oliver, 25, 110-meter hurdles, personal-best 13.14 seconds, two-time NCAA All-American, third at the U.S. Outdoor Championships in 2007 (13.18 seconds), enjoyed a stellar 2006, marked by a victory at the Berlin ISTAF Golden League meet with a time of 13.25 seconds, beating many of the world’s top hurdlers.

Joel Brown, 27, 110-meter hurdles, personal-best 13.22 seconds, 2005 U.S. Indoor champion, fourth at the 2005 USA Outdoor Championships, two-time Big Ten outdoor champ and was ranked No. 6 in the world, best time in 2007 was 13.31.

John Capel, 29, sprinter, personal-best 9.95 seconds in the 100 meters and 19.95 in the 200, former Florida Gator and Hernando High star made the 2000 Olympic team in the 200 behind Michael Johnson (finishing eighth in Sydney after a poor start out of the blocks), left the sport for two years to pursue an NFL career, returned to track and became the 2003 world indoor champ in the 200 meters, ranked No 1 in the world in both the 100 and 200 by Track and Field News, won the bronze medal in the 2005 World Outdoor Championships.

© Copyright 2002-2008, St. Petersburg Times

US hurdler looking for first victory at Millrose Games

January 31, 2008 - New York City

World Express Athletic Mgmt will be sending US hurdle talent Joel Brown to NYC for the 101st Millrose Games at famed Madison Square Garden. This will be Brown’s third time running at one of the oldest indoor track meets in the world and he is looking for a victory to go with his birthday celebration. For the past three years Brown has traveled to NYC and celebrated his birthday (Jan. 31st) but not a victory.

The Millrose Games is the 2nd stop on the Visa Series Indoor meets in the US. It will be televised live on ESPN2 on Friday, February 1st starting at 7:00pm – 8:00pm. The meet will then be rebroadcast on NBC Saturday February 2nd at 2:30 – 3:30pm. Please check your local listings for times in your area.

In 2007, Brown placed 2nd at the Millrose Games and went on to place 2nd at all the USA indoor meetings (Boston Indoor Games & Tyson Invite) that year posting a career best of :7.58 for 60m hurdles. The 2005 US Indoor hurdle champ only finished 5th at the US indoor championships in 2007 but looked forward to the outdoor season with a new indoor PR. Unfortunately Brown was slowed by a minor nagging injury. Not making his second US World Championship team was a major disappointment. But Brown now has his sights set on June and making his first US Olympic team. A change in coaching, training facilities and training partners is what Brown hopes will return him to the form he enjoyed in 2005 when he finished 6th at the World Outdoor Championships, 6th at the IAAF Final and was ranked 6th in the world by T&F News.

The field at the Millrose Games for the men’s hurdles will not be easy but Brown welcomes the challenge. He knows that battles such as these will help his preparations for the ultimate battle at the US Olympic Trials in June against the world’s best hurdlers. The USA is the only country that boasts 7 of the top 10 sprint hurdlers in the world. No other country has a stable of talent in one event other than the Africans in the distance events. The field includes three US hurdlers who ran under :13.20 last summer:

World Express will also send Trinidad & Tobago’s 800 meter national record (1:45.53) holder Sherridan Kirk to the Millrose Games to serve as a pace maker. Kirk who won the men’s 800m event at Millrose last year is looking to sharpen up for a run at a world indoor title.

2007 was shaping up for Kirk as a great year until injury struck at the Prefontaine Classic. Before then, Kirk was undefeated both indoors and outdoors winning three indoors races with a season best of 1:48.89 and then outdoors winning 4 races with an average time of 1:46.30. The world-class field for the Wanamaker Mile will include the USA’s Bernard Lagat who won both the 1500m and 5,000m events at this past summer’s World Outdoor T&F Championships in Osaka Japan.

The next stop on the Visa Series indoor meets will be the Tyson Invitational on February 15^th in Fayetteville Arkansas. Scheduled to compete for World Express will be Univ. of Arkansas All-American middle distance ace Said Ahmed (men’s 1 mile) and Joel Brown.

Joel Brown & Dexter Faulk will run 60m hurdles, Ahmed drops down to 800 meters

Boston, Mass. - Jan. 24, 2008

World Express Athletic Mgmt. will have three of its track & field athletes compete at this weekend’s Reebok Boston Indoor Games set for Saturday at the Reggie Lewis Center. USA’s Joel Brown and Dexter Faulk will both compete in the men’s 60m hurdles while Boston native Said Ahmed returns home to compete in the 800 meter run.

The Boston Indoor Games is part of the USA’s Visa Championships Series and will be televised taped delay on Sunday, January 27th on ESPN2 at 3:00pm. Click on www.usatf.org for more information about the Visa Championship Series.

Brown and Faulk will be opening their professional indoor track seasons against a solid field that included the USA’s Aries Merritt. Two weeks ago, Faulk posted a :7.65 performance at a college meet in Fayetteville Arkansas while Brown dominated his college foes last weekend in his home state of Maryland posting a :7.75 win. Last year in Boston, Brown placed 2nd with a season’s best of :7.58. Dexter Faulk has recently come into his own at only 21 years old posting a career best of :13.34 last year outdoors and :7.58 indoors. He will be looking for the upset over Brown and Merritt.

Said Ahmed returns home to compete in front of a home crowd but faces an great early season test against two of the USA’s best half-milers. Ahmed is a 9-time NCAA All-American and three-time SEC Champion while at the University of Arkansas and recorded some of the fastest 800-meter times in Massachusetts history while starring at Boston English High School. Competing in the men’s 800 meters against Ahmed will be US Champion Khadevis Robinson and Oregon native Nick Symmonds. On Monday in Fresno Ca., Ahmed ran a 4:05 mile on the small 140yd track as part of the first Visa Series Indoor Meet (Run for the Dream - USA vs World).

The Boston Indoor Games has quickly become the best indoor meeting in the US with several World and American Records being set along with world-class competition. Also set to compete are T&F stars Craig Mottram of Austrialia and Meseret Defar of Ethiopia.

The next stop on the Visa Championship Series will be the prestigous Millrose Games held in New York City at Madison Square Garden on Friday, Feb. 1st. Last year’s runner-up in the hurdles, Joel Brown will return to NYC looking for a victory.

For more information regarding Joel Brown, Dexter Faulk, Said Ahmed and other World Express Athletic Management athletes, please visit our web site at http://www.worldexpressmgmt.com

Mark A. Pryor
World Express Athletic Mgmt.

by: Tartan APS
January 16, 2008

FRESNO, Calif. - Fresno State and USA Track & Field have released the names of the professional athletes slated to compete at the Run for the Dream’s USA vs. the World Meet on Jan. 21, 2008.

The teams, which include Olympians, national champions, and record-holding athletes, represent 13 countries. Athletes will compete in seven individual events each for men and women, plus the 4×400m relay. Each competitor will participate in only one individual event, but may participate on the relay team. Run for the Dream is the first event of the 2008 Indoor Visa Championship Series and the first team-scored meet in the series’ history.

On the women’s side, former Bulldog Angela Daigle, along with Carmelita Jeter, will represent the USA against the World’s Shandria Brown of the Bahamas and Natasha Myers in the 55m dash. In the 55m hurdles, Americans Candace Davis and Damu Cherry will race against Jamaica’s Vonette Dixon and Canada’s Priscilla Lopes. LaShinda Demus and Jessica Cousins of the USA will race against Jamaicans Carlene Robinson and Ysanne Williams. Sherron Rhetta and Kim Gildersleeve will represent USA against Greada’s Neisha Bernard-Thomas and Great Britain’s Roseline Abroke in the 800m run.

Americans Jillian Schwartz and Nikole McEwen will take on pole vaulters Ikuko Nishikori of Japan and Dana Ellis-Buller of Canada. Jenny Adams and Tameshia King representing USA will attempt to leap past long jumper Saeko Okayama of Japan and Elva Goulbourne of Jamaica. The high jump will feature Americans Sharon Day and Amy Acuff against Mireya Beltran of Mexico and Gaelle Niare of France.

Racing in the 55m dash will be Josh Norman and Dwight Phillips of the USA against Jamaica’s Lerone Clark and Nigeria’s Adetoyi Duotoye. The 55m hurdles will pit USA’s Allen Johnson and Aubrey Herring against Charles Allen of Canada and Decosma Wright of Jamaica. Bershawn Jackson and Khadevis Robsinon will represent the Americans in the 600 yard-dash, while Sherridan Kirk and Michael Blackwood, both of Jamaica, will run for the World. The mile race will be a North American battle as Americans Said Ahmed and Michael Stember take on Mexico’s Mario Macias and Canada’s Ryan McKenzie.
Giovanni Lanaro of Mexico and Taquro Mori of Japan will battle against Americans Russ Buller and Tommy Skipper. Tony Allmond and John Moffit will leap for USA in the long jump against Haiti’s Narc Narcisse and Bermuda’s Tyrone Smith.

American shot putters Reese Joffa and Dan Taylor will face Om Prakash of India and Dorian Scott of Jamaica. Both the men’s and women’s 4×400m relay teams are currently under consideration.
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Athletes competing in the Run for the Dream will be the first to race on the new custom-designed TARTAN® indoor track being assembled Sunday for the meet on Monday, Jan. 21, 2008.

World Express Athletic Management Athletes competing:

Jessica Cousins, Sherridan Kirk, Said Ahmed, Mario Macias (see bold above)

http://www.worldexpressmgmt.com