Three Blue Devils To Compete At Pan American Junior Championships

The 2005 Pan American Junior Championships in Windsor, Canada, July 28-31, will feature three student-athletes from the Duke track & field roster. Jade Ellis, Kevin McDermott and Whitney Anderson will compete for the Under-19 USA team at the meet, which showcases athletes from 45 nations in North and South America.

Ellis, a rising sophomore, will perform in the long jump at 7:20 p.m. Friday. Ellis was an instrumental member of the 2005 Duke track & field squad, earning the team MVP award for the indoor season. He holds both the indoor and outdoor school records in the long jump after his inaugural year on the team.

McDermott and Anderson, both rising freshmen, will compete on Sunday. McDermott holds the New York state title in the 3,000m steeplechase and will perform in the same event at 6:40 p.m. Anderson, a 5,000m runner-up at this year's USATF Outdoor Junior Championships, will see action in that event at 7:30 p.m.

Anderson's second-place finish at the outdoor championships earned her a spot on the USA team and the opportunity to compete in the Pan American Championships as the two highest-placing athletes in each final event were selected. Ellis and McDermott also finished runner-up in their respective events at the outdoor championships to qualify.

Anderson and McDermott will see their first action as Blue Devils when the cross country season kicks off this fall.