Page 21 - ATODAY
P. 21
A22
SPORTSMonday 21 March 2016
Teenager Cunningham steals the show at the world indoors
ANNE M. PETERSON who is also his daughter’s
coach, leapt to his feet
AP Sports Writer when she was pronounced
the winner — along with
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — the rest of the crowd at the
Portland Convention Cen-
High school senior Vashti ter.
The United States finished
Cunningham, daughter of the event with a record 23
medals, including 13 golds,
former NFL quarterback in a championship that
didn’t include Russia, which
Randall Cunningham, be- was absent because of
pending doping charges.
came the youngest high Other American gold med-
alists on the final day of the
jump champion ever at the championship included
Matthew Centrowitz in the
world indoor track and field 1,500 meters and Marquis
Dendy in the long jump.
championships on Sunday. The U.S. also won both the
The gold-medal winning
clearance of 6 feet, 5 inch-
es is the latest honor in the
stunning rise of the 18-year-
old Cunningham, who set
the American high school
record in the event at the
U.S. indoor championship
last weekend.
Randall Cunningham, United States’ Vashti Cunningham clears the bar during wom-
en’s high jump final during the World Indoor Athletics Champi-
onships, Sunday, March 20, 2016, in Portland, Ore. Cunningham
won the event.
Associated Press
men’s and women’s 4x400 bronze.
relay. Genzebe Dibaba of Ethio-
Just like the week before pia, who holds the indoor
at nationals, Cunningham world record in the 3,000
stole the show. Ruth Beitia meters, fell to the back of
of Spain, who is 18 years a conservative pack at the
older than Cunningham, start of Sunday’s final, but
claimed the silver and Ka- pulled out in front about
mila Licwinko of Poland fin- halfway through and de-
ished third. fended her title easily in
Afterward, Cunningham 8:47.43. Fellow Ethiopian
announced she is leaning Meseret Defar, coming
toward going pro instead off an extended break for
of college. She’ll now try the birth of her daughter,
to make the U.S. team for was second, and Ameri-
the Olympics this summer in can Shannon Rowbury was
Brazil. third.
But first she has to graduate Rowbury, an Olympian
from Bishop Gorman High who trains in Portland, won
School in Las Vegas. the U.S. indoor champion-
“I’m excited on the inside ship last week, moving up
but keeping it calm on the from her usual 1,500.
outside,” she said. “The end of the race was
Centrowitz celebrated his tough, but the crowd car-
victory by pointing to the ried me through to the fin-
USA emblazoned across his ish,” Rowbury said.
jersey. He became the first On the men’s side, Ethio-
American man to win the pian teenager Yomif Kejel-
1,500 with a final-lap surge cha won the gold in 7:57.21,
that pulled him in front of but American Ryan Hill had
silver medalist Jakup Holu- a thrilling surge to move up
sa of the Czech Republic. from fifth on the final lap to
New Zealand’s Nicholas finish with the silver. Kenya’s
Willis poured it on down Augustine Kiprono Choge
the stretch to finish with the took the bronze.
