Cherry photo by John Barnett; Frater photo courtesy of Michael Frater; Young photo by John Nepolitan/ Armory Track
2013 NCAA Champion D'Angelo Cherry, Jamaica's 2-time Olympic Gold Medalist Michael Frater and U.S. Olympian Isiah Young will compete in the 60-meter dash.
New York, December 11, 2013 - Two-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Frater will be looking to keep Jamaica sprinting atop the podium in the 60-meter dash at the NYRR Millrose Games on Feb. 15. But the 31-year-old's task won't be easy as three young Americans - U.S. Olympian Isiah Young and 2013 NCAA champions D'Angelo Cherry and Ameer Webb - will be in on the chase.
"All three Americans were born in the early 1990s," said Dr. Norbert Sander, the Executive Director of the Armory Foundation. "This could well be a race of Olympic contenders in both Rio in 2016 and Tokyo in 2020."
Frater - who won global 4x100m gold in 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2012 - joined Nesta Carter, Yohan Blake and Usain Bolt on Jamaica's world-record relay (36.84) at the London Olympics. But he has also taken individual silver at the World Championships in Helsinki in 2005.
Armory regulars are well acquainted with Cherry, who won the 60m dash for Mississippi State at the Armory Collegiate Invitational in both 2012 and 2013. Even before that, at the 2008 National Scholastic Invitational Championships here, he broke the national high school record in the 55m dash (6.14).
"The Armory is one of my most favorite places to race," said Cherry, who won 60m titles at the U.S. and NCAA Championships last winter. "I'm in good shape and looking forward to running a great race at the Millrose Games."
Young - a surprise 200m qualifier for the London Games out of the University of Mississippi - has posted sub-10 in the 100 and sub-20 in the 200 in 2013, but finished second to Webb in the 200m final at the NCAA Championships in June. Running for Texas A&M, Webb won back-to-back NCAA indoor titles in the 200m as well.
Frater won't be the lone Jamaican as young countryman Kimmari Roach - who ran at the adidas Grand Prix at Icahn Stadium as a 20-year-old - is also in the field.
Fans are urged to visit NYRRMillroseGames.org to purchase tickets. The 2014 NYRR Millrose Games will begin at noon and conclude at 6:30 pm, featuring the prime time window from 3 pm to 5 pm. Further questions can be answered by calling The Armory at (212) 923-1803 ext. 7200.
About the NYRR Millrose Games
Since its inception in 1908 at a local armory, the NYRR Millrose Games is one of track and field's most prestigious annual events. A New York City sports staple, the meet moved to New Balance Track & Field Center at The Armory in Washington Heights in 2012 after having called the Madison Square Garden home from 1914 to 2011. The Games - established by employees of Wanamaker's Department Store - annually feature track & field's most prolific male and female stars as well as collegiate and high school competitors. More than 200 athletes share the distinction of being both Millrose and Olympic Champions. In November, the New York Road Runners became the title sponsor of the NYRR Millrose Games, which is hosted by the Armory Foundation.
