Courtesy: USATF

Led by 16 Olympians, Team USA will open track and field competition on Tuesday, August 5, at the Pan American Games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Competition continues through August 9 at Juan Pablo Duarte Olympic Stadium.

Competition opens Tuesday with finals in the men's 20 km walk (John Nunn, Tim Seaman), women's hammer throw (Anna Mahon, Dawn Ellerbe), men's shot put (Reese Hoffa, Daniel Taylor), women's long jump (Tameisha King, Rose Richmond), women's discus (Aretha Hill, Suzy Powell) and men's 5,000 meters (Seth Hejny). Ellerbe and Hill both will defending the Pan Am golds they won in 1999.

Preliminary rounds will be held in the decathlon (Stephen Moore, Kip Janvrin), women's 100m (Angela Williams, Lauryn Williams), men's 100 (Mickey Grimes, Marcelle Scales), women's 400m hurdles (Joanna Hayes, Brenda Taylor), men's 400m hurdles (Eric Thomas, Regan Nichols), women's 800 (Lauren Simmons, Hazel Clark), and men's 800 (Jess Strutzel, Floyd Thompson).

Women's 2000 Olympic team members competing in Santo Domingo are Me'Lisa Barber (4x400), Hazel Clark (800), Dawn Ellerbe (hammer), Mel Mueller (pole vault), Kellie Suttle (pole vault) and Suzy Powell (discus). Aretha Hill (discus) and Erica Wheeler (javelin) were 1996 Olympic Team members.

"We have an interesting blend of veteran athletes as well as performers competing in their first international event," said Team USA women's head coach Monica Gary. "I feel pretty good about the makeup of this team and their ability to succeed."

Men's Olympians are 2000 team members Ken Brokenburr (4x100), Philip Dunn (50 km race walk), Breaux Greer (javelin), Ja'Warren Hooker (4x400), Kip Janvrin (decathlon), Tim Seaman (20 km race walk), Michael Stember (1,500m) and Eric Thomas (400m hurdles).

"We have such diversity in this team, everywhere from the sprints to the throwers to the vaulters," said Team USA men's head coach Fred Harvey. "I wouldn't say we have one particular strength, but it is the United States and we always have high- level sprint groups. We have three different relay combinations that we feel can run under 38.5 seconds and get the stick around the track in fine fashion, and that's saying a lot."

For a complete Team USA roster, visit the Pan Am Games link on www.usatf.org.