Young Americans To Face Golden Jamaican
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - 12/11/13

It's been the sprinting storyline for a decade now — the U.S. versus Jamaica — but the advantage has been on the side of the Green & Gold for several years.

At the NYRR Millrose Games on Feb. 15, it will be 31-year-old veteran Michael Frater — a two-time Olympic gold medalist — trying to maintain homeland supremacy in facing three young Americans — U.S. Olympian Isiah Young and 2013 NCAA champions D'Angelo Cherry and Ameer Webb.

Frater — who won global 4x100m gold in 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2012 — joined Nesta Carter, Yohan Blake andUsain Bolt on Jamaica's world-record relay (36.84) at the London Olympics. He also took individual silver in the 100m at the World Championships in Helsinki in 2005. Frater was both an All-American and Academic All-American as a collegian at Texas Christian University.

Armory regulars are well acquainted with Cherry, who won the 60m dash 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 in 6.14, an en-route time in the 60.

"The Armory is one of my most favorite places to race," said Cherry. "I'm in good shape and looking forward to running a great race at the Millrose Games."

Last year he won gold in the 60 at the U.S. Indoor Championships (6.49) a week before winning the NCAA title for Mississippi State in the same event.

Young — who burst onto the international scene out of the University of Mississippi in 2012 — has very young legs. He did not run track until his senior year in high school when he discovered that extracurricular participation was a graduation requirement. Four years later he was a surprise 200m qualifier for the London Games. In 2013 he ran sub-10 in the 100 and sub-20 in the 200.

Webb — who has competed at The Armory for Texas A&M — defeated Young for the 200-meter NCAA title at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., last summer. Webb, a standout running back as a California high schooler, won back-to-back NCAA indoor titles for A&M in the 200m as well.

"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 won't be the lone Jamaican as young countryman Kimmari Roach is also in the field. Roach is familiar with the Big Apple, having run at the adidas Grand Prix at Icahn Stadium as a 20-year-old in 2011 and in the final race in Madison Square Garden history, the 50m dash at the 2012 U.S. Open.

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.

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.