July 5, 2004

OTTAWA, Canada - - UTA sophomore-to-be sprinter Jared Connaughton (Charlottetown, Canada) has beeen selected to the Canadian national team that will attend the 2004 International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) World Junior Championships in Grosetto, Italy, July 13-18. Connaughton is among 21 junior athletes will represent Canada.

"The 21 athletes who have been selected to represent Canada at the world junior championships have achieved the IAAF standards and are among the finest athletes in their age class in the world," says world junior team head coach Bruce Pirnie."I'm excited that both of our medal winners from last year's world youth championships - shot putter Kyle Helf and 3000m steeplechaser Chris Winter - have made the transition to the junior ranks, as well as 2002 world junior veteran Hank Palmer in the 100-meters and 200-meters."

Connaughton will run in the 200 meters for Team Canada. He earned all-Southland Conference honors by placing second in the 100 meters with a 10.585 and third in the 200 meters with a 21.13. He also qualified for the NCAA Midwest regional in College Station, Texas where he ran a 21.44 in a preliminary heat.

"We are extremely happy for Jared," said UTA head track and field coach John Saugerhage. "Jared made tremendous improvement during his freshman season and we think he could be one of the premier sprinters in the state of Texas with a solid sophomore season."

Selection to the team was based on meeting the IAAF qualifying standards, as well as being approved by Athletics Canada's National Team Committee.

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