INDIANAPOLIS – National 1,500 meter high school record holder Jordan
Hasay, of Arroyo Grande, Calif., has been named the 2008 Youth Athlete
of the Year by USA Track & Field. Hasay will be honored on
Saturday, December 6, at the Jesse Owens Awards and Hall of Fame
Induction Ceremony. The event will be held at the Silver Legacy Resort
in Reno, Nevada, in conjunction with USA Track & Field’s 2008
Annual Meeting.

As the youngest competitor in the
women’s 1,500m at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Track &
Field, Hasay broke the national high school record by running 4 minutes
14.50 seconds to place fifth in the semifinal and qualify for the
final. Her performance broke the previous record of 4:16.42, held for
just under three weeks by Christine Babcock, by nearly two seconds.
Slated to leave almost immediately for the World Junior Championships
in Poland, Hasay delayed her trip to run in the final, where she
finished 10th in 4:17.36.

“I am
honored to be recognized by USA Track & Field with this award,”
said Hasay. “I am thankful for everything that USATF does for the sport
of running in our country and inspired by its outstanding dedication to
its members. I’d also like to thank my family, coach, and community who
always provide continued support to me. “

Hasay
began her year by winning the USA Junior Cross Country Championships on
February 16, in San Diego, Calif. She covered the 6 km course in 20:32
and was 13 seconds ahead of her nearest competitor.

At
the 2008 USA Junior Track & Field Championships, Hasay repeated her
performance from last year and won the women’s 1,500m, outkicking
Oregon’s Alex Kosinksi (Eugene, Ore.) down the final stretch to win in
4:18.44. It was that performance that qualified her for the 2008 IAAF
World Junior Championships.

On Friday, July 11,
just one week removed from her national record-setting performance,
Hasay competed in the first round of the women’s 1,500m at the World
Junior Championships. Taking fourth place in heat three of the prelims
in 4:20.82, she qualified for the final on time. In the final, Hasay
placed fourth, crossing the line in 4:19.02. It was the best ever
finish for an American woman in the 1,500m at World Juniors.

Hasay
dominated on the high school level as well. At the CIF Finals, she held
off Davis Senior High School senior Laurynne Chetelat down the home
stretch to win the 3,200m state title in a meet record 9:52.13, the
second fastest 3,200m time ever run by a high school girl. On October
23, Track & Field News named Hasay the 2008 Girls High School Athlete of the Year.

“Jordan
is a shining star for Team USA and for the USATF youth program,” said
USATF Youth Athletics Committee Chair Lionel Leach, noting that Hasay
has long been a fixture at USATF’s Youth and Junior Olympic events. “We
are proud that she got her start in the USATF youth programs and will
eagerly be watching her progress as she moves on to the collegiate and
professional levels.”

For more information on the USATF Annual Meeting, visit www.usatf.org

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