EDMONTON, Canada -- Team USA claimed gold and silver in women’s hammer throw final during the opening session of Pan American Junior Championships, which also included 100- and 400-meter prelim events and the beginning of decathlon Friday at Foote Field.
 
A Youth Olympic Games participant and World Juniors competitor in 2014, Haley Showalter (Denver, Colorado) won gold in Edmonton, with a tremendous first throw of 58.45m/191-9, which would stand as her strongest of the competition. Showalter was the only athlete to throw more than 58 meters, and did it on her first and second attempts. Earning the silver was Lena Giger (Highland, Illinois), who saved the best for last, marking a final attempt at 57.99m/190-3 for second place.
 
Sara Kathryn Stevens (New Braunfels, Texas) won silver in pole vault with a top clearance of 4.00m/13-1.5 on her first attempt after clearing 3.80 on her first attempt at her opening height after passing 3.50 and 3.65. Stevens cleared 3.90 on her third attempt and attempted 4.10m. Desiree Freier (Ft. Worth, Texas) did not compete.
 
In the women’s 100m prelims, Team USA’s Aleia Hobbs, running in heat 1, had the fastest qualifying time with a windy 11.37. Teahna Daniels (Orlando, Florida) ran in the third heat and clocked 11.46 for the fifth fastest time in the field.
 
In men’s 100m qualifying, Noah Lyles (Alexandria, Virginia) ran a very windy 10.07 in the second heat for the quickest time of the day with teammate Christian Coleman (Atlanta, Georgia) from heat three posting the third fastest prelim time at 10.16.
 
Zola Golden (LaGrangeville, New York) ran 53.70 in the opening heat of women’s 400m qualifying with the second fastest time overall. Teammate Kendall Ellis (Pembroke Pines, Florida) ran 53.90 to become the first time qualifier and the seventh overall heading into the final.
 
After three events in decathlon, Harrison Williams (Memphis, Tennessee) leads with 2,455 points and Travis Toliver (Houston, Texas) sits in third with 2,304.
 
The next session begins at 5 p.m. local time (MT) and 7 p.m. EST.
 
 
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Click here for the complete schedule and results. The event will also be webcast here live, once the competition begins.