File Photo/Arizona Summer Wildcat Mike Kenyon leaps out of the starting blocks in a meet on April 6. The former Wildcat finished fifth overall in 400m in the U.S. Championships at Stanford.

Brianna Glenn wins womenâs long jump

In the biggest meet of his life, Mike Kenyon put up his best result.

Kenyon, who was a senior at UA this season, finished fifth in the menâs 400 meters at the U.S. Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Stanford on Sunday.

ãFor him to do what he did in that short period of time is just amazing,ä said UA director of track and field. ãMikeâs turnaround in the course of a half-year is the biggest that I have ever dealt with an athlete. It brings tears to my eyes every time I think about it.ä

Kenyon, who was the Pacific 10 Conference champion and finished seventh at the NCAA championships, clocked a time of 45.83 seconds Sunday.

The Sacramento, Calif. native, was in seventh place coming off the final turn, but quickly moved ahead of Jerome Young, who finished seventh, and then caught Calvin Harrison at the finish.

ãI came here to prove that I belonged and that I was going to be around for a while,ä said Kenyon, who received $500 for his finish, after the race. ãI think that I did that. People now know a little better who I am and that I am going to be around for more than a minute.ä

By finishing fifth, Kenyon also qualified to be a part of the 400m-relay team at the 2002 World Cup that will be held in Madrid, Spain, in September.

Other former and current Wildcats had success during the weekendâs events.

ãWhen I woke up Monday morning I said to myself Îwow, was that weekend for real?âä Harvey said.

Former UA sprinter Brianna Glenn won the womenâs long jump on Friday and finished seventh in the 100m Saturday.

ãBrianna didnât run as fast as she wanted to run,ä said Harvey about her 100m time. ãIt wasnât her fault. She is just very tired. The NCAA champion Angela Williams finished right in front of her.ä

Arizona sophomore Amy Linnen, who has been slowed by an arm strain the past couple of weeks, finished 13th in the womenâs pole vault with a height of 13-5.

Freshman Sean Shields won the shot put and was second in the discus at the U.S. Junior Championships held concurrently.

The U.S. Championships were used as a qualifier for Septemberâs World Cup. Next yearâs championships will be used as a qualifier for the Pan Am Games. In an Olympic year the name of the meet is changed to the Olympic Trials.

ãThis was one of the greatest national meet weekends in the history of Tucson, Arizona,ä Harvey said. ãYou have three national champs that train on our track. With the performance level that we have, these things are huge. I donât think there are many towns in the country that can match that.

ãI think that the things that we did this weekend are going to bring a lot of respect to this town for a while.ä