WACO, Texas - The Baylor track and field team is slated to have two current athletes and three incoming freshman competing at the IAAF World U20 Championships, which start Tuesday and continue through Sunday, at Zawisza Stadium in Bydgoszcz, Poland.
Taylor Bennett (200 meters & 4x100-meter relay) and Wil London (400 meters & 4x400-meter relay), who both just wrapped up their first years in Waco, will compete for Team USA in both individual events and on relays. Meanwhile, incoming freshmen Aaliyah Miller (800 meters) and Maxwell Willis (200 meters) are each slated to compete in individual events for Team USA. Competing for New Zealand, BU signee Alison Andrews-Paul will run in the 800 meters as well.
The meet features the best athletes in the world under the age of 20, including high school standouts and the nation's most promising college freshmen, who have all qualified for the world event at national meets.
Coming into the meet, Bennett owns the second-fastest (22.71) time this year for competitors at the meet in the 200 meters, which she set in early April. She was the runner-up in the event at the USATF Junior Championships with a time of 23.20. After suffering an injury at the Drake Relays, Bennett returned to place 18th at the NCAA West Preliminary Championships with a time of 23.39 in the 200 meters.
The first round of the 200 meters will be at 12 p.m. Friday (5 a.m. CT) with the semifinals slated for later that day at 9 p.m. (2 p.m. CT). Finals for the 200 meters will be Saturday at 6:20 p.m. (11:20 a.m. CT).
Bennett is then slated to run on the USA’s 4x100-meter relay, which has first round action on Friday at 6 p.m. (11 a.m. CT) and the finals at 7:50 p.m. (12:50 p.m. CT) on Saturday. Team USA has won the event at the last six editions of the IAAF World U20 Championships.
London, the USATF Junior champion in the 400 meters, comes into the meet with the fourth-fastest qualifying time at 45.28. He concluded his collegiate season with a 14th-place finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in 46.08. The Waco, Texas, product went on to be the fourth BU athlete to win a junior title at the national meet in the 400 meters with a time of 45.61.
The first round of the 400 meters is scheduled for Wednesday at 11:40 a.m. (4:40 a.m. CT), the semifinals will be held Thursday at 7:45 p.m. (12:45 p.m. CT) and the finals will be contested at 7:30 p.m. (1:30 p.m. CT) Friday.
London will then run on the 4x400-meter relay for Team USA Saturday at 11:45 a.m. (4:45 a.m. CT) and then the finals on Sunday at 5:50 p.m. (10:50 a.m. CT). Team USA has won the event in 15 of the 17 previous championships.
The Bears will have two athletes in action in the 800 meters, albeit for different countries. Miller was the runner-up at the USATF Junior Championships with a lifetime best of 2:02.96, which is the second-fastest time entering the meet. Meanwhile, Andrews-Paul was the New Zealand junior champion in the event and has a season-best time of 2:06.84.
The 800 meters gets underway on Tuesday 11:10 a.m. (4:10 a.m. CT) with semifinals Wednesday at 6:45 p.m. (11:45 a.m. CT) and finals Thursday at 8:45 p.m. (1:45 p.m. CT).
Willis will enter the 200 meters with the seventh-best time this season (20.71). He placed third at the USATF Junior Championships in 21.01. The first round of the 200 meters starts Thursday at 11:30 a.m. (4:30 a.m. CT), the semifinals run later that day at 6:30 p.m. (11:30 a.m. CT) and the finals will be Friday at 9:30 p.m. (2:30 p.m. CT).
