Aug. 18, 2006

BEIJING, China - - University of Louisville sophomore Andre Black finished 16th in the qualifying round of the men's triple jump on Friday morning at the 2006 IAAF World Junior Track & Field Championships at the Chaoyang Sport Center in Beijing.

Black, a native of Mobile, Ala., and a 2006 NCAA Championships qualifier in the triple jump, had a top jump of 15.53 meters (50 feet, 11.5 inches) on the second of three attempts to finish 16th overall in a field of 24 of the top junior triple jumpers from around the world. The top 12 athletes in the qualifying round advanced to Sunday's triple jump final.

The men's triple jump closes out an exciting World Junior Championship meet for a trio of Cardinal athletes, highlighted by sophomore Tone Belt's silver-medal finish in the long jump on Wednesday. Belt, from Berkeley Springs, W.Va., had a career-best and school record mark of 7.95 meters (26 feet, 1 inch) to finish second in the world in the event and become the first UofL track and field athlete to earn a medal at a world championship meet.

Also competing for the Cards at the World Junior Championships was sophomore Cory Thorne who earned a 14th-place finish in the second heat race of the men's 3,000-meter steeplechase on Wednesday with a time of 9 minutes, 24. 10 seconds.