Two of the fastest junior 800m runners in Canada will be at the UBC Pre-Jerome on June 8^th at the Rashpal Dhillon Oval. Keffri Neal of Surrey, BC and Tyler Smith of Wetaskiwin, AB will be chasing a fast time and racing against each other in order to qualify for the IAAF World Junior Championships in Barcelona, Spain.

The two have run under the Athletics Canada qualifying standard of 1:51.00, along with Brandon McBride (Windsor, ON), who has run 1:47.14, and Mathieu Sturkenboom (Vaudreuil, QC), who has run 1:50.37. Only the top two athletes with the standard will be selected to run for Canada in Barcelona.

Neal just completed his freshman year at the University of Kentucky. He was an 800m and 1500m provincial champion while at Surrey's Fleetwood Park Secondary. He was the Canadian Junior 800m Champion in 2011 as well as a winner at the prestigious Brook PR Invitational indoor meet in Seattle, WA. He ran his personal-best time of 1:49.43 in the 800m at the 2011 Harry Jerome Classic.

Tyler Smith is a rising high school star from Alberta. He won the 2012 Arcadia Invitational in a personal-best time of 1:49.23. Smith also joined Neal as a winner of the Brooks PR Invitational this spring, making it two consecutive wins in the 800m by Canadians.

These two runners add considerable strength to the UBC Pre-Jerome field that already includes twin brothers José Juan Esparza and Jesús Arturo Esparza of Mexico, with 800 m personal bests of 1:48.34 and 1:49.50.