FORK UNION, VA -- At the 12th annual Fork Union Invitational held at the Estes Athletic center in Fork Union, VA on January 20th, there was some pretty impressive times and performances by some well known athletes then by some not so well known athletes.

In the boys' team competiton, Bethel won beating rival Atlee by 3 points, but Atlee was short handed only competing with 6 individuals. In the girls' team competition, Bethel looked impressive winning with 40 points.

The boys' distance events had some great competitors entered. In the boys' 1000, Curtis Parker of Woodside who just 2 weeks ago ran the 2nd fastest 1000 HS time in the nation this year, ran away with this event. Parker won in a time 2:33.64, 3 seconds ahead of 2nd place. In the boys' 1600, at the starting line there were 5 guys at the line that had broken 4:30 in the mile before, yet the winner had never broken 4:30 before until this year. That winner was Thomas Dale's sophomore stud Alex Tatu. Tatu was clocked in a personal best time of 4:29.74. He beat an impressive field. Second place was Cardinal Gibbons's (NC) Chris Elder, who is one of the best distance runners in that state. Follwing Elder was returning AA 1600 outdoors runner up, Evan Kays. Behind Kays were all state runners, Bill Meador (Cave Springs), and Charlie Hurt and Philip DeJong of Western Albemarle. In the boys' 3200 meter race, there was another sophomore surprise in Andrew Keino of Fork Union. But Keino didn't upset fast upperclassmen like Tatu did, he upset top runners in his own class in winning the race in 9:39.64 and beating the likes of Louisa County's Daniel Kane (9:46.64) and Alex Tatu (9:47.94). Tatu can take no shame in his 3200 race. His 4:29/9:47 1600/3200 double is by far the best 1600/3200 double so far this year.

In the girls' distance events, there were some close races. In the girls' 1000, Delaney Moje from Western Albemarle barely edge out Audrey Hand from Kellam by less than a second with at ime of 3:16.34. In the girls 1600, it was just as close with Brooke Point's Collen Connell beating Jefferson Forest's Shannon Saunders in a time of 5:20.24. Saunders came back and redeemed herself in the 3200, winning that event in a time of 11:34.54.

In the boys' sprints, a out-of-stater came in stole the show. Mike Lloyd of Mount Tabor HS (NC), won the 55 meter dash (6.55) and the 55 meter hurdles (7.60) over an impressive field that include some of VA's best in Gemayel Hazard of Bethel and Steve McDonnough of Benedictine in the 55 hurdles and Michael Johnson of Heritage in the 55 dash. In the boys' 500, Brian Ford of Atlee ran the second fastest 500 time recorded this year in the state.

In the girls' sprints, there was a double winner with Spotsylvania's Jennifer Nelms winning the 300 (41.74) and 500 (1:19.64), 2 of some of the fastest girls 300 and 500 times currently in the state.

In the boys' field events, certain individuals remained dominant while others were upsetted. An individual winner that remained dominant was Alonzo Moore of Phoebus HS in the triple jump who was coming off his great performance at CNU Showcase where his triple jump there but him #1 in the nation. Atlee's great pole vaulter, Val Osipenko had a different fate at FUMA, where he lost for the first time in his event by placing 3rd, but he was pole vaulting with a knee injury.

In the girls field events, we found a new state leader in the shot put. Lindsey Neuberger from F.W. Cox knocked off Thomas Jefferson's Ayanna Jones as the top girls' shot putter in the state with a throw of 43'4", 1 foot more than Jones's best this year. Jennifer Nelms also won the high jump making her a triple winner for the day.