At the Last Chance Invitational held at the Arthur Ashe center this past Saturday where many were trying to get last second qualifiers for their district and regional meets, Prince George senior Rhian Jenks had higher goals on her mind. Jenks wanted to go for the state best in her event, the pole vault, in which she did successfully as the University of North Carolina bound Jenks vaulted to an amazing height of 11-6 to firmly to take command of the state leaderboard as well as earn athlete of the week honors.

Thomas Dale sophomore Dennis Boone is quickly rising as one of the Central Region\'s top sprinters and jumpers this indoor season. At the Green Dragon Last Chance Invitational, Boone came away with two wins as he was the top in the field in the 55 meter dash (6.62) and the long jump (21-9.75) to earn athlete of the week honors. Boone will figure to be a favorite in both events at the regional level.

Heading into this season, many had looked to Derron Flood as being one of the best sprinters in the state. He certainly reaffirmed that faith many had in him from the beginning at the Eastern Challenge held at UNC\'s year old indoor track facility in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. In the 500 meter dash, Flood won in a state best time of 1:05.62, which currently puts him as having the second fastest time in the nation as the Deep Creek senior earned athlete of the week honors with his great performance.

In a stacked field for the girls\' 1000 meter run at the Fork Union Invitational which included the likes of Sarah Bowman (Fauquier), Jemissa Hess (C.D. Hylton), and Shylan Bumbrey (James Monroe) among others, it was Kellam junior Natalie Sherbak who rose above the group. Sherbak set the pace from the get go as she took the lead in the first lap and kept it till the end en route to her winning time of 3:01.85 on the 160 meter track to earn athlete of the week honors. A sub 3 minute 1000 definitely looms for the Kellam star in the near future on a fast 200 meter track.

Two Virginians have been invited to run in the elite Millrose Games high school mile races as both Fork Union senior Kippy Keino and Hickory senior Jennifer Boyd have received invitations. This is the 96th annual Millrose Games as it will be held on February 7th at the Madison Square Garden in New York City. Both Keino and Boyd are the current state leaders in the 1600 meter run.

A handful of Virginia teams including Deep Creek, West Springfield, Great Bridge, and Western Branch ventured south to compete at the Easter Challenge at the University of North Carolina\'s year old indoor track facility.

Despite a few teams not being able to make it to the Fork Union Invitational due to school closings Friday because of the snow storm, the majority of the teams entered in the meet made the trek to Fork Union to make for one exciting day of track and field.

The National Scholastic Sports Foundation (NSSF) is pleased to announce the latest addition to its 2003 Nike Indoor Championship (NIC) scheduled for March 15-16, 2003 at the Prince George Sports and Education Facility in Landover, Maryland. The new Nike Sprint Summit will present an unequaled opportunity for young sprinters to hone their skills with expert advise and tips from some of the nation

The senior sprinter from Potomac Senior, Joe Robinson made quite a name for himself this past Saturday at the Prince George Sports & Learning Complex in Landover, Maryland. There at the Montgomery Invitational against some top talent from Virginia and Maryland and other states, Robinson came out with the nation\'s fastest time in the 55 meter dash. In the preliminary heat, Robinson got a great start and finished just as well to clock a 6.26 to move atop the national leaderboard in the event and earn athlete of the week honors. Later in the day, Robinson won the finals with a still swift time of 6.34.

Potomac sophomore Kharya Brown is quickly becoming one of the state\'s top sprinters after performances such as last Saturday\'s 55 meter dash win at the Montgomery Invitational. In the meet, Brown won in a state best time of 7.24 to earn athlete of the week honors. Brown, who last year ran for Gar-Field as a freshman but transferred over to Potomac during the off-season, figures to be a favorite in the battle for the state crown in the event.

The third annual CNU Showcase showed just why the indoor track facility at the Freeman Center is one of the fastest in the state with a large number of state best performances as well as countless other performances to make this a very deep and competitive meet. Two of the state's top distance runners, seniors Kippy Keino of Fork Union and Alex Tatu of Thomas Dale made there major invite debuts for the indoor track season and in impressive manner.

In a meet comprising of a good mixture of Maryland and Virginia teams at the Montgomery Invitational, many Virginians came out with some solid performances.

Clearly the top performance of the meet and quite possibly one of the best out of any Virginian this weekend was Steve Huntzinger throwing a personal best of 62-5 in the shot put at the Keydet Invitational at Virginia Military Institute. The throw not only was the best in the state this season, but also the best in the nation so far as no other thrower had gone over the 60 foot mark this season until Huntzinger\'s throw at VMI.

LANDOVER, MD - Many of the top Northern Region teams as well as a few from other parts of Virginia are venturing across the Potomac River to compete in this weekend\'s Montgomery Invitational at the Prince George County\'s Sports and Learning Complex against some strong out of state competition.

Fauquier Sarah Bowman of Fauquier indicated fully well that she wants to be the top middle distance runner in the state with her outstanding performance at the East Coast Invitational where she won the 1600 in 5:11 and 1000 in 3:05, showing she could very well be already in sub 5 minute shape for the 1600 and sub 3 for the 1000 as she earned athlete of the week honors.

With the graduation of David Sullivan from Centreville, the title of the state\'s best pole vaulter seemed to be up for grabs this indoor track season. Well Will Byrd of Norfok Academy is making a strong case for himself in earning title after his impressive performance at the East Coast Invitational. At East Coast, Byrd vaulted to a state best mark of 14-00.00 to win the event and as well garner athlete of the week honors.

Two long and active days of competition at the Arthur Ashe Center in Richmond as many great performances were witnessed at the East Coast Invitational. The Ashe Center is known for not being one of the fastest indoor tracks in the state, but some of the performances of individuals and relays at the meet were making the facility not seem so \"Ashe-like\".

A 53 year-old Douglas Freeman High School teacher and track coach was killed Tuesday when police said he pulled into the path of another car on U.S. 360 in King and Queen County. State police said Charles Barton Gordon was driving west on U.S. 360 in a 1979 Mercedes Benz around 6:40 p.m. when he attempted to make a left turn onto state Route 721. The Mercedes turned into the path of a 1996 Doge Neon, traveling west on U.S. 360, and was struck in the right front fender. Police could not determine whether Gordon, who lived in the 8500 block of Mark Lawn Drive, had been wearing a seat belt. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The passengers in the Dodge Neon were taken to Medical College of Virginia Hospitals. A report on their conditions was not immmediately available. The were identified as Daniel Arthur Turner, 33, of Westmoreland County, who was driving; and Arlethea Arlene Harris, 43, of King William County. Police believe both were wearing safety belts. The wreck remains under investigation. Gordon was a member of Freeman\'s Science Department and primarily taught ninth-grade Earth Science, said Freeman Principal Edward H. Pruden. Gordon was also a longtime member of Freeman\'s track staff, specializing as the school\'s sprint coach. \"I think over the years he\'s probably worked with many different areas of track and field,\" Pruden said. Gordon had been at Douglas since at least 1985, Pruden said.\"This was his 29th year in the classroom,\" said Pruden, adding, \"Our Freeman family is stunned and is grieving.\"

The Douglas Freeman running and school community is at a loss of words after the sad and devastating car accident which took the life of longtime Douglas Freeman track coach Charles Gordon on New Year\'s Eve. However, some current and past runners under Gordon were able to share some words of remembrance of their late coach. If anyone else feels free to contribute any words on his remembrance, feel free to do so, by emailing them at milestat@comcast.net. Let the healing start now.

West Springfield\'s Huma Husain at the Metro Run & Walk Invitational, showed exactly why she is one of the top middle distance runners in the state as she finished second in the 800 meter run on Friday with a 2:18.87 and then won the 1000 meter run on Saturday with a state best time of 3:00.53 to earn athlete of the week honors.

West Springfield senior Jeff Day had a strong distance double at the second annual Metro Run & Walk Invitational. At the meet, Day posted two state bests as he won both the 1600 meter and 3200 meter runs in times of 4:25.46 and 9:38.40 respectively to earn himself athlete of the week honors.