A total of six Virginians were named to the All-USA high school track team by USA Today. Three boys and three girls from Virginia were selected to the team chosen by Jack Shepard, high school editor for Track and Field News. Charles Clark of Bayside, Mike Morrison of Great Bridge, Corey Vinston of Phoebus, Francena McCorory of Bethel, Nicole Saunders of Menchville, and Natalie Baird of Park View were the six honorees from Virginia.
Clark was a national champion in both indoors and outdoors for 200 meters, while earning All-American honors in the 55 meter dash indoors and 100 meter dash outdoors. He also achieved a rare feat in sweeping the sprint events at the 3A State Meet with state championships in the 100, 200, and 400 meter dashes.
Morrison finished out his stellar high school career by achieving his ultimate goal in breaking the school and unofficial state record held by former Olympian Lawrence Johnson by clearing 17\'6.50\" in the pole vault this May. Morrison also won his first Nike Outdoor Nationals title to go along with his USATF Junior Nationals title from last year and National Scholastic Indoor Championships title from this past March.
Vinston was high up on the state and national leaderboard in virtually every event he competed in. Vinston hit impressive marks of 25 feet in the long jump and 49\'3\" in the triple jump to go along with some swift track times of 21.08 in the 200 meter dash and 37.97 in the 300 meter hurdles.
McCorory\'s senior season of outdoor track was tragically cut short with a hamstring injury suffered at the Southern Track Classic in early May, but prior to the injury McCorory had established herself as the nation\'s top rising sprinter. In March at the Nike Indoor Nationals, McCorory broke the national record for 400 meters with a 51.89 clocking. McCorory had earlier in the indoor season set the national mark for 300 meters as well.
Saunders, a junior for Menchville, had a breakout spring in the hurdles as ran some of the fastest times ever in Virginia high school history in the 300 and 400 meter hurdles. At one point, Saunders held the US #1 time in the 400 meter hurdles after a runner-up finish at the Penn Relays. Saunders finished out her year with a national runner-up performance at Nike Outdoor Nationals and just missing the World Juniors team with a third place finish at USATF Junior Nationals.
Baird is the youngest among all the Virginians selected to the All-USA team as she just completed her sophomore year at Park View High School in Sterling, Virginia. Baird was sensational this season in the discus throw as she uncorked her best with a 157\'7\" throw at her regional meet. Baird went onto to win 2A state titles in both the shot put and discus, while earning her first All-American honors with a second place finish at Nike Outdoor Nationals in the discus throw.
Complete listing of the teams can be found below:
Girls Team
Boys Team
A total of six Virginians were named to the All-USA high school track team by USA Today. Three boys and three girls from Virginia were selected to the team chosen by Jack Shepard, high school editor for Track and Field News. Charles Clark of Bayside, Mike Morrison of Great Bridge, Corey Vinston of Phoebus, Francena McCorory of Bethel, Nicole Saunders of Menchville, and Natalie Baird of Park View were the six honorees from Virginia.
Clark was a national champion in both indoors and outdoors for 200 meters, while earning All-American honors in the 55 meter dash indoors and 100 meter dash outdoors. He also achieved a rare feat in sweeping the sprint events at the 3A State Meet with state championships in the 100, 200, and 400 meter dashes.
Morrison finished out his stellar high school career by achieving his ultimate goal in breaking the school and unofficial state record held by former Olympian Lawrence Johnson by clearing 17\'6.50\" in the pole vault this May. Morrison also won his first Nike Outdoor Nationals title to go along with his USATF Junior Nationals title from last year and National Scholastic Indoor Championships title from this past March.