Sean Holston, Axel Mostrag, Catherine White, and Dania Sanford will be representing the state of Virginia this weekend at the New Balance Collegiate Games competing in elite junior (high school) events at the college meet. Each will be facing stiff competition with Mostrag and White racing at 1000 meters, while Holston and Sanford will be competing in the 300 meter dash.
After running a US #9 all-time performance of 33.68 last Saturday at the Virginia Tech Invitational in Blacksburg, Robert E. Lee senior Sean Holston will get a second opportunity to lower his time in the event on a fast banked track found at the New York Armory. Holston is the nation leader in the event currently and the five entrants in New York include US #2 Trenton Guy Jr. of West Charnotte NC in which Holston defeated last weekend at Virginia Tech. The race will also feature Stephen Beckford from Baldwin High School in New York as Beckford ran a US #3 time of 1:21.05 for 600 meters last month. Holston will be the favorite in this event and will be looking to beat Lashawn Merritt\'s 33.51 clocking in 2004 to become the fastest Virginia all-time for 300 meters. Beating Merritt\'s time would immediately insert Holston into the US top five all-time.
Fork Union Military Academy senior Axel Mostrag is looking very fit and sharp heading into Saturday\'s 1000 meter junior race as he is considered one of the favorites despite going up against a loaded field. Mostrag already this season has ran 4:17 for 1600 meters indoors on a 160 meter track and last weekend split 1:53 as anchor leg for Fork Union\'s US #1 7:52 4x800 meter relay squad. Mostrag will be looking to break into the US top 20 all-time list (time cutoff of 2:27.69 and become the second fastest Virginian prep all for 1000 meters behind national record holder Alan Webb at 2:23.68. Only four Virginians have ran under 2:30 for 1000 meters since Alan Webb\'s 2001 national record performance at Virginia Tech with South Lakes teammate Richard Smith as the next fastest at 2:28.18.
Mostrag will have plenty of competition to push him to a fast time at the Armory. Lionel Williams, a New Yorker from St. Peter\'s, ran an impressive national leading 600 meter two weeks ago of 1:19.40, which is also a US #3 all-time performance. One of North Carolina\'s best in LaMarr Davis, has ran under 1:05 this season for 500 meters and has the fastest returning 800 meter time in the country from last spring at 1:50.58. Mostrag is the next fastest with his 1:50.60 time from Poland last summer.
While Mostrag will have plenty of speedsters to contend with in the race with the likes of Williams and Davis, Matt Centrowitz from Broadneck in Maryland is coming off a US#2 4:10.85 mile performance at the Boston Indoor Games to finish as a runner-up in the loaded race. Centrowitz is primarily more longer distance geared, but he showed some wheels last weekend in Boston to make him a darkhorse for this weekend.
Mostrag will have a buddy in the race with him as Fork Union teammate Szymon Rola is also entered in the race and will look to run a personal best time for 1000 meters. Rola ran a strong leg last Friday for Fork Union\'s 4x800 meter relay to split 1:56. With Fork Union\'s third fastest leg Reichlen at 1:58, following up the next day at St. Christopher\'s with a state best 2:32 win in the 1000, Rola definitely has a 2:30-2:31 performance in him this weekend.
This will be Catherine White\'s second trip in a row to compete in the 1000 meter run at the Collegiate Games. Last year as a junior, the University of Arkansas recruit ran a personal best time of 2:57.30 to finish sixth in an event that she rarely competes in. While the two mile in the past has been considered her premier event as shown with a national runner-up finish in the event at the 2006 Nike Indoor Nationals, White has the range to run fast at shorter distances. She proved just that last weekend at the Reebok Boston Indoor Games to run an indoor personal best of 4:55.38 (converts to 4:53.68 for 1600 meters) for the mile. Icing on the cake for White was defeating two Millrose Games invitees for the high school mile in the race.
White will be looking to dragged through for a personal best time on Saturday as New York\'s Brittany Sheffey (2:53.23) and Brianna Welch (2:54.99) have two of the nation\'s three fastest times for 1000 meters this season. However, White does have a recent victory over Sheffey to her credit from last weekend in Boston and Sheffey will be doubling back from the mile at the Millrose Games on Friday night.
This weekend will be a great experience for Fauquier senior Dania Sanford, who is just starting to gain recognition as one of Virginia\'s top sprinters and looks to test herself against some tough national competition this weekend. Last weekend at Virginia Tech, Sanford ran a US #4 time of 39.52 out of a slower section of the 300 meter dash to win the event. A past Northwest Region champion and last year\'s state runner-up for 400 meters, Sanford has a shot at winning again this weekend as she has the fastest time this season among all entrants.
However, Ashlee McLaughlin from Uniondale High School of New York will be very tough to beat after running a US #2 time of 1:13.69 for 500 meters at Virginia Tech last Saturday. Her time in Blacksburg ranks US #16 all-time Last year as a junior year, McLaughlin ran an identical time to Sanford\'s last weekend of 39.52.
Sean Holston, Axel Mostrag, Catherine White, and Dania Sanford will be representing the state of Virginia this weekend at the New Balance Collegiate Games competing in elite junior (high school) events at the college meet. Each will be facing stiff competition with Mostrag and White racing at 1000 meters, while Holston and Sanford will be competing in the 300 meter dash.
After running a US #9 all-time performance of 33.68 last Saturday at the Virginia Tech Invitational in Blacksburg, Robert E. Lee senior Sean Holston will get a second opportunity to lower his time in the event on a fast banked track found at the New York Armory. Holston is the nation leader in the event currently and the five entrants in New York include US #2 Trenton Guy Jr. of West Charnotte NC in which Holston defeated last weekend at Virginia Tech. The race will also feature Stephen Beckford from Baldwin High School in New York as Beckford ran a US #3 time of 1:21.05 for 600 meters last month. Holston will be the favorite in this event and will be looking to beat Lashawn Merritt\'s 33.51 clocking in 2004 to become the fastest Virginia all-time for 300 meters. Beating Merritt\'s time would immediately insert Holston into the US top five all-time.
Fork Union Military Academy senior Axel Mostrag is looking very fit and sharp heading into Saturday\'s 1000 meter junior race as he is considered one of the favorites despite going up against a loaded field. Mostrag already this season has ran 4:17 for 1600 meters indoors on a 160 meter track and last weekend split 1:53 as anchor leg for Fork Union\'s US #1 7:52 4x800 meter relay squad. Mostrag will be looking to break into the US top 20 all-time list (time cutoff of 2:27.69 and become the second fastest Virginian prep all for 1000 meters behind national record holder Alan Webb at 2:23.68. Only four Virginians have ran under 2:30 for 1000 meters since Alan Webb\'s 2001 national record performance at Virginia Tech with South Lakes teammate Richard Smith as the next fastest at 2:28.18.