Providing updates as results are made available of Virginian participants at the USATF Junior Nationals including current high schoolers as well as past Virginian preps competing now as collegiate freshmen. Two class of 2006 Virginian preps claimed US Junior National titles as freshmen this week in Indianapolis as University of Virginia freshmen and former runner at Broad Run High School in Stephanie Garcia claimed the 3K steeplechase title on Friday in 10:26.41, while Hermitage High alum and Virginia Tech freshmen Queen Harrison will be competing in both hurdle events at the Pan Am Junior Championships in Brazil by winning Saturday's 400 meter hurdles finals in 56.86 to go along with runner-up finish in the 100 meter hurdles on Thursday.
In conjunction with the USATF Junior Nationals, the USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships are also being contested and several past Virginian high school stars have already made the World team. Lashawn Merritt, only three years removed from high school at Woodrow Wilson, was a US Nationals runner-up in the senior men's 400 meter dash in 44.08 to secure his spot on the US team for the World Championships. Merritt was a World silver medalist in the event last summer. Meanwhile, Yvette Lewis, former high school star at both Menchville and Denbigh High in Newport News, performed well in her first meet as a profesional after college by making the World team in the triple jump with a second place finish (44'7"). Gar-Field alum Sheena Johnson and South Lakes alum Alan Webb in the 400 meter hurdles and 1500 meter run respectively, are top qualifiers and strong contenders to take US titles in the finals of their events later on Sunday.
Interview with Queen Harrison - Virginia Tech freshmen Queen Harrison has already earn herself a ticket to the Brazil for the Pan Am Junior Championships after a top two finish in the finals of the 100 meter hurdles at the USATF Junior National Championships today in Indianapolis. She now quickly shifts her attention to the 400 meter hurdles on Friday as she is heavily favored to become Virginia's next US Junior Nationals Champ as the top seed with a US juniors #3 all-time performance of 55.81 from her All-American third place finish at the NCAA Championships. The Hermitage High School graduate has well exceeded her expectations going into this year and is not looking to slow down anytime soon as the currently the fastest junior (19 & under) 400 meter hurdler in the World currently. MileStat.com's Brandon Miles was fortunate to interview in between her 100 meter hurdles finals on Thursday and her 400 meter hurdles prelims on Friday.
History of USATF Junior National champions from Virginia - With the Junior National Championships coming up this week in conjunction with the Senior Nationals here is a list of past champions that attended high school in Virginia.Thursday Updates - VA preps: Shakia Forbes (Bethel) 6th-19'3.50" LJ, Andrew Mearns (Jamestown) 10th-9:39.48 3K Steeple, Daniel Callan (Clarke County) 13th-10:07.40 3K Steeple. VA prep alums: Queen Harrison (Hermitage HS/Virginia Tech) 2nd-13.12 100H, Marlon Woods (Booker T. Washington HS/Norfolk State) 3rd-6'10.75" HJ and 3rd-23'10.75" LJ, Mike Zajac (E.C. Glass HS/South Carolina) 11th-159'10 Discus, Thomas Barrineau (James Robinson HS/Georgia) 12th-6402pts decathlon, Alex Bowman (Hermitage HS/UVA) 1:53.55p 800, Les Bradley (Heritage HS/Miami) 14.00p 110H.
Thursday Updates
After being chased down by Clarke County's Daniel Callan two years in a row at the MileStat.com Elite Track Gala's 2K steeple, Jamestown senior Andrew Mearns finally was able to score a victory over Callan as they moved up to the collegiate distance of 3000 meters for the steeplechase at USATF Junior Nationals. Mearns finished 10th in the race with a solid time of 9:39.48 with Callan in 13th at 10:07.40.
Bethel senior Shakia Forbes fouled half of her six attempts in the long jump as she struggled to match her lifetime best mark of 20'2.25" from last weekend to win the Nike Outdoor Nationals and finished sixth overall with a best 19'3.50". Only event champion Jamesha Youngblood (20'8.50") was able to launch a mark over 20 feet among all competitors.
Hermitage High School alum and Virginia Tech freshmen Queen Harrison finished as a runner-up in the 100 meter hurdles finals with a time of 13.12. Harrison has had an amazing first year in college for the Hokies with NCAA All-American and ACC Championship honors to her credit. Harrison finished second behind Tech teammate Kristi Castlin as both automatically qualified for the Pan Am Juniors team for the United States. Harrison will be a heavy favorite to win the 400 meter hurdles later in the week in Indy with her season best of 55.81 in a third place finish in the event at the NCAA Championships.
Booker T. Washington grad and now current Norfolk State freshmen Marlon Woods placed third in both the high jump (6'10.75") and long jump (23'10.75"). Woods was a Nike Indoor champion in the high jump last year as a senior at Booker T. Washington and VHSL state champion in both indoors and outdoors in the event.
Two members of Hermitage's class of 2006 were competing in Indy as Alex Bowman qualified for the meet along with former Panther Queen Harrison. Bowman, a freshmen at the University of Virginia, competed in the 800 meter run. Bowman was unable to advance on from his qualifying heat with a time of 1:53.55 for seventh place in his race.
Les Bradley, a Group AA state champion last year at Heritage High in Leesburg, participated in the 110 meter hurdles at USATF Junior Nationals now as a freshmen at the University of Miami (Florida). Bradley just missed moving onto the finals with a time of 14.00 to finish third in his heat.