Reason #16: This is how old Sydney McLaughlin was when she made the freaking Olympic team! That just puts it in perspective how great this national record holder is. She will run the 300 and there is also a possibility of adding a second event to her repertoire at the VA Showcase but of course we are keeping that secret for another three weeks!
Reason #17: 2017 will be the year the shot put state record goes down. James Monroe's Alexis Clark will be the one who takes it down in a big way this season. The junior threw 45-4.5 last indoor season to rank herself 9th all-time and this season will be attempting to throw 48-4.75 for the state record. Though it is a big improvement, we are confident this record is history knowing that she just now started incorporating serious strength training into her regiment. The Va Showcase is going to be the place for throws as well.
Reason #18: If you want to run a fast DMR, this is the meet for you. The girls' race will have a stacked Lake Braddock squad... as in a relay team with Kate Murphy anchoring and three other studs chasing the national record. This squad, if healthy, could throw down one of the nastiest times ever in relay history. They could truly make the national record unattainable. The boys' side of things is also heating up with Germantown Friends anchored by Nick Dahl, Brentwood anchored by Brody Hasty, and potentially Lake Braddock and Loudoun Valley also competing.
Reason #19: The girls' triple jump may take 40' to make the top five and if everyone jumps well could even be the cutoff for the finals! Right now there are four girls entered into the competition who have jumped over 40' already and another five girls within inches of achieving that mark as well. Though the jumpers must step up when it matters most for this to happen, this place, more so than any other place would be the place to do it.
Reason #20: Lanae-Tava Thomas (NY) has already eclipsed that mark to open her season with a 20-1 mark. She owns a personal best of 20-8 and is #4 all-time indoors for the historic state of New York. This past outdoor season though she took a huge step forward in becoming one of the best sprinters and jumpers in the entire nation and this year could leap past 21' in the long jump. This number 20 though represents what at minimum it is going to take to even compete with one of the nation's best.