All photos by John Herzog
Natalie Woodford is a rare breed. She runs cross country in the fall. She goes to Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke. The pale skinned blonde does not fit the description of the nation's fastest runner in the 500 meter dash currently, but that is exactly the honor earned by the senior after her 1:15.49 performance at the Liberty High School Invitational.
Her first disqualification in a high school race may have fueled her performance this past Saturday in Lynchburg. "Well before Christmas, I ran 1:17.9 in my first 500 of the season, but I was told I stepped out of my lane, so I was disqualified. I was really disappointed with that, but it felt good that I was under 1:18 early in the season." With another crack at the 500, Woodford made sure she stayed in her lane this time to insure her performance would count. "Yesterday, I knew that I was capable of running that time, or better, so I decided to get out fast and see where it went from there."
She certa...
