Keilah Tyson in disbelief celebrating her 100 meter dash victory last year at the Nike Track Nationals.
After finishing third in last year's inaugural Nike Track Nationals at the University of Oregon's Hayward Field, the Western Branch girls have been selected once again to return to the national high school track team championship meet through being the top ranked team in the Southeast Region this spring based on season best performances. This year's Western Branch girls are certainly in the discussion as one of the greatest track teams in the history of the state featuring incredible depth of talent in the relays, hurdles, sprints, and jumps. Keilah Tyson, who recently set Virginia high school state and AAA state meet records in the 100 and 200 meter dash, is the leading individual for the Lady Bruins and last year helped her squad to a third place showing at Hayward Field by winning the 100 meter dash individually. Their roster headed to Eugene, Oregon will also include outdoor 100 and long jump state champion Desmonae Gray and their top quarter miler Javette Lee (55.91 400 season best) who was a state runner-up in the 300 meter hurdles. The Western Branch girls are currently ranked #7 in the US according to the Nike Track Nationals virtual scoring, which scores events similar to a decathlon except using the best marks of any individual on a team in each event and dropping the lowest scoring event of the ten events offered (100 dash, 110/100 hurdles, 400, 800, mile, long jump, high jump, pole vault, shot put, discus throw). The date of the meet is Saturday, June 25th.