Western Branch's Keilah Tyson qualified and competed in the finals yesterday of the 100 meter dash at the USATF Junior National Championships in Eugene, Oregon. After clocking a time of 11.63 in the prelims, Tyson improved her time to 11.53 in the finals to finish sixth overall. With her finish, Tyson is now eligible to part of the relay pool for the 4x100 meter relay at the Pan Am Junior Games later this summer. Meanwhile, AAA state indoor and outdoor high jump champion Joey Muzzio of James Robinson competed in the high jump, but was unable to clear the opening height.
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Other highlights from competition at Hayward Field by past Virginians competing now collegiately or professionally included:
* Kelli Wells, who starred at James River High School and Hampton University, won the 2011 US national title in the women's 100 meter hurdles with a 12.50 clocking in Sunday's finals. Wells was a 2001 Group AAA state champion in the 100 meter hurdles at 14.70, which shows her development as a champion at the high school level and now at the professional level.
* After leading with the fastest time in the first two rounds of the senior women's 400 meter dash, Bethel High alum Francena McCorory lost out in an exciting race with the well known and established Allison Felix (50.40) with a stellar run of 50.49 to automatically earn a spot on the World Championship team for the United States.
* Two of top five finishers in the senior women's 400 meter hurdles were from Virginia with Queen Harrison (from Hermitage HS) earning a spot on the World team with a runner-up 54.78 clocking and Ti'erra Brown (from Hampton HS) placing fifth with a time of 55.93. Harrison has now run professionally for a year now for Saucony, while Brown just completed her collegiate career at Miami and recently signed with adidas as a pro athlete.
* Former hurdle star at James River as well as Hampton University, Kellie Wells breezed through the first round of the senior women's 100 meter hurdles and finds herself in great position to compete of a World team spot after posting the fastest time in the prelims at 12.53.
* Jamestown High School product and current UVA freshmen Colin Mearns finished 3rd in the junior men's 3K steeplechase with a performance of 9:07.33.
* UVA freshmen Kathleen Stevens, who was one of the state's best last year at Blacksburg High School, competed in the junior women's 3K and posted a time of 9:42 for fifth place overall in the event.
* Virginia Tech freshmen Taylor Crosson (James Robinson HS) garnered a second place 16:58 personal best performance in the junior women's 5K, which if she had ran a A standard qualifying time of 16:30 this season would have qualified her for the Pan Am Junior Games. Crosson was closely followed by Virginia Tech teammate and former Deep Run High School runner Courtney Dobbs in third place at 16:59..
* Former Bethel sprint sensation Francenca McCorory, now running professionally for adidas, posting the fastest time among all qualifiers in the first and second rounds of the senior women's 400 meter dash at 51.46 in the prelims then dropping down to 50.77 in the semis.
* Midlothian graduate and current Virginia Tech runner Michael Hammond kicking his way into the finals of the senior men's 1500 meter final with a time of 3:40.43.
* Broad Run standout and recent NCAA national runner-up for UVA in the steeplechase, Stephanie Garcia is in contention for a World Championship spot after running the fourth fastest time in the preliminary rounds of the 3K steeple (9:55.50).
* 2008 Olympian and former Hermitage High star Queen Harrison just slipped into the finals of the senior women's 400 meter hurdles as the final qualifier on time with a 56.86 clocking in the semi-finals. Harrison had run a time of 56.49 in the earlier round.
* Yvette Lewis, who competed at both Denbigh and Menchville in her high school days, leaped to a fifth place showing in the senior women's triple jump with a mark of 44-5.50.
* Past T.C. Williams standout and current East Carolina University athlete Tynita Butts successfully cleared a height of 6 feet in the high jump to earn herself a sixth place showing in the senior women's high jump competition.