Catching up with... Ben Dejarnette (Oregon) & Emma Dejarnette (VA Tech) Elisabeth Greenwood Apr 26, 2010

The Dejarnette twins, Emma and Ben, could not be anymore different from each other including their track & field specialties with Emma as the pole vaulter and Ben as the distance runner. After graduating from Atlee High School in Mechanicsville, both went to two very different and distance colleges from each other this fall. However, they both also went into very competitive and challenging environments with Ben joining a list of big names and stars at the storied University of Oregon distance program while Emma went to one of the nation's top programs in the pole vault at Virginia Tech. Each has had to deal with their hard knocks and the difficult adjustment to college, especially just in practice alone being a part of such stacked teams of talented athletetes, which the Dejarnette twins hope will push them to a higher level of performance in the end result.

Catching up with... Jenna Moye (VMI) Elisabeth Greenwood Apr 13, 2010

MileStat.com intern Elisabeth Greenwood will be catching up on a weekly basis with past high school runners and their transition to college life and training. This week's athlete is Virginia Military Institute freshmen Jenna Moye, who graduated from Cosby High School in Midlothian last year. Moye's decision to attend a military school for her college running was a surprise to many including herself from her initial perception of the school, but she has knocked down those misperceptions with her standout performances for the Keydets and Coach Spangler this year including being named Big South freshmen of the year in cross country and running personal bests of 5:06 in the mile and 10:11 in the 3K indoors.

Athlete Spotlight: David Gunnerson Elisabeth Greenwood Mar 22, 2010

Grafton senior David Gunnerson leads an impressive group of distance runners at the Group AA school in Yorktown, Virginia which has improved itself to have one of the best relay quartets in Virginia this past indoor season. Grafton boys 4x800 meter relay won the Group AA state title three weeks ago and last weekend turned in two swift times at Nike Indoor Nationals. Grafton posted one of the fastest DMR times all-time indoor in state history with their 10:09 7th place finish, while they broke 8 minutes for the first time in the 4x800 meter relay. Gunnerson individually won his first individual state title this season in the 1000 meter run, which is an event that he is ranked among the VA top 25 all-time list in. After bettering his all-time best in the Nike Indoor Nationals open 800 with a 1:55.21 performance in his third race of the meet, Gunnerson now eyes another title in the outdoor 800 as well as posting some more great times with his Grafton teammates including Group AA state cross country champion Kyle King. Read more for interview with David Gunnerson...

Athlete Spotlight: Travis Hudson Elisabeth Greenwood Mar 10, 2010


Photo by David Bradshaw

 

Travis Hudson of Christiansburg High School is one of Virginia's most versatie athletes as while he excels most in the high jump as a Group AA state indoor and outdoor champion with a 6'9" all-time best, Hudson is very competitive in the long and triple jump along with the hurdles to make him a big point scorer for the Blue Demons. His all-around performances at last week's Group AA State Indoor Championships played a huge factor in leading to Christiansburg defeating their district and regional rival Blacksburg for the team state title. Hudson will test his versatility in competition this week at the National Scholastic Indoor Championships in New York City as an entrant in the pentathlon. Hudson took the time to speak with MileStat.com intern Elisabeth Greenwood  last week in an exclusive interview. Read more...

Athlete Spotlight: Hannah Brown Elisabeth Greenwood Mar 10, 2010

Blacksburg might be losing two great runners and twins to graduation after this spring in Kathleen and Joanna Stevens, but Coach James DeMarco has another star coming up and running faster than the twins did as a sophomore in Hannah Brown. Brown (pictured right by John Herzog)  has ran personal bests under 5 minutes for 1600 meters and under 3 minutes for 1000 meters this indoor season and last week won her second consecutive Group AA state indoor 500 meter dash title. Brown will be running as a key leg on Blacksburg's 4xmile relay this weekend at the Nike Indoor Nationals, which the team will be attempting to break 20 minutes and break the national record held by Saratoga Springs. MileStat.com intern Elisabeth Greenwood interviewed the Blacksburg sophomore Brown last week as she prepares for Boston with her teammates. Read more...

Athlete Spotlight: Amber Church Elisabeth Greenwood Mar 04, 2010


Photo by John Herzog

 

Amber Church, a senior at Pulaski County in Dublin, Virginia, has hurdled a lot in her high school career. Literally. Church is arguably one of the best all-around athletes to come out of recent  AA State track meet history.  Just last week she single-handedly led her team to a fourth place title in the Group AA State meet, competing in a total of six events. Church competed in the 55 meter dash, 55 meter hurdles, high jump, long jump, triple jump, and 300 meter dash, earning three individual titles. 

 

 

The 2008 Nike Outdoor Nationals emerging elite 100 meter hurdles champion will return to competition next weekend in Boston for the Nike Indoor Nationals. The defending Group AA 100 meter hurdles champion Church aims to sweep the hurdle races (100 and 300 meters) which alluded her last year as a close runner-up in the 300 hurdles at this June’s outdoor state meet in Harrisonburg. MileStat.com intern Elisabeth Greenwood recently interviewed Church, who is, according to her coach Jamie McCarty, “one of the greatest athletes in  Pulaski County High School history.” Read more for interview with Church...