Fauquier\'s Sarah Bowman finished her final high school race off in style as she heads to the University of Tennessee in the fall as she won the Pan Am Junior Games 1500 meter race in a US #4 all-time clocking of 4:17.61. Bowman was shooting for the all-time high school record of 4:16.6 but fell just short as she led the race wire to wire with splits of 65.2 (400m), 2:16.1 (800m), 3:23.9 (1200m), and a 68 second last 400 meters (from 1100 meters out). Bowman completes a high school career that saw her win more than a handful of state titles, win three national titles, and set a national record in the 1000 meter run. She will be missed by the state of Virginia as she heads to Knoxville in August to begin her college career.

Northwestern alumnus Mitch Greeley cleared a second place height of 5.00 meters in the pole vault at the Pan Am Junior Athletics Championships in Windsor, Ontario Friday.

Easton star middle distance runner Chanelle Price - a rising sophomore - posted the fastest qualifier of the meet in the 800 prelims... and Charelise Davis got the last Young Women\'s spot in the 200 finals, just .02 ahead of Laurel Highland\'s Breehana Jacobs.

Recent Fauquier High School graduate and University of Tennesse bound freshmen Sarah Bowman will join fellow Virginian, Great Bridge High School rising senior Michael Morrison in representing the United States of America at the Pan Am Junior Games which will start tomorrow with opening ceremonies on July 28th and run through Sunday, July 31st in Ontario, Canada. Bowman will be competing in the 1500 meter run, while Morrison will be entered in the pole vault. Both athletes earned their spots on the U.S. squad by winning their respective events at the U.S. Junior Nationals Championship in June. Morrison, ranked fourth coming into the meet, will be competing on Friday in the pole vault finals, while top seeded Bowman races on the final day of competition on Sunday.

Central Bucks South grad Duane Hynes is in 2nd place after Day One of the USATF Junior Olympics in the Young Men\'s Decathlon. With 3,641, he is just 15 points behind the leader.

The State Cross Country Championship will take place at Sandhills Research Facility in Columbia for the 2005 season. The decision was announced earlier today.

US distance star Amy Rudolph (Kane PA) ran 15:03.59 to finish 5th in DN Galen Grand Prix meet in Stockholm, Sweden. She finished ahead of five other Americans. The race was won by Kenya\'s Ir

The Mt. Airy Track Club took a road trip to the great facility at North Carolina A&T in Greensboro, and came away with some incredible performances - top finishes that made them the best all-around Y-I-YW-YM team of the meet.

Woodlawn HS (Baltimore, MD) graduate Joel Brown earned a trip to the IAAF World T&F Championships by placing 4th at the US T&F Championships.

Central Dauphin grad Ryan Whiting will compete in the Shot Put and Discus, while West Catholic grad Nicole Leach will try to make it three-for-four against Sicklerville New Jersey\'s Krystal Cantey at the Pan American Junior Championships this weekend in Windsor, Canada.

The Oakton girls, the team that was ranked #1 in the state for much of last fall as well as find themselves nationally ranked during that time, will get a chance to redeem themselves after being defeated at the Group AAA State Meet in November by Lake Braddock as they return a strong squad for the 2005 season. The Lady Cougars are returning eight runners who have gone under 21 minutes for the 5K including a solid three of Kayley Byrne (19:06 PR), Carley Hudson (19:30 PR), and Meredith Tighe (19:36 PR). 14 teams total return at least four runners who have dipped under 21 as Group AA\'s Cave Spring and Group AAA\'s Douglas Freeman are the only teams besides Oakton that returns at least five sub 21 girls. Aurora Scott, a Foot Locker finalist as a freshmen, returns for her sophomore campaign with the top returning time at 17:43. Stefanie Slekis, Katie Doswell, and Catherine White are the next top individual returnees.

The defending Group AAA state champions Thomas Jefferson appear to be the team returning with the most depth as Coach Matt Ryan\'s squad has five returning sub 17 5K runners. Group AA\'s Fort Defiance and Brentsville also have a decent amount of their top runners returning. Six sub 16 5K runners return in Brad Siragusa, Patterson Wilhelm, Devin Cornwall, John Horst, Nick Gehlsen, and Mike Spooner which should make for a competitive season for top individual honors in the state.

West Florence distance star Alisha Royal competed in the 2005 International Children\'s Games in Coventry, England with six other track and field athletes from the Florence area. Royal talks about her experience during the games and while touring England.

70 photographs are now online from the International Children\'s Games, held in Coventry, England.

Here is the list of top returning girls from last year. We also compiled team scores based on returning elite athletes. Enjoy and please help to fill in any that are missing or notify me of any transfers!

Hundreds of photos taken by Buz Male at the Ragged Mountain Running Camp held at the Miller School in Crozet, Virginia from July 17th to 21st. All photos will be posted by Friday.

Ocean Lakes rising freshmen Mary Margaret Peter and Bethel rising junior Daniel Cummings were both awarded each a scholarship to come back to next year\'s camp for free on the final day at the Ragged Mountain Running Camp in Crozet. The Ragged Mountain Running Camp\'s Grace Lovegrove Scholarship was given out for the first time at this year\'s camp in remembrance of the life of former RMRC camper and counselor Grave Lovegrove, who died on January 12th this past year after going into cardiac arrest on a training run. Camp director Buz Male wanted to honor Lovegrove in a special way after learning of her death this past winter. Originally, he wanted to buy all the campers \"Run With Grace\" bracelets, which have helped fund a scholarship in Grace\'s name at Christopher Newport University, but high demand for the bracelets has helped the bracelets already sell out, so Buz opted to do something to honor Grace at every camp from now on.

There are times to stick it out and work to turn around a less-than-satisfying situation. And then there are times you should just cut your losses and move on.

J.R. Tucker graduate and incoming Virginia Intermont College freshmen Michael Chapa posted a personal best and state leading time of 4:12.98 (converts to 4:11.38 for 1600 meters) as he finished in seventh place in an elite mile race held in Tennessee among collegiate and post-collegiate runners. Chapa, who finished off an outstanding high school career with a state title in the 1600 meter run outdoors, will be headed to Virginia Intermont College in the fall. Virginia Intermont College is the defending NAIA national champions and two of their athletes compete in the Foot Rx Crazy Mile with Chapa in Corey Duquette (4th, 4:12.27) and David Cheromei (8th, 4:13.20).

O.J. Murdock has Olympic dreams and Olympic abilities, and he may never even get a chance to showcase them.

West Catholic\'s Latavia Thomas advanced from the Prelims to the two-heat Semis with a 2nd place in her heat, going 2:10.17... then posted a 2:10.48 on Saturday, 6th in her heat, and 12th over all, missing by four spots in qualifying for the Finals.

The 2005 Foot Rx Crazy Mile in Kingsport, TN on Tuesday evening (7:15pm) July 19, is shaping up to be an exciting race this year. Currently, 11 men are entered in the elite only invitational race at Dobyns Bennett High School , with many of them looking to run PR\'s or crack the 4:00 minute mile barrier! The field includes a strong contingent of Virginia Intermont College runners including Fernando Cabada, David Cheromei, and Corey Duquette as well as incoming VIC freshmen Michael Chapa.

Two of western PA\'s best have received post-seaon honors from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (PG). Distance runner Rachel Erny of Brentwood has been named the PG South Athlete of the Year, while Aliquippa sprinter, basketball and football star Tommie Campbell has been name their West AThlete of the Year. More...

Assistant Vice President/Director of Athletics Tom O\'Connor announced that Andrew Gerard has accepted the position of head coach of the men\'s track and field team at George Mason. Gerard leaves Stanford, where he coached for eight years, including head coach of the 2003 National Champion men\'s cross country team.

Here is a list of the top returning boys and girls from the 2004 season with teams scored/ranked according to their returners. Only athletes who earned an elite performance last fall will be ranked or count toward their team scores.

I just got back from a midday run and it was HOT! (especially for a guy most used to running at 5:30 am). The heat of summer is here, and we must take precautions to avoid the dangers of excessive exercise in the heat. Excessive temperatures can impair performance and lead to dehydration and heat illness. Proper preparation and early recognition of heat illness will help us better enjoy our summer training.

Here is a list of the top returning boys from the 2004 reason with teams scored/ranked according to their returners. Only athletes who earned an elite performance last fall will be ranked or count toward their team scores. Girls list coming later this week! UPDATED News of a transfer, Nate Taylor to Holy Trinity, puts Holy Trinity ahead of Tampa Jesuit for the top returning boys team!

Florida State track coach Bob Braman knew he had a find when he convinced Walter Dix, one of the top runners in the state of Florida to attend FSU. He just never knew how quickly Dix would be come this good!

PA made a great showing in the single meet USATF Youth Outdoor Champs as Latavia Thomas and Lavaughn Jones win individual titles. Trevon Rainford, Cheltenham, won the YM 1500 in 4:03.02 and the 5000 in 15:38.56.

Knoxville, Tenn., - Ebony Collins clocked the fastest youth time ever by a female in the 400m hurdles to conclude the USA Youth Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Tom Black Track in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Knoxville, Tenn., - Bryshon Nellum ran the fastest 200 meter time in today\'s competition by any male in winning his division at the USA Youth Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Tennessee\'s Tom Black Track.

Rising Methacton sophomore Ryann Krais competed in four events in a single day - a 90 degree day in 70% humidity - at the AAU Region II Championships in Hampton, Virgiinia.

Some of PA\'s spring stars kept their seasons going strong at the two PA-focused USATF Association Championships on the last weekend in June.

Clarenchell Tate, Ryann Krais and Da\'Rel Scott keep it going at a quick pace at the AAU Mid-Atlantic Association JO Championships.

The June USATF Junior Olympic Regionals showcased some special performances, highlighted by the Philadelphia Area meet on June 11th at Edison HS.

The June USATF Junior Olympic Regionals showcased some special performances, highlighted by the Philadelphia Area meet on June 11th at Edison HS.

Knoxville, Tenn., - Members of Team USA that will compete at the World Youth Championships in Morocco shined on the fourth day of competition at the USA Youth Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Knoxville, Tennessee.

They have spent the last decade raciing at the front of the pack in everything from cross country and road races to distance events on the track. But now the Christiansens are moving to New Hampshire, where they will surely have an impact on the New England racing scene.

Raymona Carryl broke a 33-year-old record in the bantam girls division of the long jump on the third day of competition at the 2005 USA Youth Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Tom Black Track.