Seneca\'s LaKya Brookins finished second in the young women\'s 100-meter dash at the USATF Junior Olympic Nationals.

Event slated for Sept. 9.

Several of the state\'s top athletes in track and field competed in this past week\'s USATF Junior Olympic National Championships held at Morgan State University in Baltimore. A total of two national titles, one national runner-up, and more than a handful of top eight finishes highlighted the six day of event for Virginia. Park View sophomore Natalie Baird had another monster 150 plus foot throw in the discus as her mark of 152\'2.75\" on day four earned her a national title in the intermediate girls age group. Her throw was a Junior Olympics age group record in the event. All-American jumper Marlon Woods, a recent graduate of Booker T. Washington and future member of the Norfolk State University track squad, won his second national title of the year in the high jump with a clearance of 6\'9.75\" in the young men\'s high jump.

We met at the State Cross Country meet last year just switching stories about our teams and different individuals (cough

At the Norwich Union London Grand Prix on Friday, July 28th in London, the USA\'s Dominique Darden (Miami/Harrisburg), set a PR in the 400 Hurdles, winning in 54.88 to edge Britain\'s Tasha Danvers-Smith, who ran 55.26.

Stacey Eden, Ryan Gibson, Darius Berry, and Michael Caldwell combined to win the 13-14 year old Boys 3200 Relay National Title. Chelsea Brown and Thomas Canary have also qualifed for the finals in their events.

We took the athletes who hit the elite standards last year and scored those returners as a meet. Here are the team scores. Teams with 2 or more elite returners are listed in order. Chiles leads the way on the boys side with 7 elite performers returning. Episcopal is standing tall as the top girls team and among the NTN favorites from the Southeast.

Here is the first boys rankings of the 2006 cross-country season. This is based solely on the 3 mile results from last year.

KYtrackXC.com t-shirts can now be purchased for $12.00. Show your support for the site, just in time for Cross Country Season.

Alberto Salazar, a former champion marathoner who coaches elite distance runners for Nike, said that if the World Anti-Doping Agency were to ban altitude tents and rooms, the effect on United States distance runners would be devastating.

Slippery Rock Univ. not alone on Title IX issues

Here is the first rankings of the 2006 cross-country season. This is based solely on the results from last year.

FIRST camp directors Mickey McCauley and Scott Murr talk about the organization of camp, running, and future ideas.

A look at the camp staff and presenters from the FIRST running camp.

Megan Jenkins is a rising sophomore at The Citadel. Jenkins is from Cheyenne, Wyo. and is training around the James Island area this summer.

Over 200 girls who broke 21 minutes return from last season, we have them ranked by 2005 season best time. Ashley Brasovan (Wellington) is the far and away favorite, while Emilie Amaro (Cypress Bay), Maggie Traylor (Episcopal), and Kayla Hale (Holy Trinity) hope to close the gap. This is one of the most promising seasons for Florida girls\' Footlocker hopes in recent memory.

At the request of scrunners.com, I am writing a journal about my last two high school races: the two-mile at Nike Outdoor Nationals in Greensboro, and the 5000-meter run at Junior Nationals in Indianapolis.

Want to see where your team stacks up against the rest of the MileSplit network? This ranking/preview is for the 2006 season based on last years 5K times and for those that will be returning in 06.

Want to see where your team stacks up against the rest of the MileSplit network? This ranking/preview is for the 2006 season based on last years 5K times and for those that will be returning in 06.

Thanks to an extraordinarily dense and tenacious elite field, Kenya\'s Julius Kiptoo was able to stay concealed until Morroco\'s Mohamed Fadil forced him to make his move. Kiptoo then lived up to his top billing, winning the Indian Path Medical Center & Sun Trust Bank Crazy 8\'s 8K run in 23:00 flat at J. Fred Johnson Stadium Saturday night.

INDIANAPOLIS

Megan Jenkins is a rising sophomore at The Citadel. Jenkins is from Cheyenne, Wyo. and is training around the James Island area this summer. This week Jenkins talks about training at high altitude in Cheyenne.

The performance of the final day probably wasn\'t on the track. Willingboro\'s budding young super star English Gardner entertained the crowd with her stirring rendition of the National Anthem. And then she wowed them again. And again. And again. And Academy Park\'s Jermaine Lowery won both Intermediate Hurdles events, being named top IB of the meet.

Stephens selected as head coach. Stephens took the time to answer a few questions for scrunners.com.

Although we typically associate osteoporosis with little old ladies, decreased bone mineral density (BMD) is becoming more and more common amongst the young running population.

Not feeling the miles just yet

The Pennsylvania distance running community has a transfer from the state of Washington, and she\'s training with her new team and getting academic credit by doing her senior project with the state T&F/XC web site.

The fourth annual McDonald

\"We always attract a top group from Kenya,\" said co-race director and elite athlete recruiter Hank Brown. \"This year is no exception. We don\'t have to advertise ourselves to the Kenyans. They know all about Crazy 8\'s.\"

Anyway, so race details

As members of a team selected by the NSSF to represent the United States, Bayside\'s Charles Clark, Great Bridge\'s Mike Morrison, and St. Catherine\'s Katie Doswell all picked up first place victories at the first annual Caribbean Invitational held in the suburbs of San Juan, Puerto Rico in Carolina. Clark took the 100 meter dash in a 10.56 clocking, while also being a member of the winning 4x100 (40.67) and 4x400 (3:12.50) meter relays. Meanwhile, Morrison won the pole vault with a clearance of 17\'0.75\" and had a near clearance of 17\'9\", which would have been a personal best for the University of Florida bound Morrison. Doswell was the winner in the girls\' 800 meter run as she posted a top time of 2:15.98.

My freshman year was one of those years where, like many freshman, I had quite a transition to high school track. In those times I thought breaking five minutes for the mile was hollowed ground and never broke it until sophomore year. In fact, my best time that year was 5:08 in a two mile!

Stress fractures are one of the most common injuries seen in long distance running, and many runners will be forced to take time away from training over the course their running career due to this type of injury. It is therefore crucial for runners to understand why stress fractures occur and how to prevent them.

Headphones, dogs and interference from spectators.

Axel Mostrag, who recently completed his junior year at Fork Union Military Academy, has been posting some stellar times this summer in his homeland of Poland on the road to Poland\'s Junior Youth Championships to be held next weekend. Mostrag\'s first race in Poland was an 800 meter race, where he won in a state best time of 1:53.08. The following weekend, he won a 1500 meter race in another state leading time of 3:52.20, which roughly converts to a 4:09 1600 meter time or 4:10 full mile time. Both converted times would stand as state bests. Mostrag did it again this past weekend as he dropped his 800 meter best to a sensational time of 1:50.60, which included a 53.6 first 400 meters. His times this summer have definitely shown he was geared for a late summer peak, even though he still went undefeated in competition this spring in Virginia as his 1500 meter time ranks #5 in the U.S.and his 800 meter time ranks #4 in the U.S. this year.

Four more big meets... including the next-to-last step for USATF Junior Olympics, the NACAC Under-23 Champs, the new Caribbean Scholastic Invitational, and Hershey Track & Field PA State Meet. Plus, Tim Hickey is the head coach of the men\'s team for NACAC. At NACAC, Norristown grad Mike Whitehead, now at Michigan, finished 3rd in the Triple Jump with a leap of 52-00.00, and Hampton grad Julianna Reed of the University of Pittsburgh, finished 4th in the 400 Hurdles, running 59.34. At the first Caribbean Scholastic Invitational in Puerto Rico, Westmont Hilltop\'s Karlee McQuillen pretty much competed against herself as two competitors fouled every attempt. McQuillen finished with a throw of 142-6 on her penultimate attempt. Photo: Chad Sargent, Rob McNally, Coach Mister Frisby, Carrington Queen, Kyle Tucker (PhatBack Athletics @ Niagara Falls)

Southern Regional junior Danielle Tauro glides through her races, as well as life, with an ellegance taught to her by years of training in dance and theater. As she\'s turned that dedication toward her running, she has excelled against even the top 1500 meter talent in the nation.

Race organizers announced today the commitments of six American men and two American women to compete for the Crazy 8\'s title and make a run for the Regional Eye Center World Record Bonus. Race date is Saturday evening, July 15.

Barry Krammes makes a name for himself

I leave for St. Moritz on July 8th (Saturday) to train at elevation for 3 weeks to prepare for Swiss Championships!!! I am pumped!!!

25 images are now online for viewing only from the Firecracker Frolic, held in downtown Easley.

Bringing down the mileage right now

Megan Jenkins is a rising sophomore at The Citadel. Jenkins is from Cheyenne, Wyo. and is training around the James Island area this summer.

From Walt Murphy\'s News and Results Service The ESPYs, ESPN\'s version of the Academy Awards, honors athletes in many different categories each year. The voting is open to the public and you can cast your vote for your favorite male and female T&F athlete at http://espn.go.com/espy2006/index.html

Pole vault athletes Jaquon Pegues (Cheraw HS) and Allison Nicosia (South Aiken HS) captured individual titles in their respective intermediate events.

Trevon Rainford wins the 5000 meter run and then comes back on the final day to win the 1500. Breehana Jacobs takes 2nd in the 200 finals and 3rd in the 100 finals. Phatback Athletics won the bronze in the meet\'s final race, the 4x400. At the AAU Region 2 meet at Plymouth-Whitemarsh, Ryann Krais competed in her second Heptathlon in a week, and won. She also set a PR in the open 400, plus captured the Long Jump, 400 Hurdles and 100 Hurdles on the final two days of the meet. Reggie Carter took two events, as did Kaleena Gray, Philip Wood and Jermaine Lowery. (Krais setting a PR in the Javelin portion of the Heptathlon)

Cedar Cliff coach exhibits many characteristics

Keith Graham, a 2006 graduate of West Ashley HS, has been invited to attend the Caribbean Scholastic Invitational. Graham talks about the invitation prior to leaving for Puerto Rico.