|
New Washington DC youth club has big weekend
at Russell E. Blunt - East Coast Invitational in Durham NC
Only 3 years old, the Washington DC Redwings have become one of the most
competitive youth teams in the nation, especially in the younger age groups.
The Redwings Track Club is an affiliate of the DC Redwings Youth Program,
Inc., a non-profit organization to benefit at-risk youth in the Washington
DC Metropolitan area. Year-round running is available, as well as academic
and community service components. Runners must attend mandatory study
hall on practice days during the school year, offered at two school sites.
In addition, runners must submit progress reports on a regular basis.
This summer marked the conception of the DC Redwings Summer Academic Enrichment
Program. Approximately 20 runners attended math and reading sessions twice
a week to focus on specific skills in both content areas. The Board of
Directors plans to expand the Enrichment Program to include more runners
and more sessions during the summer months.
The DC Redwings Youth Program, Inc. is a family-oriented organization.
Board members consist of parents and coaches. The coaching staff consists
of DC natives, Howard University alumni, and college runners (recent high
school graduates of the team), who have ample Division I and Junior Olympic
Track and Field experience, as well as association and national level
certifications.
Last week, the Redwings tuned up for Norfolk at the Russell E. Blunt
East Coast Invitational in Durham, North Carolina. After three days of
competition (July 20-22, 2001), the Redwings walked away with the Overall
Team Runner-Up title in the female division, the Bantam Girls Team title,
the Midget Girls Team title, and three Most Outstanding Athlete titles
(Monica Mason, Charma Harris, Jessica Neal).
Jessica Neal shattered the Intermediate Girls 1500m and 3000m meet records
with the times of 4:47.68 and 10:22.36, respectively. Even more impressive,
the bantam girls dominated the track, winning every running event during
the weekend (100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 1500m, 4x100m relay, and 4x400m relay),
and setting meet records for the 100m (Charma Harris 13.39), 800m (M.
Mason 2:29.23) and the 1500m (Ashley Seymour 5:12.97).
Monica Mason will be returning to the Junior Olympics as a two-time national
champion in the 800m.
Charma Harris will also pose a threat on the track at the J.O., as she
has captured the USA Region II title in the 100m and 200m this year (Marietta,
GA).
The Redwings also caused quite a stir at E. Coast beyond the Bantam girls
division with an outstanding winning performance by 7-year-old Kiah Seymour
in the 1500m (5:38). Kiah has also broken the national record in the 800m
twice this year already!
The Midget girls turned heads on and off the track. Davita Miles won
the midget girls shot put (37’4”), making her a repeat winner
for that event at E. Coast and new meet record holder. Also in this age
division, Ayana Adams posted a 400m time of 1:00.48, placing second overall.
Brittany Taylor placed third, but broke the meet record with the top two
competitors in the field, posting a nationally competitive 12.93. The
midget girls ran well, but lacked one of their strongest runners, Lindsey
Blake, due to minor injuries. Blake has already posted a 1:00.7 in the
400m in the sub-midget division, winning the AAU Region III title in Hampton,
VA (July 7-8, 2001) by finishing more than three seconds in front of the
field. Not to be overlooked, the midget girls 4x100m relay ran a nationally
competitive 51.5 and will be ones to watch at the J.O.
Although the Redwings did not walk away with the overall team title,
the coaching staff feels great about their team’s performance. As
only a 3-year-old club, the DC Redwings has come a long way since it’s
debut in the 1998 cross-country season. With only 16 runners that fall,
all qualified to compete in the AAU national meet in Knoxville, Tennessee.
One runner (Michael Johnson) was awarded All-American status, placing
9th overall in the Bantam Boys division.
In 1999, the Redwings made their first appearance on the track, winning
the primary and sub-bantam girls team titles at the AAU Disney National
Club Championships.
The Redwings qualified two All-Americans (Dominique Lockhart and Ashley
Seymour) and won the third place bantam girls team title at the 1999 USA
National Junior Olympics Cross-Country Championship in Spartanburg, SC.
At the 2000 AAU National Track and Field Junior Olympic Championship
in Orlando, Florida, the Redwings won gold in the 1600m relay (M. Mason,
Lindsey Blake, D. Lockhart, Kiyona Curvey, 4:26.07) and the 800m (M. Mason,
sub-bantam). The sub-bantam girls finished a third in the 1500m (Seymour),
third in the 400m (Mason), and fourth in the 800m (Seymour). The bantam
girls finished second in the 1500m (Lockhart) and fifth in the 400m (Blake).
In addition, three bantam girls represented Washington, DC at the Hershey
North American Meet on the 4x100m relay. Needless to say, Blake, Tiara
Herndon, LaTroya Taylor, and Joi Green (Pioneer AC) brought home the gold!
In the fall of 2000, the girls set their sites on Reno, Nevada for the
USATF National Junior Olympics Cross Country Championship. Facing many
challenges, such as the extreme altitudinal conditions, mountainous terrain,
and top notch runners from all fifty states, the 9-10 girls (bantam division)
ousted teams from New Hampshire (Nashua, 2nd place) and New Jersey (Blaze
AC, 3rd place) to win the National Championship Title by forty points!
Led by Lockhart, who finished third overall, Seymour (6th), Blake (16th),
and Mason (20th) all received All-American status by placing in the top
twenty-five of over two hundred runners. Maggie Abernethy, Curvey, Chanae
Davis, and Iman Newsome helped seal the victory with impressive finishes.
Seymour was also noted as the top nine-year-old finisher in the race.
Michael Johnson and Jennifer Redman, also achieved All-American status
in the midget divisions.
As the team prepares for the 2001 AAU Junior Olympic Championships in
Norfolk VA, Head Coach Desmond Dunham has high expectations, especially
in the primary through midget age divisions.
|
