HS Girls Pole Vaulting has come a long way since its inception as an 'official event' in Georgia dating back to the 2003 Outdoor Season. If a female cleared 9-0 it was an impressive bar. But, with scientific coaching methods, more participation and recruiting HS girls gymnasts, the event has become a fan favorite on the Field. It also takes a 'daredevil' mentality, discipline and the will to get inverted to reach one's potential and rising frosh Carson Dingler is well on her way after clearing 12-01 (which would tie her for 7th on the All-Time HS list in Georgia) if she was a HS athlete...  

Dynasty programs like Westminster (49 State Titles Combined!), St. Pius, Marist, Wesleyan and Brookwood) are programs that have won multiple state championships over the past four years.   There is usually only room for one dynasty program in each classification.   It remains to be seen which program emerges as the dynasty program in AAAAA and A-private.

Here is the first of a series of 7 articles on benchmarking this Summer. Article 1 deals with why does Cross Country become a numbers game with school size and recruitment rates outweighing the other factors?  Pictured above is Mill Creek's Boys squad on the Podium at Carrollton. The Hawks have a very large team.   Enjoy...

I was cheering at the finish line of one of the races at the Group AA Regional Track Championships standing alongside legendary Milestat founder and high school track guru, Brandon Miles, a few weeks ago, when an athlete yelled out the “F” word as he crossed the finish line. (via The Daily Progress) Brandon Miles is the founder of MileStat.com in Virginia and has been a huge cog in the MileSplit.com team. Brandon founded the site while in HS as a competitive runner!

Mary Cain takes down 31 year old record with her 1:59.51 clocking for 800m! Bernie Montoya finished 8th in the INTL Mile with a big 4:01.71 mile clocking. (Photo by Image of Sport) (via MileSplit)

Here are the latest Signings of Ga HS Track athletes headed on to compete in College. Four of these are UGA signess including Jeremy Harden (pictured above), Kendell Williams, Derrick White and Payton Wilson. Good luck to all these student-athletes.

May 30th, 2013 | In Events, Local Running Coverage (via atlantarunnersblog.org)

The National Scholastic Athletics Foundation is an organization dedicated to the support of junior age (sub-20) and high school track and field. Aside from offering support to the USATF Junior Track and Field and selected high school track and field meets, we own and operate the NB Indoor Nationals, the New Balance Outdoor Nationals, and the Great American Cross Country Festival. (via National Scholastic Sports Foundation)

Collins Hill grad Amanda Winslow has become of the nation's top college runners at Florida State. (via www.gwinnettdailypost.com)

    Longtime McIntosh HS Coach Chuck Buckle is retiring after 35 years of being an educator, mentor and Coach of countless young student-athletes in Peachtree City. Coach Buckle achieved the rare accolade of achieving 2 State team titles in Boys Cross Country and Track in his final year of service. Coach Andy Christie interviewed him recently to honor his successful career. Christie fondly remembers his 96' Cross Country team that was so dominate (Andy ran for South Gwinnett from 92-95)  Coach Buckle will certainly be missed in the coaching ranks and looks forward to having weekends back and traveling to new and interesting places other than by school bus, lol!

http://cache.milesplit.com/user_files/11171/usatf_level_1_school-1.pdf The upcoming USA Track & Field Coaching Education Level 1 School, takes place on June 7-9, 2013, at the Mill Springs Academy, in Alpharetta, GA. Coaches who pass the USATF Level I Coaching School can earn CEUs toward the requirements to maintain other certifications (worth 10 USAT CEU's for USAT Certified Coaches). The school staff includes Director & USATF Master Coach & DIrector of Speed and Movement and Track & Field and Cross Country, IMG Academy, Loren Seagrave, Jumps Coach, Ian Dube, Georgia State University, Endurance Coach, Ryan Bailey, Mercer State University, and Throws Coach, Mike Judge, Throw 1 Deep, Marietta, GA.

Golden Stripes 2013, adidas is bringing together the fastest high school athletes from around the country to compete as part of the Dream Mile and Dream 100 at the 2013 NYC Grand Prix. See the latest running videos on track and field events around the US and the world. Watch running videos and interviews with the greatest coaches and athletes. (via FloTrack)

Congratulations to Cory Nicholls of McEachern, who is now #5 on the all time 800 list with a 1:50.69 and Henry Dwyer of Athens Academy, who is now #6 on the all time 1600 list with a converted 4:08.86 Also congratulations to Junior, Kenny Selmon, from Pace Academy winning 400 Meter Hurdles Champ at Golden South in a time of 52.30 - new number #1 in the nation for high school boys. Way to go Kenny.  Nolan Daniels of Marist won the 400 m prep division with a new PR of 49.29..  

Highlights and all of the coverage round-up from the 2013 Golden South Classic.

Dustin Shinholser hopes to open his Fleet Feet store in Five Points in late June. (via www.fleetfeetathens.com)  And now, Shinholser is realizing his dream: he's opening his own Fleet Feet Sports franchise in Athens. In Five Points, where he hopes to strengthen the running community.

Track and Field News - The Bible Of The Sport Since 1948 (via www.trackandfieldnews.com)

"Etowah High School is hosting the 2nd Annual Burrito Mile. The race will be held on Saturday, May 18th starting at 10am at Etowah's track. Last year there were close to 80 competitors of all ages. The winning times last year were William Wright of Winder-Barrow High School with a combined time of 6:45 (1:34 eating) and Kait Cook an Etowah XC alumni with a combined time of 9:49 (3:09 eating). We are looking to have a stronger outing this year!

The Atlanta Track Club is dedicated to inspire and engage the community to achieve health and fitness through running in Georgia. (via www.atlantatrackclub.org)

The National Scholastic Athletics Foundation is an organization dedicated to the support of junior age (sub-20) and high school track and field. Aside from offering support to the USATF Junior Track and Field and selected high school track and field meets, we own and operate the NB Indoor Nationals, the New Balance Outdoor Nationals, and the Great American Cross Country Festival. (via National Scholastic Sports Foundation)

Here is the Final Statistical Report for the 2013 GHSA Girls State Championships including DQ Reports, Top 4 by Division Team Scores, Best Performances by Event, J.Ferrell Henry Trophy Winners (Field Events), Roy Crenshaw Memorial Trophy Winners (Track Events) and the Lewis C.Smith Memorial High Point Trophy winners. Kendell Williams and Leah Banks of OLM tied with 31 points each in this category!   http://cache.milesplit.com/user_files/11171/78243/2013_ghsa_girls_state_meet_summaryrev.pdf

     Westlake's Shakara Martin anchors the 4x100 squad to Gold as the Lions roared to the team title Westlake ran away with the 6A title scoring 72 points behind their wealth and depth of sheer speed.  Dunwoody easily took the 5A team title relying on rangey speed, relay squads, and  Cameron's distance double scoring 69 points. The 4A title was in play in the 4x400, but Marist rose to the challenge getting the baton around the track placing 5th to best Redan's A/B squads that combined for 11 points. Blessed Trinity had a great day in Finals, but it  wasn't enough to overtake Cedar Grove's Saints pouring it on scoring 89 points. 2A absolutely depended on the outcome of the 4x400m relay. GAC made a great comeback effort Saturday and did what they HAD to do winning in 4x40m in 4:00, however Westminster managed to get the baton around the track legally, securing the title placing 7th securing a narrow 2 point win... Our Lady of Mercy owned the track events during finals. The Bobcats swept the relays, short sprints, and a pair of 2nds in the 400/800m events amassing 68.5 points. ACS placed 2nd without winning an event w/ 54 points. Marion County exploded  winning A Public with 84 points. Full Summaries on every class Posted! What a crazy dang season it was. Good luck to all the seniors moving on to compete at the next level and those competing in Summer Track!

Alot of athletes had special performances during Finals, but none could touch Kendell Williams 13.23 (wind legal) time in the 100 Hurdles beating her time from prelims. Just a day earlier, Kendell soared in the LJ to 20-09.25, then had a modest (for her) clearance of 5-8, doubling in the HJ. A couple hours later she flew over the 100h at 13.29 (#1 in the USA)

How nice was it to contest the 2nd round of distance Finals and it not be 90+ degrees and no wind? Conditions were favorable, especially as the 6A 3200m began and Allie Buchalski came out of the fray as the reigning queen of Distance in Georgia after her swift 10:42 win. The 1A private 1600m was a barnburner as Naomi Grande Pierre bested a game Grace Tinkey in 5:05.70

Marietta moved into the lead in 6A closing day 2 with 31 points thanks to Jenessa Jackson's 18 points in the Throws. Katelyn Utely from Tift County (above)set a new State meet record clearing 12-6 in the PV. Kendell Williams, after scoring 20 points for Kell by doubling in the HJ/LJ (20-9.25) blew down the straights in the 100 meter hurdles clocking a crazy #1 National Best of 13.29!  Westlake did their thing in 6A prelims highlighted by Shakara Martin's 23.58 in the 200m (a new state meet record)

With the internet signal lost 2 events into prelims, most of the Field Events did post as A, 2A, 3A began scoring points with Gordon Lee, ACS, Jeff Davis and SE Bulloch on top of the leader board.  Future USAF Academy teammates Lindy Long and Grace Tinkey took it to the wire in the A Private 3200m as Long won by 1 second in 10:51!   6A 1600m- Awesome race and lots of lead changes! Kelly actually led the first three laps and then Buchalski passed her with about 450 to go and hammered the final 200 meters. Incredible race by both of them to break 5;, was fun to watch. Yost had a pretty incredible kick to move up from 5 (?) to 3 on the last lap.

USATF Georgia is a proud partner of the Atlanta Grand-Prix featuring Olympians and top track and field athletes such as Ashton Eaton, Lolo Jones, Queen Harrison, Trey Hardee, Reese Hoffa, Derval O’Rourke and many others, Friday evening, May 17, 2013, at the Greater Atlanta Christian School, 1575 Indian Trail, Norcross, GA 30093.  This event includes 5 high school invitational events: Girls 200-meter dash, Girls 4x400-meter relay, Boys Mile, Boys 4x100-meter relay, and Boys 4x400-meter relay.    High school athletes are selected by invitation. Please direct requests for entry, by Monday, May 13, 2013, 5:00 p.m. ET, to Ian Dube, iandube@usatfga.org or Pamela Hudson at pamelahudson@usatfga.org. Include high school affiliation, event and personal record. Coaches and/or athletes will be notified of selection not later than Tuesday, May 14, 2013.    Entry fees are waived, and admission to the event is free. For additional information about the Atlanta Grand-Prix, please visit, www.atl-grand-prix.com.  

Could the Girls A Public team title come down to the 4x400m finals like it did in the Boys meet? MileSplit barely received any results from this class until the Area and Sectional meets, so there alot of names of talented athletes we may become familiar with in Albany. Marion County, Gordon Lee, Commerce and GMAC (Ga Military Prep) are teams having the ability to score well enough to make the Podium.  

Westminster will attempt a sweep of the 2A Track championships their Boys having triumphed last week up in soggy Jefferson. The Lady Cats are usually strong in the Field but nearly all their best ops are on the Track. Wesleyan will need to capitalize w/ their verticals, 4x400m and distance prowess. GAC has plenty of speed and will need to take advantage of their scoring chances on the Field. Lovett could make it a private school bbq on the team Podium. Early County, Brooks County or Jefferson have a shot at preventing that scenario,

Teams to watch for are Cedar Grove, Douglass, Woodward Academy, Blessed Trinity, and St. Pius  On the track it’s all Cedar Grove. The Pryor sisters are amazing and Cedar could very well go 1-2 in the 4x4. That should tell you their strength and depth. They’re just ridiculous... and could win by  20-30 points The distance races will be a Gearing/Gandolfo showdown.

Going into this year's meet there's no single dominating 'track machine'. ACS' girls 3peated (10'11',12) peaking scoring 95 points last May, (including 72 during Finals). A solid group of 7 seniors took their talents to compete at the Collegiate level.. This week in Albany several good teams could score in the 50-60 point range taking home the team title. Our Lady of Mercy may have the inside track based on their fine group of sprinters and relay squads. Landmark Christian, Holy Innocents, Eagles Landing Christian and ACS should all be in the hunt for Podium spots. Landmark should dominate the distance races paced by XC state Champ Kathryn Foreman and former champ senior Lindy Long. However, First Presbyterian Day's Grace Tinkey (2 Time Foot Locker XC All American) may have something to say about that.... Holy Innocents looks to make some noise and Eagles Landing Christian always has speed.  As in Jefferson, all A Heats are 'Finals' w/ Sectionals basically serving as Prelims.  

Will this weekend be a repeat of Boys State in AAAA, where the balance of Marist overcomes the strengths of other teams? Morgan Ilse is the favorite in the 16 and 32. Her teammates Kamryn Brinson (throws) Catie Faust (800m) Kate Northrup (1600/800), Bailey Weiland (HJ) and their 4x400m relay team should garner enough points to put them in great position to win the team title and sweep 4A for the War Eagles. Carrollton, Fayette, Redan, Rutland and Shaw bring a stable full of athletes as well. Of this group, defending State Champ Redan, Rutland and Shaw seem to be the most equipped to join Marist on the Podium. However, no state meet preview is complete without mentioning Monroe-Albany. Never count them out...While their superstar has graduated, they bring a lot of talent and state meet experience to their home track with a raocous crowd urging them on.  

It looks to be a great State meet in AAAAA .  Looking over the entries and this is what I see as far as teams go, it could come down to the 4X400 with Dunwoody and Kell vying for the state crown. Kendall Williams should have another impressive state meet in her events, the High Jump, Long Jump and 100 high hurdles.  Miller Grove, Northside Warner Robins and MLK will fight for 3rd and 4th position in the state meet.

Here is a brief preview of the Girls 6A class. Sprints/Hurdles/Relays will be added Wednesday afternoon. Westlake is a strong favorite to take the team title.

Here are the entry lists for the Girls State meet down in Albany beginning Thursday morning. Performance Lists & Meet Programs to be posted after the 12 noon deadline on Tue, May 6th Its that time again for everyone to make the long, strange trip down to Albany, endure 95 degree heat, little wind and eat gnats...But wait, after last weekend's monsoon at Jefferson, could it be possible the cool weather may hang on a few days later? Don't bet on it, as the forecast for Thursday and Friday is high 80's partly to mostly cloudy 10mph winds and some isolated T-storms Saturday.   The schedule has changed from years before with 1/2 the Field Events contested on Thursday:  

Allan Frye of Campbell HS won the Morris Bryan Award as the top athlete of the 42nd Georgia Olympics. Frye gained early season recognition in an intense hurdles race with Dyarius Tucker at the Bob Hayes Invitational in Jacksonville, Fla. Frye won the Best Performance Award in both Hurdles events.

Here are a few of the past month's newest signings including Hillgrove's Dyarius Tucker, Javianne Oliver of Monroe Area and Athens Academy's Henry Dywer who doubled in the 1A Private 800m/1600m. Dwyer will be staying close to home choosing UGA!

Here is a pdf of the particulars from the Georgia Olympics including: Top 4 Teams Best Performances All Classes High Point Individuals All Classes Record Breakers Morris Bryan Award Top Athletes DQ Summaries http://cache.milesplit.com/user_files/11171/77501/2013_ghsa_boys_state_meet_summary.pdf  

Mother Nature has never been this cruel to a Georgia Olympics and its not unexpected the weather adversely affected all the athletes (even the 800m guys) but everyone had to deal w/ the same conditions on a level playing field and 7 team champions emerged. Mill Creek won their first ever title in 6A, McIntosh came up big scoring 40 just edging perennial contender Cedar Shoals for 5A. The Private schools had very good days beginning w/ Marist rolling up 71 points for a 33 point margin of victory. Fellow Catholic school St.Pius X did the same to the 3A field scoring 85 points. Westminster was too powerful for 2A schools claiming another title scoring 72 besting a game Brooks County team by 10 and Athens Christian added 50 more points Saturday defending their title.  Commerce won the Public A title in unusual fashion after Terrell County's anchor leg stepped off the track right before crossing the finish line in the 4x400m relay.

 The 3200 meter races did not disapoint highlighted by Kenan Farmer's fast 9:11 taking the 6A title and Best Performance Award at the Georgia Olympics. It was another day of harsh, nasty conditions during prelims Friday, though it didn't hurt the 3200 meter athletes at all. Only a few top seeds failed to make it into Finals thus setting up great racing Saturday. Bring your ponchos, umbrellas as the forecast for Jefferson is Showers in the morning becoming a steady rain in the afternoon. Windy. High 57F. Winds ENE at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch.  How can this possibly be good for the athletes and fans? I bet alot of kids will be camping out in their buses and stands half empty. This weather sucks!  

Well, it seems the weather just won't go into hibernation until late Fall as athletes battled sometimes cool, breezy conditions with a light sprinkle of rain. ACS and St.Pius had huge days piling up enough points to take the pressure off them a bit. There were some great 1600m races w/ video popping up of each (except A Public)

Here is a preview of the 1600 Meter Races tonight from contributor Corey Wayne Patterson

This season presents a most unusual Ga Olympics with Class A being split into Public School and Private School divisions with each competing for their own State titles. Not schooled entirely on how this came to fruition, it boiled down to A public schools petitioning the GHSA  the playing field was no longer level, as Private schools had the ability to draw students from multiple cities/counties to be polite. My opinion is the public schools were getting frustrated by the private school's recent domination on the gridiron and they threatened to form their own association to the GHSA...Regardless, it is what it is and its changed how A competes (at least this season) in Jefferson and Albany as last week's Sectional was literally "State Prelims" for A with every event being a Final.

This looks to be a close race between several schools including Marist, Banneker, Rutland, Lagrange, Shaw, Sandy Creek, Carver ATL, Westover and Carrollton on paper.  Speed is what Banneker, Sandy Creek, Fayette County and Rutland will take advantage of on Saturday. Marist should score big in the distance events and get some help in the field.  

On paper St Pius has a clear advantage due to the number of athletes who are ranked number 1 in their event.  Daniel Haugh has dominated the shot and discus, Fred Dorsey has the best triple jump, and of course the distance with Calvin Tirrel and Austin Sprague in the 8-3200. If they finish where they rank they will be hard to catch.  If St. Pius stumbles, watch for Appling County, Elbert County, Cedar Grove, Chapel Hill, and possible North Oconee. 

5A will be a closely contested lower team scoring division than perhaps every other class. Legitimate contenders for the team title may include Northside Columbus, Greenbrier, Cedar Shoals, Grovetown, Miller Grove, McIntosh and Creekside. A Field Event performance or two could go a long way towards a title along with the distance races.  

Westminster looks dominant in the distance events and should score well…they may build an insurmountable lead going into the final day.  Brooks County has a lot of speed as does Lamar County.  GAC qualified a large number for state and Jefferson could score big in the field events   ....contributions by Coach Abrams

The 6A Boys State Championship is leaning on paper to be Hillgrove's party but Mill Creek, Shiloh, Marietta, McEachern, Campbell, Kennesaw Mountain will make it interesting amongst other teams.

After a hard fought series of Sectionals designed to advance more top athletes to State which in 2012 greatly enhanced  the Championship, here are the entry lists for the 2013 Georgia Olympics. 

  Here are the Sectional Meet Programs that are ready for Publication. Please click on the article header above.

2013 Sectionals Performance Lists are now available. There may be some final changes to come. Please click on the article header for the Performance Lists.

Region 8-AAAAAA Meet Preview by Coach Joe Carter of Brookwood HS. With individuals & teams that will impact the upcoming Sectionals & State meets, the Region 8-AAAAAA Championship will be exciting to watch. Below are previews of the sprints, hurdles, distance, & field event competitions for boys & girls, as well as team predictions based on entry marks.

The University of Georgia made a clean sweep of Division I and student-athletes from all divisions made impressive gains on their all-time division record books in this week’s U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) National Athlete of the Week awards. (via USTFCCCA)

Here are some late changes made to the GHSA State Track and Field Championships beginning with the Georgia Olympics hosted by Jefferson HS at Bryan Keene Track. Note that Saturday Finals will begin an hour earlier than years before as well.

In 2011, the United States won its sixth straight IAAF World Youth title in Lille, France. The 2013 WYC are in Donetsk, Ukraine. The U.S. team will be selected. June 25-26 at the USATF National Youth Championships in Edwardsville, Il. Photo by Image of Sport.

It was Spring Break for the majority of schools this past week thus not as many meets were on the Calendar. However, there were some awesome Individual performances headlined by the All Class selections of the week. Andres Littig made the trip down to the Florida Relays and clocked the top 800 meter time this Spring in 1:52.93  Daniel Haugh of St.Pius X traveled across the continent to the prestigous Arcadia Relays in 'Cali' and flung that Discus 176-6 placing 2nd overall.  Lambert's Leanne Zimmer scorched the track down in Mobile at the Challenge of Champions meet earning a spot in the all-time top 10 rankings in the 800 meters in 2:12.01 and Cassidy Callahan of Norcross tossed the Discus 145-7 at McEachern. Next week will conclude the Ga.MileSplit regular season AOW selections.

Here are the Power Rankings for 4A, 5A and 6A. It scores the top 15 relays and Individual postions. An athlete may exceed the maximum number of events in Georgia as our event limits may be more restricted than other state associations. These rankings were calculated by scoring the rankings as a meet.We scored 15 deep for individuals and 15 deep for relays.For example, for individuals 1st place received 15 points for their team, on down to 1 point for 15th place.

Here are the Power Rankings for 3A, 2A and A. It scores the top 15 relays and Individual postions. An athlete may exceed the maximum number of events in Georgia as our event limits may be more restricted than other state associations.

USATF Georgia proudly announces its 2nd annual Boys and Girls Indoor All-State team.   There are over 20 different high schools and two middle schools represented on this 2013 team. The Georgia All-State team was chosen using a specific criterion. Congratulations to the 2013 USATF Georgia Girls All-State team!

The weekend finally provided some decent weather after unseasonably cold, wet and windy conditions highlighted by the Cobb and Gwinnett County Championships.  The DeKalb and Cobb County meets ran thru Monday and we just got results parsed from the DeKalb meet that may not display yet in the Stats. The All-State Athletes of the Week are Pope's Patrick Fleming who doubled in the 800 (1:56) and 1600 (4:18) races at Cobb. Malayshia George from Mill Creek once again earned Girls All-State AOW as she tripled on her home track at Gwinnett in the HJ, 200m and a sweet 54.25 400 Meters..

The 2013 Cobb County Track and Field Championships began with a bang with a hotly contested 1600 Boys and Girls Finals with Smokin' hot fields.... Its not often you run under 4:30 in a Boys 1600 county meet and don't score!  

In 2011, the United States won its sixth straight IAAF World Youth Championships in Lille, France. The 2013 WYC are just months away in Donetsk, Ukraine. The U.S. team will be selected. June 25-26 at the USATF National Youth Championships in Edwardsville, Il.

Westlake Relays is set to start Saturday @ 9am. There will be plenty of competition not only from GA schools but also from other schools out of state.

It was a challenging week of nasty, wet, windy and cool weather that had several meets cancel their Invitationals but student athletes managed to perform despite the conditions setting new personal bests. Last week's Boys Athlete of the week is Marquis Dye from Elbert County. At the 3-19 North Oconee meet Marquis set the cold track on fire blazing a 10.71 in the 100m and in the next event hurdled to a 14.72 in the 100h while anchoring the 4x100 squad to 42.42  Katelyn Utely of Tift County was chosen the Girls AOW after clearing 11-06 in the PV at the rain shortened LC Smith and Benson Relays.

London Games 400 meter bronze medalist and 4x400 gold medalist, Dee Dee Trotter, stopped by the MileSplit Studio last Thursday to hang out. We grabbed a ten minute interview where she compares medals with Todd.

Mill Creek will host the Gwinnett County Track and Field Championship this Monday and Wednesday March 25th and 27th.  20 teams and 1500 athletes over the two day period will try to bring home an individual or team championship to their respective school. Top eight competitors in both divisions (varsity & JV) will be recognized on the awards stand after each event has concluded. The preview and meet time schedule are posted below.   Meet preview by Coach Joe Carter..

The 2nd Annual GaMileSplit MS Challenge will once again be hosted by North Oconee HS on Friday beginning at 4:30pm featuring 15 middle schools including area teams Malcom Bridge MS, Oconee MS, Athens Christian, Hilsman MS and Burney Harris-Lyons. Teams from afar will also be in attendance in this showcase of talent including Marietta MS and from way down south Bleckley County MS.

Preview of the Starrs Mill Friday Night Lights Meet by Coach Chad Walker.  20 schools are ready to race and then get to watch the Jumbotron!

National #1 times take precedence for this week's All-Class AOW's as Dyarius Tucker of Hillgrove was the man after his sizzling 37.54 in the 300h at Bob Hayes in Fla.  Kendell Williams began her HS Outdoor campaign at the prestigous Coaches Meet  going 13.61 in the 100h and flying out to 19-5 in the Long Jump.

  Georgia Invasion: Dyarius Tucker over Alan Frye Take by .006 (two zeros) at US #1 37.54 at the Bob Hayes Invitational.

Its time for the Coaches Invitational again and its going to have some intense competition in many of the events. Pope HS is once again the meet host with Georgia Tech providing the venue at George Griffin Track with the impressive skyline of downtown Atlanta as a backdrop. Kendell Williams of  Kell HS will be competing fresh off her NBN record breaking national title in the Indoor Pentathlon.  The distance races are stacked with talented athletes including St. Pius stud Austin Sprague who placed 7th in the 2 Mile at NBN in 9:11  For a full meet preview from Coach Cathi Monk click on the article header above!

In 2011, the United States won its sixth straight IAAF World Youth Championships in Lille, France. The 2013 WYC are just months away in Donetsk, Ukraine. The U.S. team will be selected. June 25-26 at the USATF National Youth Championships in Edwardsville, Il. 

Not all youth runners are excited about heading off to running camp. Many parents are faced with a dilemma. They have the good intention to help develop their son or daughter into the best runner they can possbily be. And summer running camp is an ideal way to stimulate their running, kick them into gear to prepare them for the upcoming cross-country season.

NEW YORK –Kendell Williams came into the New Balance Nationals looking to defend her title in the pentathlon.  The senior from Kell High in Georgia accomplished that goal and more on Saturday, leaving the Armory with a national record. (via MileSplit)

  Mother Nature blessed the weekend with milder conditions and some great performances were the result.  The Jerry Arnold Georgia Challenge

  Here is the acceptace list for the 2013 Coaches Invitational hosted by Pope HS at Georgia Tech's George Griffin Track.    http://cache.milesplit.com/user_files/11171/66902/new_coaches_invite_2013_accepted_athletes_3.pdf  

NEW YORK - Last year the storylines swirled fast and furious around Erin Finn, Dior Hall, and the girls of Grosse Pointe South (Michigan).  Can they rekindle the magic this year? (Photo by Don Rich)

NEW YORK – History was made less than three weeks ago at the Armory in New York City - site of this weekend’s New Balance Indoor Nationals - by a runner that seems to break records nearly every time he laces up his track spikes. (Photo by Don Rich)

It was a blustery week and last Saturday will remain a long memory for many coaches, athletes and fans as everyone had to deal with relentless artic gusts that worsened as the day progressed.  There were some fantastic performances though and this weeks All Class 'Athletes of the Week' are Kenneth Fisher from Tri-Cities who flew to marks of 47-1 in the Triple Jump and 23-4.5 in the Long Jump. Malayshia George of Mill Creek is selected as Female AOW with impressive efforts at the well named " Eagle Icebreaker clearing 5-4 in the HJ and heating up the track in the 200 Meters in 24.58  This week we have included Relay Teams of the Week and MS 'AOW's  

Can't wait for all the great MileSplit coverage of the 2013 NBIN?! Check out all the great coverage we put up last year including photos, videos, interviews and stories galore!

Starr's Mill's Panther Relays highlights a strong weekend of large invitationals including the Eagle Icebreaker (17 teams), 3rd Annual Wildcat Relays (20 teams), Milton Showcase, Ross Invitational @ Lamar County, 2nd Annual Eagle Invitational and a large MS meet Winder-Barrow MS Spring Fling (16 teams). Let's hope the rain holds off this Saturday as its gonna be cold so bundle up!  Click on the article header for a full preview.

  Each WeekGa.MileSplit and the Coaches Association along with a committee of experienced Head Coaches will be selecting an 'Athlete of the Week' in each Class for Running and Field Events. Also a Male and Female All-Classes 'AOW' will be selected as well. Week 1's All Class Male athlete is Ryan Clark from Banneker HS who warmed up a cold track at the Westlake Early Bird with a 10.57 100 meter time and a 21.58 at the Parkview Invitational. Bailey Weiland of Marist School had a clearance of 5-8 in the High Jump at a Marist Tri-meet to become the All-Class Female AOW.  Selections for Middle School, A Public and GISA (depending on results data) will begin in Week 2 .

The Brooks PR Invitational brings together the nations top track and field athletes from across the country to compete at the Dempsey Center in Seattle, Washington, one of the fastest indoor tracks in the nation. The meet consists of seven events the 60 meter dash, 60 meter hurdles, 400 meter dash, 800 meter run, one mile run, and two mile run. Georgia will send three runners Jada Martin, (60 meter dash), Kendell Williams (60 meter hurdles), and Adel Yoonis (800 meter run).  Let's take an in-depth look at Kendell Williams, senior, from  Kell High School in Marietta, GA.  

Below are the new Top 50 National Marks set yesterday at the UK High School Invitational in Lexington.  If the athlete had already completed a better mark or time this season they are not listed (ex. Kendell Williams is #2 in the nation with a previous Long Jump mark so she is not listed below)

KYtrackXC.com's Tyler Karnes is live on-site at the UK High School Invitational today.  He will be posting live updates with news and splits as comments on this article.  There will be some great performances today, so keep checking back.

Live Results for the UK High School Invitational

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – WKU head track and field coach Erik Jenkins unveiled his 2013 signing class Monday morning, a group that features six nationally and regionally ranked student-athletes.

This page will feature 'Signing Pics' of Georgia HS Track and Field and Cross Country athletes who have chosen to continue their pursuit of excellence at the next level.. February 6th is National Signing Day! This is the first day athletes around the country (and world) can make their college commitments official.   Many of the top stars around the country will have official signing ceremonies on National Signing Day, while others may do so in the coming days in weeks. We want to applaud all of our college-bound seniors and celebrate their decisions of where they will spend the next four years.   Who will be the college programs to line up an amazing class to make then national championship contenders over the next years? On National Signing Day the picture starts to become clearer!   Send your signings announcements and signing ceremony photos to btaylor@milesplit.com and we will get them posted.

“I am adjusting well. The coaching staff is great; things are going pretty good and I am looking for the best this year,” said 18-year-old Shaunae Miller, who is in her first year at the University of Georgia (Georgia). Shaunae continued, “training is going pretty good.” Shaunae, who hails from the Bahamas, comes to Georgia with an impressive resume that includes posting lifetime best times of 22.70 seconds in the 200m and 51.25 seconds in the 400m. She also claimed IAAF World Youth and World Junior 400m titles.(via TrackLedger)

The National Scholastic Athletics Foundation is an organization dedicated to the support of junior age (sub-20) and high school track and field. Aside from offering support to the USATF Junior Track and Field and selected high school track and field meets, we own and operate the NB Indoor Nationals, the New Balance Outdoor Nationals, and the Great American Cross Country Festival. (via National Scholastic Sports Foundation) Jim Spier's Top 5 Indoor Lists 2013

Track and Field News - The Bible Of The Sport Since 1948 (via www.trackandfieldnews.com)  Tyreek Hill is in rare aiir ....Who will be the next Tyreek Hill in 2013? Or Chalonda Goodman on the Ladies side??

JOHNS CREEK HIGH SCHOOL STANDOUT NAMED GATORADE GEORGIA GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY RUNNER OF THE YEAR   CHICAGO (January 10, 2013) — In its 28th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in collaboration with USA TODAY High School Sports, today announced Allie Buchalski of Johns Creek High School as its 2012-13 Gatorade Georgia Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year. Buchalski is the first Gatorade Georgia Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year to be chosen from Johns Creek High School.   Josh Brickell- The state’s returning Gatorade Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year, Brickell raced to the Class AAAAAA individual state championship this past season with a time of 15:55.32, leading the Lions to fifth place as a team. Also the two-time Runner of the Year as named by the Gwinnett Daily Post, he placed second at the Foot Locker South Regional championships in 14:49. He did not finish the national Foot Locker Cross Country Championships due to illness. Brickell captured eighth place at the Foot Locker’s national competition in 2011 as a junior.

Here is the preliminary information for the 2013 Track and Field Clinic to be held at Wesleyan School on January 19th with a complete schedule of classes, Clinicians, Lodging and Recognition information. Click on this document and open http://cache.milesplit.com/user_files/11171/66902/microsoft_word_viewer_-_2013_track_clinic_schedule_final.pdf  

The implications of signing a National Letter of Intent are often not well understood, but they should be. It is a legal document that is binding on both parties. (via MileSplit)

The Atlanta Track Club Foundation will be granting a $2500 Scholarship to a Female Metro Atlanta senior graduating in 2013. Nominations are due on February 1st. Please click on the link for complete information. http://cache.milesplit.com/user_files/11171/66902/pattyfoell-app2013.pdf

In a fitting end to a great weekend of competition, the Invitational Mile produced a pair of national leading times.

Bakri Abushouk makes his indoor season debut, and his first appearance at the JDL, on Saturday in the Invitational Mile.

Sydnei Murphy, following in her sister's footsteps, grabbed the top spot in the North Carolina rankings in her last visit to the JDL.

  UGA will again have their 14th Annual Track & Field Clinic as well as the 2013 Throws Clinic. Please click on the icons in the Local Sponsors area or click on the links below: Track-  http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/geo/sports/c-track/auto_pdf/2012-13/misc_non_event/2013-track-clinic.pdf Throws-  http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/geo/sports/c-track/auto_pdf/2012-13/misc_non_event/2013-throws-clinic.pdf

Register by December 21st to compete at the JDL FastTrack against in standard or invitational events.

MACON, Ga. – Mercer University Director of Athletics Jim Cole announced Monday that the school will add women’s track and field as a varsity sport beginning in the 2013-14 school year. (via Atlanticsun.org)