YOUTH RUNNER MAGAZINE JULY-AUGUST 2021

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SOPHIA GORRIARAN YOUNGEST ATHLETE TO COMPETE IN THE OLYMPIC TRIALS AT AGE 16

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YR MOMENTS QUICK RECOVERY IT GOT TIGHT IN THE PACK OF HEAT TWO OF THE MIDDLE SCHOOL GIRLS MILE AT NIKE OUTDOOR NATIONALS BUTABBY ARTABANE FROM THE EMERGING ELITES TC IN MASSACHUSETTS STAYED ON HER FEET AND FINISHED 12TH. EMMA RODRIQUEZWADE WAS 1ST IN 5:02.56, OLIVIA CIESLAK 5:02.97, KAILUA BALAZS 5:09.18.

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YR CONTENTS: JULY - AUG 2021

READY.SET.GO

Vol. 26 Issue 3

SOPHIA GORRIARAN 8

SHE MADE THE OLYMPIC TRIALS AT AGE 16

AISHA MCADAMS FEATURE

12 GATORADE ATHLETES

OF THE YEAR 20 YOUTH RUNNERS THAT BECAME TOKYO OLYMPIANS

CHECK IT OUT

TRAINING

16-17 INSTAGRAM FAN SHOTS 22-23 MEET HIGHLIGHTS 24-25 WAY TO GO 26

THE BALANCED YOUTH RUNNER

MORE 2-3 YRMOMENTS

GUEST 5 CONTENTS 6 THE EDITOR

LETTER FROM

7 YR BLOGGER

14-15 POSTER

28 COMING UP

YOUTHRUNNER.COM | 5

YR

EDITOR

SMOTHERMAN IMAGES

VOLUME 26 ISSUE 3 | JULY - AUGUST 2021

Dan Kesterson, Youth Runner Publisher / Editor

LETTER FROM THE

EDITOR Hey Everyone,

It's been a big summer already with events in Eugene, the YR Camps, and the Olympics in Tokyo. In March of 2014, we featured a middle school girl from California named Tara Davis. She had just broken a youth record in the long jump that had stood for thirtyeight years and was excited about track and field. She is also a hurdler. She ran for Agoura Hills in high school and won three events at the CIF California State Meet. In college, Tara started with the Georgia Bulldogs and later transferred and became a Texas Longhorn. She was sixth in the Tokyo Summer Olympics.

We thought it would be fun to look back at her interview as a middle school athlete. Her favorite cereal back then was Lucky Charms, and her color

EDITOR AT LARGE Ian Kesterson CONTRIBUTING WRITERS, BLOGGERS, AND REPORTERS Zach Davis, Cailin Kinas, Noah McMahon, Morgan Boonshaft, Isabella Bravo, Hunter Hurl, Jordynn West, Evan Gonzales, Jaden Merrick, Brandon Pollard, Espen Lehnst, Pat Tyson, Bob Williams, Matt Walsh, Max Huang, Bree May. ART DIRECTOR Sean Kesterson

was lilac. She liked math, "Because you learn all different types of concepts and equations and it's not boring."

Tara's advice to long jumpers? Always hold up your feet as long as you can and get some height. The higher you go the farther you will go.

Future goals? I would like to be an Olympian. After being an Olympic champion I want to run my own bakery. Her advice for other young athletes is to stay focused on your sport, but remember that school is first.

In "Keeping Up" we've mentioned some other past Youth Runners who made it to Tokyo.

Stay safe out there and maybe we'll see you on the track.

- Dan

IAN’S NOTES THERE ARE A LOT OF CHALLENGES THAT COME WITH BEING AN ATHLETE. COACH WALSH TALKS ABOUT HOW TO OVERCOME ADVERSITY IN ASK A COACH.

6 | JULY/AUGUST 2021

PUBLISHER/EDITOR Dan Kesterson

CONTRIBUTING DESIGNER Rachel Heckerman ON THE COVER Sophia Gorriaran CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Smotherman Images, Klotz Images, Aisha McAdams, Gatorade, Logan Hannigan-Downs, Eric Ward, Tim Healy, AAU, Dingo Images, Fans.

COVER PHOTO Aisha McAdams WEBSITE-DIGITAL-VIDEO Sean Kesterson THANKS TO Texas track and field, Olympics, Volunteers, Gatorade, AAU, Beach Runs and Smoothies.

ADVERTISING & SPONSORSHIP dank@youthrunner.com SUBSCRIPTION RATES US One Year: Print $19.95 Digital $12.95 Subscribe at www.youthrunner.com PUBLISHED BY: Youth Runner Magazine is a registered trademark of GoSportz Media LLC. Published 5 times a year by GoSportz Media, LLC Copyright 2021 all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without permission. Editorial contributions are welcome, submit queries to editor@Youthrunner.com. Gosportz Media LLC and it’s publisher assumes no liability for the content or opinion of it’s writers or advertisers and reserves the right to reject any advertising at it’s own discretion.

Youth Runner recommends that you consult with your coach and your physician on any changes with your training, fitness and health issues.

23 OUT OF 54

AAU ALUMNI MEDALED MEDAL BREAKDOWN

14 GOLD 8 SILVER 9 BRONZE TOTAL MEDALS WON

2020 Olympic Games YOUTHRUNNER.COM | 7

AISHA MCADAMS

8 | JULY/AUGUST 2021

SOPHIA GORRIARAN SOPHIA GORRIARAN SOPHIA GORRIARAN AT JUST 16 YEARS OLD SOPHIA WAS THE YOUNGEST ATHLETE TO COMPETE IN THE 2021 OLYMPIC TRIALS. WE HAD A CHANCE TO MEET THE WEEK BEFORE. THE MOSES HIGH SCHOOL FRESHMAN ALREADY HAS SIX STATE RECORDS IN RHODE ISLAND AND IS A NATIONALLY RANKED LACROSS PLAYER. SHE RAN AGAINST THE BEST IN THE COUNTRY AT HAYWARD FIELD COMING IN FOURTH OUT OF EIGHT RUNNERS IN HER HEAT WITH A TIME OF 2:02.26. SHE COMPETED AGAINST THE BEST COLLEGE AND PRO WOMEN IN THE U.S. THE NIKE HIGH SCHO OL NATIONALS WERE HELD THE FOLLOWING WEEK IN EUGENE AND SOPHIA RAN AN EXCITING RACE IN THE GIRLSCHAMPIONSHIP MILE FOR 2ND PLACE IN 4:43.74. IN THE 400M SHE RAN A 54.10 FOR A PR AND 3RD. KEEP A WATCH OUT FOR SOPHIA DURING CROSS COUNTRY SEASON. PHOTOS BY AISHA MCADAMS

Hi Sophia, it's great to see you out here in Oregon. Would you please give us a recap of the last few months and the races you've been in?

What was your win-loss record?

Starting in January I started racing and in the first week of February I raced in the 800m at Arkansas, and I had the trials standard in the 800 meters, the Olympic Trials standard, and ran 2:02.4. From there I ran a few more races indoors. Then after that, I started playing lacrosse with my high school team and also training for track. I ran a few meets outdoors, but not too much as usual I would like to say. I'm playing a lot of lacrosse, so I was just getting back into training like a month ago.

I play midfield.

Undefeated in the state.

What position do you play?

So lacrosse is pretty much like soccer with a stick?

There's a lot of running involved with lacrosse.

Is there a lot of physical contact?

Yeah, there's a decent amount.

Tell us about your lacrosse.

So how excited were you when you got the Olympic Trials standard time? Were you confident and expecting you would get it?

So yeah, I started playing lacrosse in third grade and with my club team in sixth grade and middle school lacrosse and with my school. This is my first season of high school lacrosse. So we have our state championship Sunday, but I'll not be there. Unfortunately.

Yeah, I was really excited. I kind of was expecting it because I had run a 1:27 in the 600m the week before, so it gave me the confidence to know that I could do that or even run better than that if I could. So I was aiming for the trial standard or below that.

What has your training been like over the last month to prepare?

I've been doing a lot of speed endurance work and I do a lot of longer stuff, more distance-wise at the beginning of the spring and transitioned to more endurance, until now.

Do you have a mental strategy to keep yourself prepared for the Trials?

For me, I just have to think of it as another meet so that I won't stress or whatever, something like that.

How did you get started with running?

My family runs. My mom started after college or during college and my dad ran track in college and played football. So I usually grew up going to the track with my sister and brother. My brother is four years older than me, and my sisters, like, two and a half years older. I wanted to be with them and be with my family. So, I just went on the track mode. Run around the YOUTHRUNNER.COM | 9

BEST ADVICE FROM SOPHIA-

"KEEP DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING, AND YOU'LL SEE IMPROVEMENTS. KEEP TRAINING AND JUST MAKE SURE YOU LIKE IT."

track, while they were like practicing and stuff.

What were some of your youth running highlights?

Tell us about one of your first races as a kid?

I would go to the youth nationals, the USATF meets and those are always really fun. I would always like the indoor ones but I didn't start until I was maybe nine or ten doing those. The first time I went to outdoor nationals was in 7th grade in North Carolina.

I was always a sprinter. I never went above 800 meters, or like 400 meters for a while. And then the first time running the mile or the 1500 was when I was in eighth grade.

Do you do cross country?

My first real year of cross country was this past year and then freshman year I did freshman cross-country and only ran three races and it was like a 4K. My first full season was this last year.

So do you feel that cross-country helps your 800 meters?

10 | JULY/AUGUST 2021

Okay, and then what do you like to do when you're not training and racing?

I like to hang out with my friends a lot.

What's your favorite meal the night before a big race?

Yeah, I have pasta and meat sauce.

I would say it definitely does help with the strength side of the eight hundred meters because you get the speed and you also do strength.

Okay, what about the morning of a race?

Did you belong to a youth club?

Any favorite pro athletes?

I belong to the Providence Cobras.

I'll say, Ajee Wilson and Allyson Felix.

I usually have a small bowl of cereal.

KLOTZ IMAGES

How about NBA players?

Not really, but I would say Michael Jordan.

How many days a week do you train and then recover, or how do you recover?

I have four hard workouts a week.

Then I do two easy days, like longer runs and I usually have a day off on the weekend.

How about sleep?

I'll don't sleep that much. I'm not really a morning person. So I wake up late when I can unless I have school. I say going to bed at twelve to one and wake up at like ten to eleven.

Any advice for young girls that would like to follow your path?

I would say make sure you're having fun always. Keep doing what you're doing, and you'll see improvements.

Keep training aand just make sure you like it.

GATORADE'S

ATHLETES OF THE YEAR EACH YEAR THE GATORADE COMPANY AWARDS TOP ATHLETES IN DIFFERENT SPORTS. THEY SURPRISE THE WINNERS BY SHOWING UP AT THEIR SCHOOL FOR AN ASSEMBLY OR SOME OTHER IMAGINATIVE WAY. THE TRACK AND FIELD WINNERS THIS YEAR WERE ROISIN WILLIS AND HOBBS KESSLER. ROISIN WILLIS is from Stevens Point Area Senior High School. She was one of three girls who qualified for the Olympic Trials in the 800-meter run. At the Trials of Miles New York City Qualifier her 800 time of 2:00.78 was an Under-18 world record. She also set a state record int he 1,600-meter run in a time of 4:41.46. Only three prep girls ever have run an 800 faster.

Roisin is also an accomplished violin player and participated in a practice-a-thon fundraiser to raise scholarship dollars for fellow music students. She has prepared goodie bags for hospital workers during the pandemic, is an NHS penal with fourth-graders, and a volunteer of the North Central Conservancy Trust. She maintained a weighted 4.0 GPA and will begin her senior year of high school this fall.

COURTESY OF GATORADE

community as an assistant coach

ing neighborhood races and

He teaches climbing techniques,

GPA in the classroom. He did go

to young athletes at Planet Rock. setting routes and organizing

games. Hobbs is known as a big

brother to kids on the block and

helper to their parents by organiz-

HOBBS KESSLER went to Skyline High School in Ann Arbor,

Michigan. Hobbs got some attention earlier this year

when he broke the national

prep record in the 1500-meter run in 3:34.6, which is the

fourth fastest time every by an

American at that date in 2021.

He also qualified for the

Olympic Trials and made to

the semifinals. In his Division

1 state meet he ran 1:54.13 to

win the 800 and won the 1600 in 4:16.68. His two-mile time of 8:39.04 was the fastest in

the nation, number four in US prep history. During indoors

he ran another national high school record of 3:57.77 in the mile.

Besides running Hobbs is a

volunteer in the local climbing

COURTESY OF GATORADE

activities. He has painted a 3.48 pro by signing a contract with

adidas but will attend Northern Arizona University in the fall.

BRIANA WILLIAMS GOES TO TOKYO EXCITING TO SEE BRIANA MAKE THE TEAM FOR JAMAICA AS SHE WAS ON THE COVER OF YOUTH RUNNER A FEW YEARS AGO JAMAICA WON THE GOLD MEDAL IN WOMENS 4 X 100M RELAY

RANDY MIYASAKI YOUTHRUNNER.COM | 15

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YOUTH RUNNER AMBASSADOR

SONYA CARTER

COUNTING DOWN THE DAYS:

ONE WEEK TO MY THIRD YEAR OF YOUTHRUNNER CAMP I HAVE NEVER BEEN THE FASTEST RUNNER, BUT NONETHELESS, I STILL LOVE RUNNING. Youthrunner Camp has taught me so much about running. I have learned that running isn't just about winning and being better than everyone else. It is about being your best self, feeling good when running, and racing against yourself. At the same time, while doing all of that, it's not about push-

18 | JULY/AUGUST 2021

ing yourself until you can't hold yourself up anymore. Youthrunner has taught me the importance of recovery, nutrition, and most of all, finding the JOY in running.

When I was in preschool I did "tot trots" while my mom ran the 5k. When I was in kindergarten, I started running the annual Seattle Kid's Marathon (the running distance for the kid's race is actually

1.2miles). I have now done it seven years in a row, finishing as the first girl in 2018 (overall 11th) and 2019 (overall 3rd). I even got my elementary school involved, we started a running club to train together and then enter as a team.

In second grade, I joined the Rain City Flyers cross-country club in Seattle, Washington. With Rain City, I have been to the USATF cross-country national Junior Olympic championship three times (Alabama 2016, Florida 2017, and Wisconsin 2019). For track, in 2018 I got first place in the Seattle City Championships in the 400 meters, and I also placed 8th at USATF regionals in Oregon that year.

My first year at the Youthrunner Camp was the summer before 6th grade (2019) when I went to Mt. Hood, Oregon. Because I was the youngest and not super confident in my running ability, I was quite nervous and intimidated. But luckily, there was a lot of support and kindness at the camp so I didn't feel like I didn't belong. I was really happy with how I handled the long run and pushed myself in the final race. I went home that year with a new outlook on running and more knowledge than I had started with.

My second year was during the COVID

pandemic. Youthrunner Camp took place in Coeur D'Alene, Idaho that year. I was excited for another year of camp but also worried about the virus and the new, hilly camp site. Of all times, I ended up getting seasick from our boat ride to the destination of our weekly long run. I felt terrible and was so disappointed because I knew I was faster and stronger than the year before and wanted to prove that to myself. However, Coach Pat Tyson was there to comfort me and pass on some great running advice on how to overcome adversity. There will always be obstacles that do come with running and athletics in general.

This one was out of my control and I just had to let it pass and put it behind me. The final race on the last day was incredibly exhausting with two long, steep hills per lap and three laps total.

I have never been the best with hills, so this was quite difficult for me. But it also helped me learn about how to tackle hills and how I can improve. I was proud of finishing strong, and I learned even more and completed another year of the Youthrunner Camp.

This year I am shocked that I might be one of the older runners at camp.

The pandemic has made time FLY by. Sometimes I still think I am in 6th grade, and in September, I'll

start 8th grade, so that's saying something. I am coming off of a mild injury break – again, something that many runners face along the way. In June, I was playing All-Star softball, so I had practice every day for two hours for a few weeks. In addition, I was also ramping up my running to get in a few track meets after a long break from racing in my state because of Covid. All that might have been too much, and I somehow got a calf strain. It was quite frustrating because I was just jogging and had to stop because my calves were hurting a lot. It felt like I had been running hard for hours! I had to take time off to let my calves heal completely, and then I slowly ramped up again. I am taking it easy for the start, not running super far or super hard yet. But I am excited to build up my mileage at the Youthrunner Camp and getting into a good rhythm. I am excited to run with other people and learn even more than before.

I love the Youthrunner Camp because you get to meet new people from all over the US and learn from them and the coaches. I love how everyone is so friendly and supportive. I am very excited to complete my final year as a middle school camper at Youthrunner Camp!

YOUTHRUNNER.COM | 19

KEEPING UP WITH

YR ATHLETES, BLOGGERS, & EDITORS PHOTO RUN

IT’S COOL FOR US TO WATCH ATHLETES THAT HAVE BEEN FEATURED IN YOUTH RUNNER MAGAZINE WHEN THEY WERE YOUNGER, AND THEN GO ON TO COMPETE IN THE OLYMPICS. THESE ATHLETES MADE IT TO TOKYO. RANDY MIYAZAKI

BRIANA WILLIAMS On the Cover as a 15-year old.

We also met Briana at the AAU Junior Olympic Games.

ATHING MU

We first met Athing at the AAU Junior Olympic Games in Houston.

One and only event in Tokyo led to a Gold Medal up against team USA and Great Britain in the Women’s 4x100m relay. Brianna ran the opening leg of the relay which would be just shy of an Olympic and World record by less than half a second with a time of 41.02. That time would be enough to set a new Jamaican National record.

PHOTO RUN

GALEN RUPP

Guest Editor in Youth Runner as a high school senior.

4-time Olympian Galen Rupp would make his second appearance in the Olympic marathon following Olympic Bronze in Rio in 2016, hoping to take home silver or gold. Galen Rupp would end up finishing 8th overall in the men’s marathon, but then come back 9 weeks later to place 2nd in the Chicago Marathon. His Olympic marathon time of 2:11.41 was just 2 minutes and 21 seconds off of a PR. At the age of 35 the question becomes what events will Rupp pursue in the 2024 Olympics?

20 | JULY/AUGUST 2021

Athing Mu went to Tokyo with a race plan to leave it all out there and hope to win gold for team USA. Mission accomplished, twice! Athing Mu took home two gold medals, one in the women’s 800m and one as part of the women’s 4x400m relay. At age 19 she led the women’s 800m with a split of 57.82 and would continue to increase her distance from the pack. In the final 100m her teammate Raevyn Rogers would turn up the heat and bring home both Gold and Bronze consecutively. She would negative split her second lap, running 57.40, setting an American Record with a time of 1:55.22. This would also be team USA’s first Olympic Gold in the event in over 50 years.

Athing would come back in the Women’s 4x400m Relay as the team’s anchor chasing down another American Record. While they may have missed it, she and teammate Dalilah Muhammad would both run sub-49 second splits for their relay legs. Incredible considering both had previously competed in other events during the 2020 Olympics. Guess doubling up in events won’t be an obstacle for Athing. We’ve got a lot of exciting races to look forward to in the years and Olympics to come.

RANDY MIYAZAKI

SAM GEHRKE

MICAH WILLIAMS

Featured on the cover as a high school junior.

Micah ran his second sub 10.00 100 meter time at the Olympic Trials in 9.91 seconds to finish fifth. That got him on the 4x100 relay pool for Tokyo and a University of Oregon school record.

RYAN CROUSER Ryan Crouser yet again wins Olympic Gold in the shot put at Tokyo, he’d be the first male from Team USA Track & Field to bring home one of many gold medals in the sport. He’d match Perry O’Brien’s Olympic shot put record of two back-to-back gold medals, held by O’Brien in the 1950s.

Ryan had 6 incredible throws, 5 of the 6 throws would have placed him in contention for gold. He started the day off with an Olympic Record and would make his final throw an Olympic Record as well. His first throw was 22.83m (74’11”), his second would go further at 22.92m (75’ 2¾ “) and so forth. Each throw hoping to continue to break Olympic Records, but also to surpass his own PB, personal best, of 23.37m (76’ 8¼”). A record he just set at the Olympic Trials held in Eugene, Oregon at newly renovated Hayward Field. His 6th and final throw would be the 2020 Tokyo Olympics new Olympic Record & 2nd furthest throw in history. A throw of 23.30m (76’ 5½”).

Crouser would end his day with a very special tribute interview to his late Grandfather, Larry Crouser, by holding up a piece of paper saying “Grandpa, We did it! 2020 Olympic Champion”. His grandfather had passed away just before the start of the Olympics. A fond memory of the Crouser family was the shot put ring grandpa had built in his backyard as he too loved and encouraged a love for the sport of track and field.

TARA DAVIS

On the cover of Youth Runner in middle school.

Tara had a great start to the day, appearing very relaxed and in Group A jumped 6.85m (22’6”) in the qualifying round which was an automatic qualifying distance for finals. Teammate Brittney Reese would set a mark just a bit higher than that as the two went 1-2 headed into finals. An automatic qualification into your first Olympics is so exciting, but the competition was fierce in Women’s long jump and Tara’s final round best jump of 6.84m (22’5”) would not be enough for a podium finish, but placing 6th is an incredible accomplishment at such a young age. We expect to see great results in Paris 2024.

REBECCA JOELSON YOUTHRUNNER.COM | 21

MEET HIGHLIGHTS CALIFORNIA STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS SMOTHERMAN IMAGES

NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL THIS IS A TRAIL RACE FOR HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETES IN SALIDA, COLORADO THAT FEATURES SWITCHBACKS, CLIMBS, DESCENTS AND ROCKS. ATRA-NANCY HOBBS

NIKE OUTDOOR NATIONALS ORGANIZED BY THE NATIONAL SCHOLASTIC ATHLETICS FOUNDATION THIS MEET

THE SUMMER OF TRAIL CHAMPIONSHIPS, THE FIRST TIME EVER FOR THE NIKE OUTDOOR NATIONALS IN EUGENE, OREGON, AAU JUNIOR OLYMPIC GAMES, USATF JO CHAMPS, AND THE OLYMPICS. WHEW!

LOGAN HANNIGAN-DOWNS YOUTHRUNNER.COM | 23

WAY TO

GO

RIDGEFIELD TC WINS THE BOYS DISTANCE MEDLEY CHAMPIONSHIP LIAM CARCICH, AMIT MARKOS, BENJAMIN MICKOOL, AND CHARLIE KING WERE ECSTATIC WHEN THEY WON THE BOYS DMR AT THE NIKE OUTDOOR NATIONALS IN 10:01.72.

WHAT WAS YOUR RACE PLAN TODAY? Liam went out in the 1200, “Just tried to run a sub 3:08 split I just tried to hand it off in the best position possible to Amit and I knew when it got to Charlie he would take it in..

HOW WAS THE EUGENE EXPERIENCE? Oh my goodness, it was incredible! Better than we imagined.

Walking into Hayward Field the first time we were dumbstruck. We did a couple of runs on Pre’s Trail. Every dinner place we went to was amazing. Everyone who is here loves track and field. So, it’s a good vibe. We love this town.

You can feel the camaraderie between everyone here.

LOGAN HANNIGAN-DOWNS

24 | JULY/AUGUST 2021

SUBMIT AN

ATHLETE

EVAN GONZALES Evan started running in the 6th grade and just graduated from South Salem High School in Oregon with a 3.52 GPA. This summer Evan is off to Arizona to get some altitude training with his new teammates from WSU where he's looking at 60-70 miles a week as a freshman. He says that "Coming into the D1 scene at Washington State as a walk-on, I realize that I am nowhere close to the top guys on my team. However, my goal is to make it as far as I can while working for my spot on the team.

In his last high school XC race ever, Evan won the 5k by 7.5 seconds in 15:45.0 over a hilly course and led his team to a near-perfect score of 16 points. He went home the district champion.

He was also the 2018 USATF Oregon Male Track Athlete of the Year, USATF All-American in the 800m, 1500m, and 3000m, IB Course Student South Salem Cross Country and Track Captain, and Nick Symmonds Crowd Favorite.

First South Bay middle schooler to break 4:50 (4:44) in the 1600M. As a seventh-grader, he came in second at the Nike Portland XC meet.

Evan's PRs: 400m-52.03, 800m-1:57.26, 1500m4:06.82, 3000m-9:04.9, 5000m-15:45.

He ultimately wants to motivate others to do what they love, whether it is sports, academics, or just living their lives in general.

YOUTH RUNNER TOP DOG OF THE MONTH 3-TIME NATIONAL CHAMP

LONG JUMPER

DISTANCE RUNNER

Jada Harper, 11

Artevion Walker, 9 Coastal Georgia Track

Ayden Taylor, 12 Louisville, KY

Jada is a 3X @AAUTrackAndField 800m National Champion!!! In each of those races, she was within a second of breaking the national record!

Congratulations to Artevion placed 4th in the 9-10 long jump at the USATF Junior Olympics in Jacksonville, FL. Great jumping.

Ayden placed 2nd in the 3000m, 5th in the 1500m, and 8th in the 800m at AAU Junior Olympic Games.

Way to go, Jada!

See you back here next year!

Great racing Ayden!

ARE YOU A YR-KID? Smotherman Images

DANIELLE GONZALES

Let us know what makes you a Youth Runner.

Submit an Athlete at: youthrunner. com/events/ athlete/submit

READ THE FULL STORIES ABOUT THESE ATHLETES AT YOUTHRUNNER.COM YOUTHRUNNER.COM | 25

ASK A

COACH

Matt Walsh

FACING ADVERSITY HERE’S SOME TIPS THAT CAME FROM A SESSION AT THE YR CAMP WITH COACH MATT WALSH. 26 | JULY/AUGUST 2021

DID YOUR SHOE COME OFF IN THE MUD PIT AT LAST WEEKS’ XC MEET? MAYBE YOUR TIME SLOWER THAN THE WEEK BEFORE. WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO? Give your body a break. Possibly that

slow time was your body telling you to get some rest. Remember, hard days, easy days.

Switch things up and find other

ways to train like swimming, biking or strength training.

Give yourself a nutrition check.

Skipping breakfast and running without

a full tank may be catching up with you.

Find the source of the problem. Lean

a running journal becomes important

as you write down the things that have

gone really well and those days when it doesn’t go well. You can look back and

determine what you would do differently from week to week.

HOW TO FLIP ADVERSITY AROUND TO BECOME A BALANCED YOUTH RUNNER. Make sure you give yourself plenty of

rest and recovery time.

Be consistence with your training.

Set Goals Be patient. Your hard work

will pay off.

Bring your best to every practice and

each race.

Feed the machine! Keep your tank

on your coach and support team to

full for best performance. Check out

where it’s coming from.

Your Sweet Spot” where she teaches

help you walk through this and identify

Stay positive! Train yourself to move

on from setbacks and disappointments quickly. Give yourself five minutes or

two days. Set a time limit and move on.

Surround yourself with friends,

WHEN YOU’RE TRAINING AND RACING IT’S NOT UNCOMMON TO HIT A BUMP IN THE ROAD NOW AND THEN. ACTUALLY, IT’S PART OF BEING AN ATHLETE. THE TRICK IS, HOW DO YOU HANDLE IT?

Find your strengths and under-

stand your weaknesses. This is where

family. It’s easier when you don’t try to go it alone.

Running is a community with your

team and your coach.

Find other hobbies and activities.

Volunteer, read, get your mind off of the

Becca McConville’s book called “Finding athletes what foods are best for young athletes.

Strong mind and heart. Athletes get

pushed around out there on the course.

Become tough mentally.

For athletes sleep is training. Make

sure you get your eight hours or more.

Consider that for every hour you

train during the week you should give equal time for rest and taking care of your self.

situation.

YOUTHRUNNER.COM | 27

COMING UP! IF YOU’RE NOT COMPETING THIS SUMMER FIND A 5K JUST FOR FUN. CHECK YOUTHRUNNER.COM FOR MORE LISTINGS

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Orlando, FL coachoregistration.com

Brushy, LA usatf.org

Tokyo, Japan olympic.org

July 2

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BROOKS PR INVITATIONAL

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Orlando, FL usatf.org

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July 10

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Marietta, GA coachoregistration.com

Jacksonville, FL usatf.org

Jul. 31-Aug. 8 AAU JUNIOR OLYMPIC GAMES Humble, TX aautrackandfield.org

PRO TRACK SERIES TO WATCH JULY 10 - UNDER ARMOUR SUNSET TOUR JULY 17 - UNDER ARMOUR SUNSET TOUR AUG 14 - ED MURPHEY CLASSIC AUG 21 - PREFONTAINE CLASSIC

LOOKING AHEAD TO XC FOOTLOCKER REGIONALS 11/27 MIDWEST – KENOSHA, WI 11/27 NORTHWEST – BRONX, NY 11/27 SOUTH – CHARLOTTE, NC

AAU NATIONALS 12/4 CHARLOTTE, NC

NIKE TEAM NATIONALS 12/4 PORTLAND, OR

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