2008 Track & Field News All-America Honors

[Baller3]

A'Lexus Brannon of Ozen has been selected as a 2008 Track & Field News All-American for two events the long jump and triple jump.  Only five athletes nationally were chosen per event.  This is a well deserved honor for an athlete who works very hard at whatever she does. A'Lexus is also the current National Champion in the 100m hurdles for AAU and USA track and field ages 15-16 also the National Champion in the long jump for AAU.  Nationals were held in Omaha, Nebraska and Ypsilanti, Michigan.  A'Lexus also represented Ozen H.S. at the Nike Outdoor Nationals held in Greensboro, North Carolina, the Caribbean Classic Track and Field meet held at Roberto Clemente Stadium in Carolina, Puerto Rico, and the Great Southwest Classic held in Albuquerque, N.M. where she brought home a total of  five gold medals in the long jump, triple jump, and 4x100 meter relay and 3 silver and 2 bronze medals in the 100m hurdles, LJ and TJ.  Congratulations A'Lexus on an awesome summer track season and continued success in all your endeavours.  A'Lexus is also an 08 USA Today All-American for LJ and TJ and 08 Nike All-American 100m Hurdles, LJ, TJ.  These honors were all based on her performances throughout the 07-08 high school track season.(She's also the 2 time 4A state champion in LJ and 1 time champion in the TJ.)

[Hitch]

Where did you find the list?

[Baller3]

Google her name.

[Master T]

How about Chasity Foster a former runner for Woodville. She has made it to state since her freshman year and now is currently in her senior year in Silsbee. SHe finish 7 in nation in the Triple Jump.

[hurdleguy]

what about the girl from lumberton she made it to omaha to but im not sure how good she did

[LHSALLZONE]

hurdleguy, her name is leslie beard, anthony beards  cuzz. she finished 8th in the pole vault in austin

in the 4a , she was a freshman. she ran in the usatf ,400 & pole vault, were she won the gulf coast

regional meet. she went to dallas in another finals qualify meet were she placed 3rd , & earned a

spot at the jr. olympics finals in omaha. she ended up 17th in the nation & ranked 23 rd  overall in

usatf nationally, in the pole vault. she currently looks real good in the vault, & trying to run a 57-58

in the 400  this year as a soph. she should jump between 11'6 to 12'0 this year. on the other hand, alexus b. is for sure a rare talent, she just awesome. hope her efforts pay for her future,good luck to her

[flygirl42]

Thanks, A'Lexus started running track the same way. Keep doing summer track . It really pays off! More people ought to think about track as well.

[dayton]

Thanks, A'Lexus started running track the same way. Keep doing summer track . It really pays off! More people ought to think about track as well.

Very True!

It only makes you better in your other sports.

[Baller3]

I've heard it said from track enthusiast all around the country and abroad that;  "Track is the only true sport, everything else is just a game!"  A'Lexus Brannon was recently named a top US contender for the Youth World Championships(ages 18 and under) to be held in Bressanone, Italy July 8th thru the 15th , 2009.(Dyestat.com)  A'Lexus is currently world ranked in three events #2 Long Jump, #3 100m Hurdles, and #7 Triple Jump.  Qualifying for the USA Youth World Team will be held in Ypsilanti, Michigan June 30th thru July 1st , 2009 at Eastern Michigan University.  The top 2 performers will make the team and represent the USA.  She has ran summer track since she was 9 years old.

[cardinalcc]

Thanks, A'Lexus started running track the same way. Keep doing summer track . It really pays off! More people ought to think about track as well.

Summer track is one of the best things a track athlete can do. It is a way to keep up your skills or get ready for the next sport and just have some fun doing it. It can also lead to some scholarships if you do it as an older athlete. Most of the people that I talk to at cross country and track meets this year who are D1 and D2 athletes all ran for a track club over the summers.  I made the mistake of not running summer track when I got to high school to focus more on summer mileage, but they are a great way to get some summer speed runs in to keep the speed up for cross season and they were alwyas fun.

[LHSALLZONE]

bmt coach washinton got us interested in summer track. being from lumberton, we traveled to brook

to run over there. this started the hardin co. track club. track in general is the most natural thing

(sport) that will help in all other sports. im very proud of leslie, she has already recieved several

interest letters from track programs. back to a'lexus, ive watched her for a couple of years now, the

last time at state, she is truely a very special athlete,heads above most, her parents should be very

proud of this young lady, good luck . ;D

[bmtdc1996]

Ture Baller....Track and field is the only true sport....all others are games which involve a ball and track and field events (running an djumping and throwing).  Look at the very first Olympics in ancient Greece.  Running, jumping, and throwing spears.  If you check you will find that there are a ton of pro athletes in football, basketball and baseball who were excellent if not world class track athletes!  I know, I am biased!  ;D  I am an old track athlete and coach from way back!

[Kris_Gilmore]

Summer track is good for all athletes except distance runners.  Running to much speed after your track season will run you into the ground, and cause you to be tired for the following season.  Summer mileage is the right thing to do.  Now if you want to run summer mileage and then show up once a week to race at a meet that might be ok, but not training on the track everday.

[cardinalcc]

Coach, I agree that training for summer races and running too much speed would be bad for a distance runner. I do think though, that getting mileage in and showing up for a meet and just using it as a workout is a good way to maintain speed from track season.

Also, good luck to you and your runners this season. I saw that some of your girls ran some fast times early at an indoor meet.