Will Rising Frosh Jahnelle Saunders Win A Team Title By Herself?


The biggest blockbuster of the summer, Wonder Woman, might be released nationally this week and we aren't talking about a movie. Incoming Phoebus freshman, Jahnelle Saunders goes by that nickname and certainly has earned it. This weekend LIVE on FloTrack and MileSplit she will compete in the pentathlon in the AAU Junior Olympic Games. 

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Despite being a phenom in three of the five pentathlon events, she will be focusing on all five this weekend for a chance at a national title and potentially an age group record. The events she will be competing in are the 100mH, shot put, high jump, long jump, and 800m run. 

Her current bests in those events are 14.20, 35-7.25 (6lb.), 5-7, 19-3, and 2:49.55. Her best total for the pentathlon is 3384. To put those times into perspective here are this year's high school national champion's performances for the same events but in the heptathlon. Kaitlyn Kirby ran 14.62 in the 100H, threw 32-7.75 in shot(8lb.), jumped 5-5.75 and 18-9.25, and closed in 2:33 for the 800. 

This weekend should be an exciting one for Team VA and for her as she uses this chance to become a national star. That is all true but the real story could come next track season when she will be running for the Phoebus Phantoms. 

Though many have come close, none were Wonder Woman. This upcoming year could be the year that a single athlete wins the team title for her team. To do so it will take a near heroic effort but she is Wonder Woman. Last year Phoebus was third place in the 3A meet with 67 points behind Blacksburg's winning 90. Now 90 points is steep but let's be honest she could really do some damage in the field events. 

If you remove the seniors from last year's meet as an 8th grader Jahnelle would have individually scored 50 points and potentially could be on two winning relays as well. That of course isn't even counting her running the open races as she usually sticks to the hurdles but obviously has the speed to sweep the sprints as well. 

Now we know these are hypothetical but it definitely has us excited for this weekend's awesome LIVE video from the AAU Junior Olympic Games.