Tallahassee, FL - The AAU National Championships offer an end of season competition for those within the AAU Club system. New York City had a big showing in the sunshine state. One team alone, Prospect Park Track Club, won the overall meet, won 2 divisions, and 5 other top 3 team finishes. Other big names to come were Lauryn Heskin, NY State Indoor 1k State Record Holder for 7th Graders.
Hear from Sean Rice, one of the coaches at Prospect Park Track Club, on his takeaways from the meet.
"We have a ton of athletes
who are new to the sport, this year. We set our goals in August, which
included challenging for the AAU title. We won the 11-12 girls title
last year, but we wanted to win the meet overall. This year we were
successful at doing so. Our program brings our athletes through a system
of building a strong base while teaching them how to execute a race
plan. The children remained focused on the "team" aspect of achievement,
and the results were amazing. Of the 8 age divisions we entered, we won
2 and finished in the top 3 in 5 others. I couldn't be more proud of
this group of young athletes and coaches. I know they will impact the
cross country and track & field scene in NY for years to come. They
understand the "team" comes first, that being a part of a whole is
important. They continue to inspire me and our coaches to be better.
Over the last few years, we have "graduated" dozens of well
prepared athletes who now are among the top high school team ranks in
NYC, including Notre Dame Academy, Xavier HS, Brooklyn Tech,
Stuyvesant, Midwood, and more. Yesterday, one of our alum, Tahje
Flemming, who broke the NYS Frosh 300m record. We had alum medal on both
the girls and boys side of the NYS Fed XC meet. We have won several
Millrose and Adidas Grand Prix and USATF National titles. Adding these
Cross Country titles are proof to our children that hard work pays off."
Hear From Some of the Athletes Below