Track Field

Last week's Maximum Velocity Track & Field Academy at Centre College was not just a chance for campers to get pointers from Olympians. Instead, the Centre track and field athletes who worked the camp also got a chance to get pointers from being around the all-star staff of camp clinicians that included former Olympic medal winners. Senior Nick Niehaus, who holds the Centre record in the 400-meter hurdles in 53.44 seconds, spent three days with Kevin Young, the man who has owned the world record in the 400 hurdles since 1992.

Walter Davis is a two-time world champion and 2004 Olympian who finished third in the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials and then announced his retirement from competitive triple jumping after the meet. He left with a personal best of 27 feet, 5 1/2 inches in the long jump and 58-2 in the triple jump. He was a three-time USA outdoor triple champion and also a long jump champion. He was a two-time USA indoor triple jump champion and went 54-9 1/4 in his final meet at the U.S. Trials last year.

Reedus Thurmond found himself in good company last week, and he has his wife to thank for it. Thurmond came to the Maximum Velocity Track & Field Academy at Centre College because his wife could not, and he found himself surrounded by former athletes who have competed at the highest level of the sport. Thurmond, who has impressive credentials of his own as a Southeastern Conference champion and three-time All-American in the discus, said he was impressed by the Centre camp and the all-star roster of instructors.

To say Terry Yeast was in shock would be an understatement. The Harrodsburg native and former track and field coach thought he would take a shot and apply to be an umpire for the U.S. Olympic track and field trials in Oregon. He never thought he would get the call on his first try, but his wish came true and he has spent the last week at historic Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., watching the next group of Olympians compete for the honor of representing their country at the London games.

Former Olympic sprint medalist and current NBC-TV track analyst Ato Boldon quickly admits he was wrong about Lexington native Tyson Gay. After being hampered by injuries, Gay has put together a strong 2013 season that started with a 100-meter win in 9.86 seconds in Jamaica, and recently won the Adidas Grand Prix 100 in Manhattan in 10.02 seconds. “It is encouraging because I was one of the people who did not think we would see Tyson back at full strength consistently any more.

Darion Lewis is a long and triple jumper for the Mercer County track and field team, but the senior was working with Olympic silver and bronze medalist sprinter Ato Boldon early Thursday early at the Maximum Velocity Track and Field Academy at Centre College because he knows any tips he can get to improve his speed will help him with his jumps. “I've had pretty good coaches in the past, and they pretty much taught me all of this, but (Boldon) is putting in a lot of new, small things, just making it a little bit better,”Ã?

Former world class runner Rose Monday won her first race in the street outside of her childhood home in Northridge, Calif. The race took place against a group of high school aged neighborhood boys, while Monday was only in the eighth grade. “My siblings and I were always outside as kids running, climbing, jumping and just playing around,” Monday said. “I was always fast when I was a kid and running races was my favorite thing, but I never really thought anything of it. Monday's father, however, recognized her talent from her victory against the neighborhood boys.

Jamie Nieto is a two-time Olympian who says he is not really an overall sports fan - “I never really watch sports on TV,” he said. However, he is a fan of promoting track and field with youngsters, and that's why the talented high jumper is back in Danville for the second time in three years working at the Maximum Velocity Track & Field Academy at Centre College that started Wednesday night. Nieto, 36, just missed earning a medal at the 2004 and 2012 Olympics. He is a three-tme U.S. outdoor champion (2003, 2004, 2012)

Tyson Gay didn't make it back to Danville this year, but the woman who helped bring him to the Maximum Velocity Track and Field Academy in 2011 said fans of the sport will be seeing plenty of him in the coming weeks. Sharrieffa Barksdale, a former U.S. Olympic hurdler and one of the organizers of the camp at Centre College, said she thinks Gay will win the upcoming Olympic trials and “be a force to be reckoned with” at the London Olympics later this summer. Never mind that the Kentucky sprinter has raced only once in nearly a year.

Walter Davis is a two-time world champion and 2004 Olympian who finished third in the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials and then announced his retirement from competitive triple jumping after the meet. He left with a personal best of 27 feet, 5 1/2 inches in the long jump and 58-2 in the triple jump. He was a three-time USA outdoor triple champion and also a long jump champion. He was a two-time USA indoor triple jump champion and went 54-9 1/4 in his final meet at the U.S. Trials last year.

Reedus Thurmond found himself in good company last week, and he has his wife to thank for it. Thurmond came to the Maximum Velocity Track & Field Academy at Centre College because his wife could not, and he found himself surrounded by former athletes who have competed at the highest level of the sport. Thurmond, who has impressive credentials of his own as a Southeastern Conference champion and three-time All-American in the discus, said he was impressed by the Centre camp and the all-star roster of instructors.

Last week's Maximum Velocity Track & Field Academy at Centre College was not just a chance for campers to get pointers from Olympians. Instead, the Centre track and field athletes who worked the camp also got a chance to get pointers from being around the all-star staff of camp clinicians that included former Olympic medal winners. Senior Nick Niehaus, who holds the Centre record in the 400-meter hurdles in 53.44 seconds, spent three days with Kevin Young, the man who has owned the world record in the 400 hurdles since 1992.

Kevin Young says every young hurdler who aspires to greatness should have his picture on their wall. As the only person ever to run the 400-meter hurdles in less than 47 seconds, Young is the gold standard for hurdlers around the world, and he said he should also be the goal for youngsters who are serious about becoming elite hurdlers. “If you don't have a picture of me somewhere and you're not playing target practice, I know you're not serious about your job,” Young said. Young, whose world-record time has stood for almost 21 years, regularly works with young athletes, just as he is doing this week at the Maximum Velocity Track & Field Academy at Centre College.

Former Olympic sprint medalist and current NBC-TV track analyst Ato Boldon quickly admits he was wrong about Lexington native Tyson Gay. After being hampered by injuries, Gay has put together a strong 2013 season that started with a 100-meter win in 9.86 seconds in Jamaica, and recently won the Adidas Grand Prix 100 in Manhattan in 10.02 seconds. “It is encouraging because I was one of the people who did not think we would see Tyson back at full strength consistently any more.

Former world class runner Rose Monday won her first race in the street outside of her childhood home in Northridge, Calif. The race took place against a group of high school aged neighborhood boys, while Monday was only in the eighth grade. “My siblings and I were always outside as kids running, climbing, jumping and just playing around,” Monday said. “I was always fast when I was a kid and running races was my favorite thing, but I never really thought anything of it. Monday's father, however, recognized her talent from her victory against the neighborhood boys.

Jamie Nieto is a two-time Olympian who says he is not really an overall sports fan - “I never really watch sports on TV,” he said. However, he is a fan of promoting track and field with youngsters, and that's why the talented high jumper is back in Danville for the second time in three years working at the Maximum Velocity Track & Field Academy at Centre College that started Wednesday night. Nieto, 36, just missed earning a medal at the 2004 and 2012 Olympics. He is a three-tme U.S. outdoor champion (2003, 2004, 2012)

Brothers Brooks and Ty Divine, Marion County students who live in Mitchellsburg, qualified at the USA Track & Field Kentucky Association meet to advance to the USTA regional in Michigan in July. Ty Divine competed in the "youth" division and Brooks Divine in the "young men" division. Ty cleared 1.25  meters (4 feet, 10 inches) to win the high jump and was second in the 1,500-meter run in 5 minutes, 18.30 seconds. Brooks went 4.26 meters (about 14 feet) to win the pole vault. He tied for first in the 110-meter hurdles in 15.45 seconds and was second in the high jump at 1.75 meters (5 feet, 7 inches)

Several members of the Clark County elementary and middle school track teams concluded their season in the KTCCCA state middle school championships last weekend at the University of Louisville. Kierah Robertson and Alyssa Gaunce of Conkwright competed in the one-day event. Gaunce competed in the 800-meter run, finishing in a season best time of 3:00.57. Robertson put the shot 27 feet and 6.25 inches, placing 23rd overall. In the discus, Robertson placed 18th with a throw of 61 feet.

Members of the East Jessamine Middle School track and field team gathered at the home of coach Ben Rugg in Nicholasville on Friday, May 10, where tears were shed as the team said good-bye to their assistant coach.  Rugg was deployed two days later to Ft. Bliss, Texas to serve his activation in the Army. Rugg, known to many as “Corporal Rugg” of the Nicholasville Police Department, has been an active member of the local police force for 13 years. “He is exceptionally motivating and has been an integral part of our track team,” Head Coach Jacob Kraschnewski said.