National Scholastic Athletics Foundation

This is the 1st Track and Field 2013-14 edition (Week ending Dec. 22) of our NSAF weekly feature on nationalscholastic.org: the Emerging Elites of the Week.  The New Balance Nationals Indoor and Outdoor meets have become known for the ever-expanding and improving competition in the divisions of the same name.  Similarly, the NSAF seeks to give weekly recognition to track and field and cross-country athletes reaching new and exciting competitive levels with their recent performances.

Photos courtesy of Coach Herb Johnson (2012 Saunders), Jeff George of NCRunners.com (new Saunders) and Joy Kamani (Lyles, from IAAF World Youth Champs).

Female – Raven Saunders, Burke HS Class of 2014, Burke SC

1st, shot put, 53-8.25, NCRunners Elite Invite, Winston-Salem NC

If you wanted to write a recipe for suddenly going from being a shot putter unknown outside your state to becoming a national megastar, you couldn’t write it much better than Raven Saunders has.  You simply take a big change in technique, mix in a revamped commitment to your craft, add seven months of hard training and – oh yeah – throw in a monster 11-foot PR (in your first-ever indoor meet) that blindsides the prep track and field world.

That’s what the Burke (Charleston, S.C.) senior has done and it all started at the tail end of a disappointing junior year.  Saunders was a promising 42-5 thrower as a soph (and 131-4 in the discus), winning both 1A state titles and ranking among the nation’s top 20 or so 10th-graders.  But during her junior year, she couldn’t beat 40 feet and couldn’t really figure out why.  She would win a pair of 2A titles (her school moved up in class), but it was what happened just before state that turned her throwing career around.  She finally started trying the spin and immediately saw a big improvement in distance, even if she didn’t have the shot under control yet.

Saunders now saw the potential others had seen in her, and the possibilities of her throwing career grew in the months to follow like a snowball rolling down a long hill.  But no one outside of her Coach Herb Johnson and a few close others knew that she was coming into Winston-Salem (N.C.) last weekend for the NCRunners Elite Invite with growing consistency at 50 feet or better in practice.

So on Saturday, December 21, a star was born before the national prep track community’s eyes, and some veteran observers along the JDL Fast Track could scarcely believe what they were seeing:  After some long warmups and a first-throw foul, Saunders gave ’em a new “shot heard round the world” with a 53-8.25 that made her #4 all-time prep indoors and the 5th-best ever in or out – basically eliciting a big, huge “What???” from fans around the country.

Saunders was for real and while she had three more (long) fouls, she added a 50-5 to the series and left little doubt there’s a lot more to come.  The senior is becoming known very quickly beyond those South Carolina borders.

A few thoughts from Raven:

On how much she had been training prior to the NCRunners Elite and what her expectations were going in:  I had been practicing seriously since the Thursday after last year’s state championship.  Going in, my expectations were to do as I had been practicing for the past seven months.  I had just thrown a practice PR of 52-3 just three days before, so I was expecting to throw between 51 and 52 feet.

On her thoughts and reactions as the NCRunners competition unfolded, and whether she realized the magnitude of her 53-8:  After I threw one of my warm-ups about 51 feet, I knew I could throw between 52-54 feet once the meet started.  On my first foul, I was confident enough in my technique that my next throw was going to go.  I was a little shocked at the 53-8 only because eyeing it, I thought it was a high 52. 
Honestly, my coach and I both didn't realize where my throw put me on the all-time list because to us, we were just throwing as always.  So really finding out I made the all-time list was more shocking than the throw itself.

On having a few technical issues (4 fouls) to go along with the great throws:  With my four fouls, two of them were foot fouls, and usually when that happens it is because I'm trying to get around in time to see where the shot lands.  With the other two fouls I didn't get my hips around, causing them to go out the right sector.

On struggling as a junior last spring (no meets over 40 feet) and the way her technique change unfolded in late spring and summer:  Last year was a big challenge for me and a blessing in disguise, because everyone could see I was working harder than the year before, but I just couldn't get the shot to go. 
On the other hand, two days before state, I tried the spin just from watching YouTube videos of professional spinners – and my throws were between 40 and 42 feet.  Once I got to state, I threw a warm-up of 45 feet, but couldn't find the sector.  I was fouling throws of 41, 44, 43 and 42 feet.
I didn't compete in any summer meets because starting off the spin was giving me many problems, so I worked the whole summer at making my technique better.

On other changes that have helped transform her as a thrower:  Besides my technique change, my work ethic has played a huge role.  I never imagined turning down parties, group gatherings, and school sporting events for practice or rest time.  The people I once were friends with I barely communicate with now, because they didn't understand that next to God, family, and my academics, track and field came before fun.

On the reaction of others to her performances:  I've received a numerous amount of calls these past couple of days from college coaches.  Besides them, my family, friends, and especially the people I work out with (including my coach) treat me the same with a congratulations here and there.

On the influence of Coach Johnson and others on her support team:  My coach is the best.  He's been there with me from the beginning and I am even happier for him than I am for myself.  After all that he's been through with his coaching over the past 38 years, he finally gets to show people – through me – all of the hard work he has put in.  Without him, I would just be another kid in high school.
He would tell me we were going to break 50 feet and more; at the time, I was at 46 feet and it showed me how much faith he had in me.  Also Coach Rice, who is my former athletic director, and many other adults at my school have been very influential in my career.  Even when I thought that where I am now was only a dream, they all saw that this would happen to me before I did.

On her upcoming competition plans and goals:  Besides New Balance Nationals Indoor, I will only be throwing at one other indoor meet up at Clemson.  I really am looking forward to the outdoor season.  Junior Nationals is a big possibility and maybe even some other summer outdoor meets.  But for now my focus is the same as it was at the beginning of the summer, and that is breaking the state record.  Whatever else comes along in the process is a plus.

On other interests and things she’s involved in:  I don't play any other sports now, but throughout high school I have played basketball, volleyball, and was in the band.  Now I'm in student government and the senior class president.  On the academic side, I'll be taking the rest of my classes next semester at a local college.

Male – Noah Lyles, T.C. Williams HS Class of 2016, Alexandria VA

1st, 55 dash, 6.40, =PR= Invite, PG Sportsplex, Landover MD
1st, 300 dash, 34.24, =PR= Invite, PG Sportsplex, Landover MD

Being part of Team USA for a World Championship meet – Youth, Junior or Senior – isn’t just about the gold medals and the superstars, but it’s also about the rising talents and those who respond to the “call of duty.”  Last summer, T.C. Williams (Alexandria, Va.) then-freshman Noah Lyles was listed on the roster as the third man in the 200 after taking that spot in the World Youth Trials, meaning he was most likely being considered as an alternate or for relay duty, possibly in qualifying only.

But duty called.  Two WY Trials double champs had gone down with injury:  Kansas speedster Kenzo Cotton (100-200) during the 100 final, and blazing Alabama hurdler Marlon Humphrey – who might have been a relayer as well – after the 110H.  So Lyles ran the 200 and ran a wind-legal PR 21.28 in the quarters before a 21.58 (did not advance) in the semi, then came back and was the 2nd leg on the silver-medal winning Swedish Medley relay.  Not bad for a 9th-grader!

Lyles, who comes from a “track family” that includes his nearly-as-good brother Josephus, had already compiled a stupendous freshman year in spring 2013, completing a strong in-state campaign and then taking a surprising 4th in the New Balance Nationals Outdoor 200.  The World Youth runs put quite a cap on his year.

But already in the 2013-14 indoor campaign, Lyles has shown that he’s just getting started.  During the =PR= Invitational on the flat track at the Prince George Sportsplex in Landover (Md.) December 21, he showed his improving short dash speed with a US#4 6.40 55, then shredded the oval during the 300 to record a US#1 34.24 – a time few U.S. sophs outside of the legendary former HSR-holder William Reed have ever achieved.  He even added a 6-4 high jump.

A few thoughts from Noah:

On his overall reaction to running times like 6.40 and 34.24 so early in the season:  I pretty surprised, I was not expecting anything like that, I was just trying to run the best race that I could.  I was mainly trying to get out and make the state qualifier

On the execution of each race at the =PR= Invite, particularly his outstanding starts:  For the 55m, I was really trying to get out and stay in drive phase as long as I could.  As I got out of drive phase, I just used the rest of my speed to get me through the race. 
In the 300m, I didn't get out as fast as everyone else because I didn't know how fast I'd need to get out.  As we came onto the backstretch, I realized I wasn't where I wanted to be – but I knew if I stayed calm, I'd eventually get there.  On the last curve, I started picking up with my last bit of speed and really tried to lean into the curve.  As we went to the final stretch, I just finished it off.  So in the 300m staying calm really helped, because you can't go off of where you are in the first turn to determine how you will finish.

On what he took away from the experience of traveling overseas to represent Team USA:  It was amazing; the people there seemed to be really into track and field.  It seemed that they supported everyone.  And meeting people from other countries was a lifetime experience.  The food was different, I had to get used to eating foods I don’t see every day and I had to try new things if I wanted my body to run that day.
And adjusting to the time change was also a bit difficult; when we first arrived, it didn't seem that bad, but we practice the very next day and that drained me.  I could tell it wasn't just me, because the team went to a soccer game later that day and we all fell asleep.

On transitions between seasons, adjusting to working with new coaches at T.C. Williams and in what areas he’s been working hard:  After World Youths I took a break.  I didn't want to overexert my body.  I did a bit of weight lifting to prepare for the next season, but didn't do any running until November.  I started training seriously with my team in early November.
I miss Coach Deville, but I'm excited to work with Coach Hughes.  Actually, I mainly train with Coach Jackson, who is the sprint coach.  We've mainly been working on endurance, as we know we are going to have lots of meets and we are going to need that strength to make it through the year.  We've also been working on block starts.

On his relationship with his brother Josephus:  Me and my brother ... (laughs) ... we have a great relationship.  We are always working together, always trying to push each other to do better, and we always stick together.  It feels weird not to be running with him now, because he's recovering from an ankle sprain.

On the influence of his parents, who were both track and field standouts:  My mom and dad were great athletes.  I am basically in a track family; we are always talking about it.  They try to give my brother and me advice.  The great benefit is we talk a lot about the strategy of track, how to train, race, and the difference between indoor and outdoor. 
The tough part is sometimes that's all we talk about and I feel bad for my sister, because she isn't into track.  Also we have to always hear coaches talk about our parents and how good they were, like, “Oh my God, your parents were monsters, nobody could touch them!”

On goals for his indoor and outdoor seasons:  During indoor, I plan to break the 300m national record of 33.05.  I also want to run 6.3 for the 55m and place in top four at New Balance Nationals.  For the outdoor season, I want to win the 200m at New Balance Nationals and run 20.5.  For the 100m, I want to run 10.5 or better, and for the 4x400m relay I want to be an All-American at NBNO.