Ladue Lightning athletes to Jr. Olympics

By David Kvidahl
Tuesday, July 22, 2008 11:37 AM CDT

The future stars of American track are getting together this week.

Included in that field are a host of locals who are hoping to shine brightly. There are a dozen or so prep athletes who'll compete in this week's United States of America Track and Field Junior Olympics in Omaha, Neb., which is scheduled for July 23-July 27 at Burke High School.

Most of those locals are affiliated with the Ladue Lightning track club.Led by skipper, and Ladue coach, Sean Burris and assisted by Parkway Central coach Ryan Banta and Pattonville's Ada Ibe, the Lightning continue to show that St. Louis can compete on the national stage on the track and in the field.

"This is the biggest and best meet you can get into," Burris said. "We'll have to run really well."

The group is mostly made up of girls who'll compete in the Young Women's Division. Running in the 400-meter race are Lynette Atkinson, Lauren Atkinson and Miana Lee.

The Atkinson sisters both attend Ladue, while Lee is a Parkway Central student, and all will be seniors in the fall.

Running in the 100 is Parkway Central's Raquel Jacobs, while Lynette Atkinson and Lee will race in the 200.

The 4x400-relay team features both Atkinson sisters, Lee and Landon Wachter, a student-athlete who attends Jackson.

The 4x800 is comprised of the Atkinson sisters, Wachter and Parkway Central's Lauren Johnson.

Burris feels both relays could open some eyes at the Jr. Olympics.

"I'm pretty sure we'll medal in the 4x800," he said. "And we've got a shot at the 4x400."

Competing in the Intermediate Girls division is Parkway Central's Diane Robison, the reigning Class 4 girls cross country champion. She'll run in the 1,500 and 3,000.

The Atkinson twins' younger sister, Erin, will line up and take a crack at the hammer throw. Also competing is Montenae Raye, a sophomore-to-be at Ladue, in the 400.

The lone boy for the team is Maplewood-Richmond Heights' Fred Taylor. Taylor is competing in the 100 and 200 after taking first and second, respectively, in those events.

Taylor, the Class 2 champion from the spring in both events, says he's improved this summer as his technique has improved. He's also no longer holding his breath during his races.

"I got my asthma under control," he said.

It's been a unique experience for both the athletes and coaches from Ladue and Parkway Central. The Colts put together their best finish in school history at this spring's Class 4 track and field meet. Ladue has been a perennial contender in Class 3, but that's about to change.

Next spring, Ladue will bump up a class and join Parkway Central in Class 4. That means the athletes who are currently teammates will become competitors during the school year.

Until then, though, they're teammates and they anticipate doing some big things during this week's meet.

"We've done some incredible things this summer," Burris said. "They can do it, they just have to believe."