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USATF

SOUTH CAROLINA ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER

DECEMBER 2019

Happy Holidays! This is a time for celebrating with family and friends as well as planning for the New Year. USATF South Carolina has many reasons to celebrate 2019. From the stellar performances of our Youth, Junior, Open and Master athletes, to the success of the Regional and Association events we hosted, USATF South Carolina continues to grow and improve. We thank all of our South Carolina members for your support and dedication to the sport of track and field, and we look forward to another great year in 2020.

Happy New Year!

The USATF Officers and Board.

USATF-SC JO XC Meet November 9, 2019

SAVE THESE DATES!!!!! 2020 USATF-SC JO Track & Field Championships June 26 – 28th, 2020 Spartanburg High School, Spartanburg SC, 29307 USATF-SC Association Cross Country Championship November 7, 2020 Winthrop University, Rock Hill SC, 29733 USATF-SC Open/Masters Track & Field Championships June 5-6th, 2020 Doug Shaw Memorial Stadium, Myrtle Beach SC, 29577

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News from the USATF Annual Meeting December 2019! South Carolina named in top Ten OUTSTANDING Associations! On December 6, 2019, the USATF Associations Committee announced the top Associations for 2019, ranking South Carolina 4th of 57 Associations and receiving a $2,000 cash award. Congratulations!

SC Association Junior Olympic XC Championships – November 9th

The USATF SC Junior Olympic Cross-Country Championships were held on Saturday, November 9th at Generations Park in Aiken SC. There were 350 athletes from 20 teams in Youth Division (Boys & Girls) 2K (8U), 3K (9-12), 4K (13- 14), 5K (15-18). An Open and Masters Championship 5K was also contested. Thank you to the 30 plus volunteers that assisted at various event venues and course zones. Special thanks to Charles McKeel and the Palmetto Track Club for their hard work and dedication that made the event a success.

Congrats to all who participated.

USATF-SC JO XC Meet November 9, 2019

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SC Junior Olympic XC Championship Team Winners

Division Names Score Team Savannah Hislop, Siena D’Agostino, Lucy Baxter, 15 points Mt. Pleasant Track Club A 2K Ada Klick, Mary Culbertson, Olivia Lee, Emma 8U Girls Culbertson, Genavieve Johnson Miles Tonelis, Dylan Johnson, Ryder Kotz, Vincent 15 points Mt. Pleasant Track Club A 2K Cote, Evan Whichard, Andrew Amani, Carson 8U Boys Schleier, Sam Blankenship Julia Goldman, Tabitha Hewitt, Lilah May, Sophia 15 points Mt. Pleasant Track Club A 3K Lee, Aubrey Domm, Karelin Hansen, Mattie 9-10 Girls Demooney, Rylah Hamby Gabriel Hislop, Beckett Schleier, Drew Butler, 15 points Mt. Pleasant Track Club A 3K Zachary Teachman, Tanner Volkmann, Anthony 9-10 Boys Cote, Burket Yaun, Thomas Loftis Greta Ingham, Nora Brahim, Reeve Kotz, Emma 17 points Mt. Pleasant Track Club A 3K Stanton, Catherine Arrants, Cara Olmo, Julia Koch, 11-12 Girls Lucy Kane Calvin Volkmann, Ethan Gawryluk, Jack Butler, 16 points Mt. Pleasant Track Club A 3K Maxwell Winters, Pete Harden, Quinn Swanton, 11-12 Boys Peyton Johnson, Michael Cipolla Allison Kammer, Addison Hewitt, Kylie Crookes, 20 points Mt. Pleasant Track Club A 4K Abigail Morgan, Sofia Hansen, Ginabella Del 13-14 Girls Vecchio, Ketherine Ritchey 4K Marc Brahim, James Romano, Charlie Tessier, 18 points Mt. Pleasant Track Club A Jackson Rowe, Neil Durlach, Christopher Fowler, 13-14 Boys Jack Hipp, Shawn French

Notable Performances Mt Pleasant Track Club once again dominated the meet, winning eight (8) team divisions. Four of the club’s teams won with the lowest possible score - 15 points. At Regionals, eight (8) Mt Pleasant teams made the podium, including six (6) 1st place finishes. Six (6) of their teams made the trip to Nationals in Wisconsin with their 8U boys and 9-10 boys both finishing in 1st place. Their 8U girls placed 2nd and their 9-10 girls finished 4th, just missing a place on the podium. What a fabulous season for our friends at MPTC!

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SC Junior Olympic XC Championship Top Individual Finishers

Place Division Name Time Team 1st 2K 8U Girls Savannah Hislop 8:24.7 pr Mt. Pleasant Track Club A 2nd Siena D’Agostino 8:44.2 pr Mt. Pleasant Track Club A 3rd Lucy Baxter 8:44.6 Mt. Pleasant Track Club A 1st 2K 8U Boys Miles Tonelis 7:47.1 Mt. Pleasant Track Club A 2nd Dylan Johnson 7:53.9 Mt. Pleasant Track Club A 3rd Ryder Kotz 8:26.3 Mt. Pleasant Track Club A 1st 3K 9-10 Girls Julia Goldman 12:13.8 pr Mt. Pleasant Track Club A 2nd Jaylynne Scott 12:21.4 pr Unattached 3rd Tabitha Hewitt 12:52.6 Mt. Pleasant Track Club A 1st 3K 9-10 Boys Gabriel Hislop 10:54.1 Mt. Pleasant Track Club A 2nd Beckett Schleier 11:28.3 Mt. Pleasant Track Club A 3rd Drew Butler 11:37.0 Mt. Pleasant Track Club A 1st 3K 11-12 Girls Kaylanna Burroughs 12:06.4 Florence Track 2nd Piper Lehew 12:10.3 City of Charleston Swamp 3rd Greta Ingham 12:21.6 Mt. Pleasant Track Club A 1st 3K 11-12 Boys Gavin Moore 10:48.6 Unattached 2nd Calvin Volkmann 10:58.5 Mt. Pleasant Track Club A 3rd Ethan Gawryluk 11:14.9 Mt. Pleasant Track Club A 1st 4K 13-14 Girls Laela Caplinger 16:40.8 pr Unattached 2nd Eliza King 17:39.7 pr Palmetto Track & Field 3rd Allison Kammer 18:07.0 Mt. Pleasant Track Club A 1st 4K 13-14 Boys Reece Bluestein 14:03.9 Columbia Project 2nd Marc Brahim 15:12.6 Mt. Pleasant Track Club A 3rd Adam Lippe 15:16.7 Unattached 1st 5K 15-16 Girls Abigail Hanrion 36:37.2 Mt. Pleasant Track Club 1st 5K 15-16 Boys Andrew Rowe 18:32.1 pr Mt. Pleasant Track Club 2nd Ronan Certa 18:59.5 pr Mt. Pleasant Track Club 3rd Louis Boucher 19:18.2 pr Palmetto Track & Field 1st 5K 17-18 Men Nicholas Fiorillo 17:47.0 Mt. Pleasant Track Club

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YOUR USATF -SC Association Update! This is YOUR USATF and we, the Officers and Chairs, are here to meet the needs of the Association members while maintaining compliance with National and Federal regulations. In 2020, Federal SafeSport mandates and implementation of USATF National safeguards to protect our young and up-coming athletes will be a primary focus; however, USATF-SC will continue to develop and maintain programs that support our five (5) constituencies – athletes, coaches, officials, clubs and other members. In 2019, USATF-SC leadership worked to provide benefits to all constituencies through several new and ongoing programs including: increasing the stipend for certified officials working USATF-SC Championships; awarding fourteen (14) scholarships to new and existing USATF-SC Coaches to participate in the USATF Level 1 and Level 2 coaching education programs; creating the South Carolina Verified Coaches program, which acknowledges the efforts of USATF-SC Club coaches by granting them free entry into USATF-SC events. Additionally, in 2019, South Carolina was the first Association to create a 3-Step volunteer program, which allows volunteers who have complied with the USATF SafeSport requirements to earn a stipend for working in key positions at our Association Championship meets. For our athletes we have continued to provide entry fee reimbursements to youth athletes competing in our National Championships, as well as providing support for our elite athletes who will compete in the USATF Olympic Trials in 2020. We have also improved our Association Championship bid process, allowing us to seek quality partnerships and improve athletic opportunities in our Association. Starting in 2020 we are looking to create a coaches advisory committee to help coaches and clubs grow and improve by sharing knowledge and tools. Through these programs and more, USATF-SC has made great strides in the past year towards achieving and exceeding the USATF National standards for Associations. As we move into 2020, USATF-SC is determined to continue to make positive improvements for the benefit of all of our constituencies. In closing, we ask that you BE INVOLVED! There are many opportunities to help improve the Association. Please feel free to contact any of the SC Officers if you have an idea or a desire to help.

Brian Jordan President USATF-SC Association

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USATF-SC JO XC Meet November 9, 2019

Important Hotel Booking Information! USA Track & Field SC Junior Olympic Championship June 26-28, 2020 Spartanburg, SC

Spartanburg CVB is proud to partner with HBC Event Services, a travel/booking agency with a nationwide reputation for excellence in managing travel for sports events. HBC Event Services provides an easy way for you to book your hotel rooms with our partnered hotels at the best rates. These rates are lower than their best available rate and usually includes breakfast for your team. HBC Event Services guarantees that if the tournament is canceled due to weather, you will not be charged for any cancellation penalties that you may otherwise have been subject to if you made your reservation elsewhere. This guarantee applies only to reservations with confirmations that start with "ARN" unless otherwise noted in the cancellation policy.

Booking Engine Link: https://groups.reservetravel.com/group.aspx?id=36866

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SPECIAL THANKS TO USATF-SC 2019 EVENT PARTNERS City of Aiken Palmetto TC Lexington County City Myrtle Beach Greenville County Parks & Rec Square One Events Columbia International University CKET Timing Strictly Running SCMileSplit

USATF Region 4 JO Cross Country – Tallahassee FL November 23rd

Over 260 South Carolina athletes qualified to compete at the Region 4 JO XC Championship. Athletes from Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina competed for the five (5) team National qualifying spots and the top thirty (30) individual spots in each division. South Carolina was well represented by many outstanding performances , including eight (8) 1st place finishes with over 90 athletes qualifying to compete at National JO XC in Wisconsin.

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South Carolina Top Finishers Team and Individual at Region 4 JO XC

Place Division Name(s) Score/Time Team Savannah Hislop, Siena D’Agostino, 18 points Mt. Pleasant Track Club A Lucy Baxter, Olivia Lee, Ada Klick, Mary st 2K 8U Girls 1 Culbertson, Emma Culbertson, Genavieve Johnson 1st Savannah Hislop 8:28.58 Mt. Pleasant Track Club A 3rd Siena D’Agostino 9:03.33 Mt. Pleasant Track Club A Miles Tonelis, Dylan Johnson, Ryder 17 points Mt. Pleasant Track Club A 1st 2K 8U Boys Kotz, Vincent Cote, Evan Whichard, Carson Schleier, Landon Howison 1st Miles Tonelis 7:39.73 pr Mt. Pleasant Track Club A 2nd Dylan Johnson 7:48.88 pr Mt. Pleasant Track Club A 3rd Ryder Kotz 8:03.94 pr Mt. Pleasant Track Club A Tabitha Hewitt, Julia Golmda, Sophia 22 points Mt. Pleasant Track Club A Lee, Aubrey Domm, Kate Sullivan, st 3K 9-10 Girls 1 Karelin Hansen, Lilah May, Mattie DeMooney 3rd Tabitha Hewitt 12:08.40 pr Mt. Pleasant Track Club A Gabriel Hislop, Beckett Schleier, Drew 28 points Mt. Pleasant Track Club A Bitler, Anthony Cote, Zachary st 3K 9-10 Boys 1 Teachman, Tanner Volkmann, Burket Yaun, Michael McLester 1st Gabriel Hislop 10:47.01 pr Mt. Pleasant Track Club A Nora Brahim, Greta Ingham, Reeve 69 points Mt. Pleasant Track Club A 3K 11-12 nd Kotz, Cara Olmo, Emma Stanton, Chloe 2 Girls Edwards, Lucy Kane, Erin Doyle 2nd Nora Brahim 11:36.36 pr Mt. Pleasant Track Club A Calvin Volkmann, Ethan Gawryluk, Jack 45 points Mt. Pleasant Track Club A 3K 11-12 Butler, Maxwell Winters, Quinn 1st Boys Swanton, Pete Harden, Peyton Johnson, Michael Cipolla 3rd Calvin Volkmann 10:30.85 pr Mt. Pleasant Track Club A Josephine May, Addison Hewitt, Allison 42 points Mt. Pleasant Track Club A 4K 13-14 st Kammer, Emma McQuaid, Sofia 1 Girls Hansen, Sarah Wilkie Reece Bluestein, John Teachman, 82 points Mt. Pleasant Track Club A 4K 13-14 rd James Romano, Marc Brahim, Charlie 3 Boys Tessier, Neil Durlach, Jack Hipp 5K 15-16 18:46.26 Darlington Track Club rd Alexander Mincey 3 Boys 2rd 5K 17-18 Men Nicholas Fiorillo 17:24.92 Mt. Pleasant Track Club

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USATF National JO XC Championships, Madison, WI - December 14th

Over four thousand athletes from all over the US traveled to Madison, WI to compete in the National JO Cross Country Championships. Sixty-five (65) of the South Carolina athletes who qualified for Nationals made the trip to Wisconsin to race in cold conditions. Twenty-two (22) South Carolina athletes made the podium to become USATF 2019 All- Americans, including three (3) teams and six (6) individuals with two of our teams taking top honors!

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South Carolina USATF JO XC All Americans

Place Division Name(s) Score/Time Team Savannah Hislop, Lucy Baxter, 101 points Mt. Pleasant Track Club 2nd 2K 7-8 Girls Siena D’Agostino, Olivia Lee, Ada Klick, Genavieve Johnson 8th Savannah Hislop 8:25.61 Mt. Pleasant Track Club Miles Tonelis, Dylan Johnson, 49 points Mt. Pleasant Track Club A Ryder Kotz, Vincent Cote, Evan 1st 2K 7-8 Boys Whichard, Carson Schleier, Landon Howison, Maxwell Jordan 4th Miles Tonelis 7:51.75 Mt. Pleasant Track Club A 6th Dylan Johnson 7:55.97 Mt. Pleasant Track Club A 12th Ryder Kotz 8:05.71 Mt. Pleasant Track Club A Gabriel Hislop, Drew Butler, 83 points Mt. Pleasant Track Club A Anthony Cote, Beckett Schleier, 1st 3K 9-10 Boys Zachary Teachman, Tanner Volkmann, Burket Yaun, Thomas Loftis 4th Gabriel Hislop 10:51.70 Mt. Pleasant Track Club A 5K 17-18 Nicholas Fiorillo 16:42.40 pr Mt. Pleasant Track Club 12th Men

Meet Our All-Americans……

Dylan Johnson 7:55.9 (6th), Ryder Kotz 8:05.7 (12th), Nick Fiorillo 16:42.4 (12th) -17-18 Men 5K Miles Tonelis 7:51.7 (4th) - 8U Boys 2K ( w/ Mt Pleasant TC Coaches)

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More South Carolina All-Americans……

1st Place 9-10 Boys 3K Team: MPTC- Gabriel Hislop, Drew Butler, Anthony Cote, Beckett Schleier, Zachary Teachman, Tanner Volkmann, Burket Yaun, Thomas Loftis ( w/ Mt Pleasant TC Coaches)

Gabriel Hislop 10:51.7 (4th) 9-10 Boys 3K MPTC

2nd Place 8U Girls 2K Team: MPTC - Savannah Hislop, Lucy Baxter, Siena D’Agostino, Olivia Lee, Ada Klick, Genavieve Johnson ( w/ Mt Pleasant TC Coach)

Savannah Hislop 8:25.6 (8th) 8U Girls 2K MPTC

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AND….the Best of Our South Carolina All-Americans……

1st Place 8U Boys 2K Team: MPTC - Miles Tonelis (4th), Dylan Johnson (6th), Ryder Kotz (12th), Vincent Cote, Evan Whichard, Carson Schleier, Landon Howison, Maxwell Jordan

COACHES CORNER The USATF Level 1 coaching clinic was hosted at USC in Columbia, SC December 13- 15. Several South Carolina coaches attended the three (3) days of lectures and demonstrations. Nine of the Coaches were awarded USATF-SC scholarships and another 5 USATF-SC coaches received scholarships to attend the Level 2 coaching clinic in Breton FL, December 27-29th. These Coaches will have met the requirements for USATF Registered Coaches which requires completion of a coaching course. See USATF National requirements at –USATF Coaches Registry.

OUTSTANDING OFFICIALS

The USATF National Officials Committee have recognized George Illingworth, Sylvia Vandross and Ian Whatley as the South Carolina Officials of the Year. All three have made significant contributions to USATF-SC mentoring and training new officials. We are happy to see their hard work and dedication recognized. Congratulations!

Ian Whatley & George Illingworth @ USATF-SC Annual Meeting

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Tyrell Richard wins GOLD at Doha 2019 World Athletics Championships…Twice!

South Carolina’s Tyrell Richard ran for Team USA in both the Mixed and the Men’s 4x400m relays at the World Athletics Championships in Doha, Qatar this fall. Richard, a recent graduate of South Carolina State University, was the 2019 NCAA Division I 400m Indoor Champion with a time of 44.82. In Doha, Richard ran the lead leg of the mixed 4x400m relay in the qualifying heat on September 28th. Finishing with the fastest time of the day of 3:12.42, he and teammates, Jessica Beard, Jasmine Blocker and Obi Igbokwe, set a new world record and ensured the best lane for Team USA in the finals the following day. At the finals, Team USA raced a fresh team lead by Wilbert London with Alison Felix, Courtney Okolo and Michael Cherry. Team USA won the gold and set another world record with a time of 3:09.39. Richard received his second gold in the men’s 4x400m relay, again running the lead leg in the qualifying heat and ensuring the best lane for the finals the following day. Tyrell Richard is currently training for the US Olympic Trial this June in Oregon. We wish him the best of luck!

World Record Mixed 4x400m Team – Jessica Beard, Jasmine Blocker, Tyrell Richard & Obi Igbokwe

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OPEN & MASTERS NEWS USATF-SC MUT Championships: Held on October 5, 2019 at Lake Conestee Park, Greenville SC in conjunction with the Swap Rabbit Trail Ultra. A 50K and concurrent 30K races were competed on a mixed terrain 10K loop. There were over 40 participants with seven (7) USATF-SC members winning awards. Special recognition goes to Mike Adams (left) 1st place 50K men in 4:40:08 and Kerry Coneau (right) 1st place 50K women in 5:21:49. Additional awards went to Michael Burchett (lower left) 1st place 30K 50-54 men and Steven Allgood (lower right) 2nd place 50K 55-59 men.

The SC Association Open/Masters LDR Half-Marathon Championships were held in conjunction with the Lexington Run Hard Half Marathon on November 16, 2019 in Lexington SC. There were over 100 participants with ten USATF-SC Members winning medals. We thank the Lexington Commission for Aging for their partnership.

USATF SE Region 1-Hour Racewalk Championships – Columbia SC

The SE Region 1-Hour Racewalk Championship was held on December 14th at the Columbia International University track in Columbia SC. This event served as the SE Region Championship as well as the South Carolina, Georgia, and North Carolina Association Championships. A concurrent 3000m collegiate indoor qualifier was also contested with athletes from West Virginia Tech, Columbia International University and Columbia College. A total of 25 athletes participated from at least seven (7) Associations including Georgia, North Carolina, Potomac Valley, South Carolina, and West Virginia.

There were many outstanding performances in both the Hour and the 3000m racewalk. The top finisher in the Hour racewalk was AJ Gruttadauro from NY, with a distance of 12,617.23 meters. The SE Region top awards went to Ian Whatley (SC) with 11,528.25 meters and Janelle Branch (GA) with 11,036.68 meters. The collegiate 3000m was won Women’s SE Region Champions Janelle Branch by West Virginia Tech’s Steven Smith with a time of 13:00 1st, Jesi Heiser-Whatley 2nd, Tori Heiser-Whatley minutes. This time places him 1st in the NAIA collegiate 3rd ranking and qualifies him for Indoor Nationals in March 2020. Five of the fourteen college athletes set National qualifiers at the event, including South Carolina athletes Jason Nalley (CIU), and Jesi and Tori Heiser-Whatley (Columbia College). South Carolina’s Ian Whatley also set a new 3000m American Record for the M60 age group with a time of 14:48 minutes.

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SE Region 1-Hour Racewalk Team Awards:

1st Place Junior Team - South Carolina 1st Place Open Team - South Carolina Caelin Sloan, Brittany Sloan & Shelby Ian Whatley, Jesi Heiser-Whatley & Tori Winn (not pictured) Heiser-Whatley

1st Place Masters Team - North Carolina Patricia Clemmons, Andrea Easterday & Kelley Grayson

2020 USATF-SC NEWSLETTER COORDINATOR NEEDED USATF-SC is looking for a volunteer to coordinate and compile quarterly Association newsletters. Please contact the Association Secretary if you are interested in helping. [email protected].

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In Memoriam William Lange - 11/15/2019

Long-time USATF-SC Member William Lange was a National Level Official. He retired from officiating last January at the age of 86. Bill’s specialty was high jump. He was a great supporter and contributor to the development of officiating athletics in the US. Early in his career he developed a device to help ensure accurate and easy placement of the crossbar. This device continues to be used by high jump officials. Bill officiated numerous NCAA, USATF and AAU meets at all levels - local, regional, and national - and was selected to work the World Special Olympics, which he considered a great honor. During his career, Bill mentored many officials and will be remembered by all as a patient and detailed teacher, and an innovative and consistent official.

USATF-SC 2019 ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER PUBLICATIONS Please send your news items to the editor email listed below. Ø February/March 2020 Ø April/May 2020 Ø July/August 2020 Ø November/December 2020

2020 Membership & Club Renewals & Updates – Please remember to renew your USATF memberships for 2020. Individual memberships may be renewed on-line at Memberships. Club membership renewals must be made by calling National Office Customer Service at 317/261-0500. Verification of background checks through NCSI may need to be forwarded to the USATF National Office. Please remember to save an electronic copy of your “Greenlight” confirmation page. Finally, remember to update your personal, athlete, coaches, and club information within the USATF membership and/or club management system to reflect any new address, coaching, athlete or official information changes.

USATF SOUTH CAROLINA ASSOCIATION COMMUNICATIONS

PUBLISHING EDITORS …………………. JESI & TORI HEISER-WHATLEY, ERIKA WHATLEY EMAIL: [email protected] CONTRIBUTORS………SUSAN HEISER, TAMARA SLOAN, TAMI DENNIS, STEVE MULLANEY THANKS TO ALL THE PARENTS, COACHES & ATHLETES WHO SUBMITTED NEWS AND PICTURES. E

This Is YOUR USATF South Carolina – December 2019 Newsletter