Schools
Whiz Kids Head to Junior Olympic Championships
Three local students have qualified to compete in the Junior Olympic Championships in Wichita, Kansas.
Who: Eryn Blakely (11th grade) of Monrovia; Sarah Troescher (8th grade) of Sierra Madre; and Ashley Gomez (6th grade) of Temple City.
Accomplishment: Eryn Blakely, Sarah Troescher and Ashley Gomez are members of the San Gabriel Valley High Performance Track Club who will be competing in the USA Track & Field Junior Olympic Championship in Wichita, Kansas at the end of July.
Key To Awesomeness: The students qualified for the Junior Olympic Championship by competing in the Region 15 Championships, which were held in Escondido from June 24-26. The top five finishers in the final race of each age category qualified for the USA Track & Field Junior Olympic Championship, which will be held at Wichita State University’s Cessna Stadium from July 26 - 31.
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Monrovia resident Eryn Blakely is a Junior at Alverno High School in Sierra Madre. She qualified for the 800 Meters (Intermediate Girls) with a time of 2:24.81. Sarah Troescher of Sierra Madre is an eighth grader at St. Rita’s School who qualified for the 400 Meters (Youth Girls) with a time of 1:01.84. Sixth grader Ashley Gomez attends St. Luke’s School in Temple City. She qualified for the 800 Meters (Midget Girls) with a time of 2:30.87.
The students achieved their times by training under the guidance of Head Coach Keisha Marvin, who is a former UCLA All-American and world class hurdler, and Assistant Coach Zalika Davis-Heart, a former UCLA middle distance runner and Fila 2000 Olympic Trials qualifier in the 800 Meters. Prior to competing in the Junior Olympic Championship, the athletes will be training three days a week at the La Salle High School track in Pasadena.
