Following up on our announcement of the prestigious All-Decade Team members earlier this week, we are going to host a series of articles highlighting as many of these legends of the sport as possible. In the series we will highlight some of their career highlights, tell their story, and ask them some questions. We hope that you will enjoy the series and that it will both be interesting to reflect with them on their high school careers and also that current athletes will be able to learn from their experiences and foresight. Enjoy!
ODEIKA BENT
Odieka was a star sprinter and long jumper at Oak Ridge High School in Orlando in the class of 2007. With high school PRs of 11.45 for the 100, 23.69w (24.10 wind legal) for the 200, and 54.25 for the 400, she was one of the most well-rounded sprinters of her time. Couple that with an 18 feet, 7 inch long jump and she was a scoring machine for the Oak Ridge girls track dynasty in the mid 2000s.
Her senior year at the state meet she racked up 32 points to help Oak Ridge beat out St. Thomas Aquinas for the team title 86-79. Without her valiant performances in the long jump (1st, 18-7), 100m (2nd, 11.71Q + 11.79), 200m (2nd, 24.30Q + 24.40), and 400m (3rd, 55.45Q + 54.25) that victory would not have happened.
All in all, Oak Ridge won three team titles (2004, 2006, 2007) during her tenure and she contributed to All-American relay performances for the Pioneers her senior year in the 800 medley, 4x100, 4x400, 4x200, and 1600 medley in one of the greatest relay teams in Florida history.
Odeika also won AAU National Championships in the 100 and 4x100 her junior year.
The Jamaican import now competes for the University of Georgia and will be entering her junior year this coming season. She finished sixth in the SEC in the 400 meters this season for the Bulldogs.
When you reflect back on your high school career what are you most proud of?
I was most proud of my senior year because I came a long ways from my freshman year and I was able to accomplish a lot. I was truly proud of being inducted into the track & field hall of fame.
Who or what things made the biggest impacts on your success?
There were a lot of people I can name that impacted me throughout my high school career and I can't name them all. I give all the credit to God because without him, I am nothing. Also, having much support from my mother and coaches had a big impact on me.
Who were some of the athletes you remember that you loved competing against?
There were a lot of athletes that I enjoyed competing against. Just to name a few: Jasmine Shorter, Shataya Hendricks, Britney Jones, and Teona Rodgers. I always put up my best races against these ladies and it was a pleasure competing against them.
What are some of your fondest memories from high school athletics?
Some of my fondest memories will definitely be being on a winning team with some of my favorite people. We were like a family and I miss the girls. I remember always driving out of town to compete in the Bob Hayes meets. I also remember how tired I was during the state meet after going through prelims in the 100m, 200m, and 400m. I was most proud when I was able to win the long jump and score 32 poitns helping my team win yet another state title.
What are you doing now as far as career, competing, family?
Right now, I am in college at the University of Georgia competing. If track does not work out for me, I will use my education to pursue a career in law maybe a lawyer.
Anything else you want to add or say to the flrunners.com community?
I just want to say thanks for the honor. I know there has been so many other great athletes from Florida before me and after me that are great and it feels good to be a part of this. I want to thank all my coaches, family, and fans for their support throughout my high school career. God bless.
ASHLEY BRASOVAN
It's hard to forget when Ashley Brasovan first appeared on the scene her freshman year. Suddenly we were seeing these amazing times coming from down south from a runner most of us had never heard of--a freshman from Wellington High none the less! When her first reported 5K time ever of 17:46 came out, most of us probably questioned whether it was a short course. And then in consecutive weeks more times of 18:07 and 18:18. She must be legit! They can't all be short!
The following week at Great American she ran in a second tier race and blew away the competition in her race with a time of 17:33 up at the Cary, NC course and winning it by almost a minute. After all of the elite races were done at that meet, this freshman had the fastest time of any female on the course that day... better than national stars like Aurora Scott of Virginia, Kate Niehaus of South Carolina, and Florida's far-and-away favorite Kelly Parrish.
Then we got to see the legendary race that we all were waiting for after Great Amreican! The flrunners.com Invitational on the newly-minted state meet course Little Everglades, where we'd get to see the upstart freshman Brasovan face off head-to-head against Parrish, a senior at Ocala Vanguard. It was the first time Brasovan would see top competition head on and she did not disappoint! Brasovan and Parrish battled for the entire 5000 meters, with Brasovan pulling it out down the final home stretch with a 17:07.85 to 17:13.69 victory!
Fast forward through the rest of her high school career and let's be blunt, she was untouchable at 3200 and up in Florida. In fact she was pretty tough to beat at those distances period. Through her career she earned three national championships: the indoor two-mile at Nike Indoor in 2007 (sophomore), Footlocker Cross Country Nationals in 2007 (junior), and a Nike Outdoor Nationals 5000 Meter meet record of 16:18.91 in 2008 (junior).
The Footlocker win her junior year was quite remarkable, being that the Footlocker South qualifying course (McAlpine) for some reason had been the bane of her existance for her first two years of high school. Despite being favored to win both years, she fell out of the top ten and did not qualify for nationals--her first losses of the season ironically. So her junior year she just needed to get through and she did (finishing 6th). Two week later out in San Diego she came back and wowed them all!
Going up against former national champ Kathy Kroeger of Tennessee and defending national champ Jordan Hasay of California, Brasovan was not expected to win. In fact, most all but already handed the title to Hasay--who is perhaps the best high school distance runner ever. Hasay lead the race for about 2.5 miles, when charging down the hill comes Brasovan whose 4-10 frame makes tiny 5-1 Hasay look huge. Ashley overtook the fading favorite in what has been described as the exact perfectly executed race. She won the national championship in 17:20 on the difficult, hilly and muddy course over Kroeger (17:28) and Hasay (17:31).
Her senior year Brasovan had another dominating cross country season with a 16:46.66 meet record at flrunners.com Invitational 9 (three for three), a 17:03 state championship (four for four), and culminating with another fantastic dual at Footlocker Nationals against Jordan Hassay--this time finishing second. In February 2009 she was the second American at USATF Jr. XC and qualified for the World team in Amman, Jordan. That competition agrivated a nagging injury and prompted Ashley to sit out her senior track season and just focus toward her college career, beginning this fall at Duke.
Even without the additional medals one more track season would have brought her, Brasovan leaves Florida as most likely the greatest and most celebrated high school distance runner ever produced from Florida. Her PRs of 4:55.97 for 1600, 10:13.45 for 3200, and 16:18.91 for 5000 (16:41 in XC, 16:37 Road) speak for themselves.
When you reflect back on your high school career what are you most proud of?
I would definitely have to say that winning Footlocker my junior year was the best moment of my running career thus far. It was frustrating not making it the two previous years, so the first time I made it out to San Diego I just wanted to have fun. I had worked hard all season and was in complete shock after crossing the line. I am pretty sure I started to cry a little after the race because I still couldn't believe it!
Who or what things made the biggest impacts on your success?
I think all of the coaches I worked with each gave me a different perspective on running and helped me to learn more about myself. I also think getting injured helped me gain mental toughness. An injury is so hard to get through mentally. When you start training again, you listen to your body more carefully and become aware of your physical limits.
Who were some of the athletes you remember that you loved competing against?
I loved racing against everyone at Footlocker because I knew everyone had trained hard all season just to get there, and anyone of us was capable of winning.
What are some of your fondest memories from high school athletics?
All the traveling I got to do because of my running was so amazing. World Cross Country in Amman, Jordan was one of the best experiences of my life. Despite the very long flight, I enjoyed every minute of it and would do it again in a heartbeat. I got to know some amazing runners who have become my lifelong friends and see how the elite runners live day to day.
Looking forward to your college career and beyond, what are you hoping to accomplish or become both as a runner and life in general?
I want to be able to look back at my college years and know I ran to the best of my capability while still having fun and enjoying life. I really have no idea right now what lies ahead for me in the future and maybe in the next few years I will be able to figure it out :)
Anything else you want to add or say to the flrunners.com community?
I really love the running atmosphere in Florida and the support everyone gives each other. I will truly miss you all and hope to be able to come back to a few state meets and give back some of the support you all gave me!