BOYS WINNER: Andres Arroyo - Senior @ Colonial
Andres Arroyo's training plan is designed for him to run his best in late June just in time for postseason national meets. If that's the case then sit down, grab some popcorn, and enjoy the show that the Colonial senior is about to put on. It's only February and the youngster is making his mark on the track. Coming into the Brooks PR Invitational, an event which featured the top half milers in the country, Arroyo was calm, cool and ready to run. Coach Rene Plasencia and assistant coach Caleb Calhoun sat down with Arroyo prior to him leaving Orlando and broke down the competition going over personal bests and the last races they had run so that he would feel more comfortable. Plasencia says the senior is usually good about not letting the pressure and atmosphere of major events get to him.
"Andres always does a good job of staying relaxed before races. He has a lot of experience racing at the national and international level and I think that has really helped him mentally. Andres is typically the one to keep things relaxed on our team with his pranks and silliness whenever we're going into big meets. The craziness of the Brooks PR event wasn't something we were really concerned about. He has a knack of tuning things out and turning things on when he has to."
Turning on the afterburners is exactly what Arroyo did against the best 800 meter runner in Canada, defending champion Tyler Smith, and US#1 Tre'Tez Kinnaird of Kentucky. The Sunshine State product went out hard in his first ever indoor race. With the caliber of the field and inexperience on the 307 meter indoor track Placensia says the plan was to stay on the outside and work his way up into second or third place early, not letting the field get away from him.
"We figured that the longer he was out in the front the less jossling there would be. I was a little worried that first 100 with how he was getting pushed around, but he did a great job of not letting it get to him and sticking to his plan. After the race he realized that he had been spiked pretty hard on the front of his leg. Something he hadn't felt during the race because he was so focused.I don't think the physicality had anything to do with him getting third. That took place early enough for it to be inconsequential. He let those guys put too much of a gap on him. Those guys are too good to be walked down like that. The leader ran a great race."
Arroyo has nothing to be ashamed about. Placensia says it was the best race he has seen him run and that is saying a lot. Arroyo is the defending 4A Cross Country Finals Champion, and won the 1600, 3200, and was a member of the winning 4x800 meter relay team. His time of 1:51.10 was the second best in the United States for the indoor season and was just six one-hundredths off of his personal best 1:51.04 in the 800. Arroyo ran a 20x400 workout with 60 second recovery in late January and posted times between 63 and 65 for each one. Coach Placensia knew he was going to be strong towards the beginning of the year, but says he looks great at this point in the season.
Andres' Athlete Profile
GIRLS WINNER: Lloydricia Cameron - Junior @ Miami Northwestern
Miami Northwestern junior Lloydricia Cameron picked up in 2013 where she left off in 2012. As a sophomore she finished first at the 3A state championships in the shot put and second in the discus. Coach Carmen Jackson said last year that in order for Cameron to be one of the top throwers to come through Miami Northwestern (she has coached a bunch), and one of the best in the state she would need to improve her strength. She says combine that with a new focus and belief in her new coach and the junior has flourished.
"Last year, she was not very focused about putting in what was need to get those big throws. More importantly she has been very positive in her spirit and has bought into her coach Austin Monroe. Remember Coach Monroe was not her coach her ninth grade year, so she went through an adjustment with that change. She also has some great training partners, her teammates, who are also throwing well this year."
Cameron showed she has been hitting the weight room this past weekend when she launched some monster marks at the Louie Bing Classic to start off the season on a very high note. In her first meet since August, she threw the shot put 44"-0 and the discus 154"-1. Her series in the discus didn't look well at the start. She fouled twice, went 123"-4', and then hurled the winning throw. Her best mark in the shot put was also her last throw. Both were new personal bests and both lead the country in this young outdoor season. To put these marks in perspective they would have been in the best at the end of the 2012 outdoor season. Coach Jackson believes she has a lot left in the tank and that 2013 will be a very special year for the junior.
" I expect a great record breaking season for her because of having great teammates pushing her everyday. I have some great throwers who will emerge this year as well. If she keeps working hard like she has great things can happen. She has really matured and has begun to realize that commitment, hard work, and staying positive will grant you great rewards. Her throwing far did not surprise me because of the atomsphere in practice. It can be intense because the other throwers pushes her to the max daily."
The Bulls are a powerhouse program and have won numerous state titles under coach Carmen Jackson. Knowing the team has 10 -20 points courtesy of Cameron heading into the running events has to be reassuring. Wearing the Miami Northwestern royal blue and gold isn't just a uniform, it's a tradition. It's a program and tradition the junior is helping to continue to grow with each state title performance. Jackson acknowledges the strength of her team is traditionally throws and jumps, but says this could be the year of the throwers.
"It like a rich tradition to have throwers year in year out. Tomorrow, I will see if she has the team record. I am proud of all of the throwing team. Thse young ladies are the base of the team this year. I have high goal for Lloydrica this year hoping she can make the USA Jr. World Team. I think if she can get into the 160's she will have a great chance of making it."
Lloydricia's Athlete Profile