Already making a mark, Raines' Frazier sets her sights on the Olympics.
Brianna Frazier is a shy high school track champion with a simple goal. She wants to follow in the footsteps of one of her biggest heroes - her mother.
"I started running because I watched my mom when I was little, and I just really got into it,'' said Frazier, 15, who will be a sophomore at Raines this year. "There are things I want to accomplish down the road because of her - like make the Olympics someday.''
Brianna's mother, Letitia Silas, was nationally ranked in the 400 meters in 2000, the year after she graduated from the University of North Florida. Silas is Brianna's coach and directs more than 20 others in the Dominion track club.
Silas' daughter, who also runs the 400, is one of the club's most successful athletes. Frazier leaves Saturday for Ostrava, Czech Republic, as a member of the U.S. team competing in the World Youth Championships, scheduled for July 11-15. The U.S. delegation consists of 16 men and 15 women.
The U.S. team selection process was based on performance and required participation in one of three national qualifying events.
"Being selected is a pretty big honor for me, especially since I'm so young,'' Frazier said. "I knew I was fast, but I didn't know I was that fast. I want to go out there and make myself look like something.''
She did that in her freshman season at Raines, claiming the FHSAA Class 2A state championship in the 400 meters and as a member of the 4x400-meter relay team.
Frazier's state-winning individual time of 54.62 seconds was the fourth-fastest in the 400 as a freshman and the 25th- fastest in the nation, according to Dyestat.com's "Elite 100'' rankings. Dyestat is a nationally recognized Web site that covers high school track and field.
"I was really surprised when I won because I was a freshman, and I ran my fastest time ever,'' Frazier said. "I was really excited.''
Speed and a gazelle-like stride aren't the only characteristics that separate the 5-foot-6 Frazier from her competitors. She's quiet and possesses a strong sense of humility.
"Brianna knows how good she can be, but at the same time, she still stays very humble,'' Silas said. "At one of the meets we went to, the LSU coach came over and talked to me [about Brianna] a little bit. Even with that kind of attention, Brianna keeps a level head and never gets too high on herself.''
Frazier's mother, who is a math teacher at Raines, is partly responsible for that.
"I've been teaching for eight years at Raines, and I love every day of it,'' said Silas, who still competes in the Masters division in several track events. "I think it's helped her a lot that I'm her coach. I don't stress over too much stuff when it comes to track with her. I want her to just have fun and be a kid. Before she knows it, it's all going to be over.''
Frazier is having a busy summer. In addition to heading to the Czech Republic, Frazier has recently competed in meets in Orlando, Miami, Atlanta, and Indianapolis.
And after the World Youth Championships, Frazier will compete in the USATF National Junior Olympic Track and Field Championships in Walnut, Calif., then the AAU National Junior Olympic Games in Knoxville, Tenn., before beginning school at Raines.
"I want to break the high school 400-meter record [50.69 seconds, set by Sanya Richards in 2002] my senior year." Frazier said. "I have big goals, including competing for the USA at the Olympic Games and doing really well in college.
"I mean, if I wasn't running, I don't know what I'd be doing with my time. It's become a part of me."