Interview with the top future stars of track & field in the state of Florida in hurdler Aleesa Samuel of Somerset Academy Pembroke Pines. The ninth grader is one of the top fastest 100 meter hurdles in the state with a 14.09 personal best from a victory at the super competitive Louie Bing Invitational last month, while also incredibly finishing as a national runner-up two weekends ago in the 60 meter hurdles finals at New Balance Nationals in a swift 8.46 clocking.
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She will be one of the top seeds in a very competitive race this weekend featuring 3 of the top 4 hurdlers in the state including Brittany Jennings (FL #2 13.98 PR) of Sandalwood High School in Jacksonville and Chelsi Williams (FL #4 14.12 PR) of George Jenkins High School in Lakeland. Both Samuel and Williams are freshmen and currently the top two fastest in the entire country for the 100 meter hurdles. The race is certainly set up to push Samuel to potentially her first sub 14 second race in the 100 meter hurdles and establish herself beyond South Florida as one of the best hurdlers throughout the state.
Coached by her father, former NFL star cornerback and two-time Super Bowl champion Asante Samuel, Aleesa certainly comes from a family of talented athletes as her brother Asante Samuel, Jr. is currently a starting cornerback for the Los Angeles Chargers and played collegiately at FSU. But she has found her own niché and space to showcase her athletic gifts in the sport of track and field. Her father has been one of her biggest supporters in her track and field success.
Samuel is also part of a talented tandem of youth stars found on her team with 8th grader Ariyanna Griggs also clocking some phenomenal times in the 100 and 200 meter dash currently to make them two foundation pieces for their program at Somerset Academy Pembroke Pines to grow for years to come.
Aleesa has the speed without hurdlers in front of her too as she has already posted a personal best time of 11.88 at the Sam Burley Invitational. Part of an always rich talent area for sprinters and hurdlers found in South Florida, Samuel certainly has a head start on many area prep track greats from the past with the times that she has run coming into high school and just into her first few months at high school.
It will be exciting to track her progression over the next several years starting this weekend in Tallahassee at the Florida State University Relays.