Published: 10:03 AM, Fri Jun 25, 2010
Britt runner named female track athlete of the year
By Paul Shugar
The news hadn't reached recent Jack Britt graduate Sanura Eley O'Reilly out in Iowa yet, so she was caught a little off guard.
Buccaneers athletic director Reggie Fields confirmed Thursday that Eley O'Reilly was named Gatorade's Female North Carolina Track and Field Athlete of the Year. The future South Carolina middle-distance runner was in Des Moines, Iowa, preparing for the USA Track and Field Junior Championships when told of the honor.
"Wow, I mean, it's been a crazy, crazy road to travel," Eley O'Reilly said. "I don't know, it's pretty amazing. I feel really happy right now."
She leaves Jack Britt holding the state record in the 400-meter dash (53.43 seconds) after winning back-to-back 4-A outdoor state championships in the event. She also holds school records in the 100, 200, 400 and 800, and she was a member of the 4x400 relay team that is the fastest in school history.
"When word came out that she was nominated, I had a pretty good idea she would get it," Britt track and field coach Rick Stoker said. "When they called me on Tuesday to check the spelling of her name, I figured she was a shoo-in."
At the New Balance Track and Field Nationals last Saturday in Greensboro, Eley O'Reilly finished fourth (54.19) after battling a stomach virus early in the week. She is gunning to run the 400 in 52 seconds this summer before she enrolls at South Carolina.
Douglas Byrd rising senior Eric Winfrey and E.E. Smith graduate and N.C. State hurdler Ben Major will also be competing in Iowa. They will be looking to qualify for the IAAF World Junior Championships from July 19-25 in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada.
With her health back and her routine restored, Eley O'Reilly would like to celebrate her award with a fast time this weekend. With temperatures forecast in the mid-90s, the conditions might be perfect to do so.
"I would say I'm back to 100 percent," Eley O'Reilly. "Like I said, it was a shock to my body being out there running a 400 after such a long break" at the nationals.