Kick Of The Week: Virginia Is For Kickers

HOKA Kick of the Week
MileSplit Staff

Kick of the Week belongs to an entire state this week. The state of Virginia showed up in a big way at the Penn Relays with more than a handful of winners or top American finishers closing strong with big kicks to not only represent their state well, but the rest of the country in matchups against the formidable Jamaicans.

On Thursday, Virginia sophomore distance girls had a great battle over last two laps with New Balance Nationals 2 mile runner-up Kate Murphy (Lake Braddock) and Foot Locker All-American Libby Davidson (E.C. Glass) in the 3K with Murphy ultimately having the stronger kick of the two, while another 10th grader from Virginia minutes later in Rachel McArthur anchored her Patriot squad to a wagon wheel in the DMR going from 5th to first with a smoking 4:50 split.

On Friday, Drew Hunter joined only Matthew Centrowitz as the only schoolboy to win 3K and mile titles at Penn with a 1:58 last half mile including a field dusting last 200 meters for a 4:07 PR win, while Brandee Johnson anchored home Nansemond River to the win in the small schools 4x100 finals wearing the Team USA singlet!

On the final day, it was the Lyles brothers, Josephus and Noah, of T.C. Williams dazzling the home American fans at Franklin Field with two sub 46 second splits in their national leading 3:12 4x400 in the qualifying round and later on led the stout Jamaicans programs mid-way thru the Championship of America finals after a strong 45.4 split second leg from Noah Lyles.

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