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Schools

McCoy, Madison Among Zephyrs' Qualifiers for USATF Nationals

Fenwick track star, incoming OPRF frosh to compete at this week's national Junior Olympic Championships in Kansas.

Fenwick High School senior-to-be Erin McCoy and Oak Park-River Forest freshman-to-be Chris Madison of Oak Park are among athletes from the Zephyrs Track Club competing at the USA Track & Field National Junior Olympic Championships in Wichita, Kans. on Tuesday, July 26, through Sunday, July 31. 

McCoy will compete in the Young Women (ages 17-18) division in the 400-meter hurdles and with 1,600 and 3,200 relay teams. Madison will compete in the Youth Boys (ages 13-14) high jump and 400.

To reach USATF nationals, athletes needed top-five finishes at the Region VII Championships for Illinois and Indiana entries July 9-10 at Plainfield Central High School after requiring top-eight finishes to advance at the state meet June 24-25 at Plainfield Central.

At the Region VII Championships, McCoy was fourth in the 400 hurdles (1:05.52), just shy of her lifetime best, and part of the winning 3,200 relay (10:52.08) and third-place 1,600 relay (4:03.51), the second of the two Zephyrs' relays to advance. Madison was third in the high jump, clearing 5 feet-8 3/4 inches.

McCoy is making her fourth straight trip to USATF nationals with hopes of earning All-American honors for the second year in a row with a top-eight national finish. Madison is making his second straight trip to nationals.

In 2010, McCoy finished eighth in the 400 hurdles (1:06.52) in the Intermediate Girls (ages 15-16) division. This past spring, she built upon that for the Friars in the shorter 300 low hurdlers by taking an all-state fifth (45.02) to become the first all-stater in Fenwick girls track history for a top-nine finish.

Madison was 16th in the Young Boys high jump last year (5-5).

In previous years, only top-three regional finishers qualified for nationals. As a result, this year’s nationals will include additional semifinal heats instead of just preliminaries and finals.

The Zephyrs, a non-profit organization, is bringing roughly 50 athletes to nationals from its two summer training sites of Hinsdale Central and Proviso East high schools. Volunteer coaches at the Hinsdale Central site are Hinsdale Central assistant girls track coaches Pat Wilson and James Conyers and Lyons Township head coach Greg Frandsen.

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