Photo of Chanelle Price leading Alice Schmidt in the semis of the 800 - by Victor Salior, PhotoRun.Net
16 year old athletes simply don't waltz onto the national stage and compete well their first time at the biggest show in the U.S. - the USATF Track & Field Champs. But make no mistake, Chanelle Price isn't just another athlete. She is prepared, both mentally and physically, for what she is facing this week in Indianapolis.
What started out as a dream to just qualify for the meet, has quickly become over the course of roughly four-minutes and six-seconds of racing the past two days - a very real hope of making her first U.S. National team in the 800 meter run. A team that will be traveling to Osaka, Japan.
Price has been a very good runner for a few years. But she hasn't been at this level very long. When she speaks, she has the air of someone who has been meant for this level, and has earned the right to be here, one workout and one race at a time. "These are exactly the times I expected over the first two rounds. I'm pleased."
Price's breakthrough 800 came at the PTFCA Indoor Championships when she soloed to a 2:04.96, the 4th best prep indoor 800 ever. She followed that up with a sub-2:06 at the PIAA State Champs, and then another sub-2:05 at an open meet in New York two weeks later. But the eye-popping time came at the Nike Outdoor Nationals with her outdoor #4 all-time 2:02.76.
That's when she knew she was really ready for the big stage. And she had only five days between the big stage in high school, to the big stage in the open division.
Price was admittedly a little off her usual confidence during her first race on Wednesday in the 1st round. "Yesterday, my nerves got to me a little." To move on to the semis, she had to either get top three, or be in the next best seven times. She came through the 400 in what she considered a not-so-great start of 61. She was leading, and the more experienced pros behind her were just biding their time. "It was my first big race, and it showed."
She led through the 600 before being passed by three of the more experienced senior women, but hung tough to finish 4th in the heat in 2:05.27.
It was exactly as planned.
"Coach Kenny (United Stars Track Club coach Ken Abney) has prepared me for exactly these racing conditions. He said it would take a 2:05 in the first round, and then a 2:02 or 2:03 to advance to the finals. He was right."
As the race started Friday afternoon, Price was back to her usual self... confident, and a front-runner. "I like to take it out hard."
That's exactly what she did, coming through the 400 in 57.9, and leading through the 600 in 1:29, three seconds faster than the day before. "Today I got in my zone, and the other runners pulled up on me." In fact, she was leading until the final stretch when she says she was confident she had the top four wrapped up for the automatic advance to the finals. At that point she was just worried about getting to the finish line in good shape. "I ran the two races smart, the way I was trained."
That training includes back-to-back days of tough 600's and 700's "so I'd know how it felt to race the trials hard. The only thing missing in training was the competition."
And that's exactly what she has now. Competition from the best the U.S. has to offer.
The senior women seem to be taking notice of the prodigy Price. "One of them said to me, 'wow, you're a tough cookie. I can't wait to see what you can do.'"
The confidence comes from within. But the real source is her parents and brother, her coaches and friends. "Coach Kenny told me I could make the finals."
Photo by Victor Salior, PhotoRun.Net
And that she did. Her 2:03.09 gave her time to spare.
And she has two other things in her favor. One, she just want to go fast. In fact, Abney says that seems to be her primary motivation. "She just wants to get faster. And then when she does, she wants to go even faster."
And Price is super competitive. It's not personal. Simply put, she doesn't like to lose. "To girls. To boys. To high schoolers. To anyone."
As for Sunday's final, Price is not going to leave anything on the track. And she's not backing down from her style, which is to go out hard, push as long as she can, and then hope she has what it takes to finish strong. "I think it is reasonable for me to get top three. I'd love to get two minutes or under (that would be a U.S. prep record if she breaks 2:00.07). And I want to have fun, because I still have a lot of time to get better.
Don't be surprised if that 'better' comes on Sunday.
As for talk of her turning pro, Price says it's a bit premature, but something that will have to be confronted this summer. "My parents and coaches have always helped me make decisions that are best for me. This will be no different. But we do have a lot of thinking to do this summer. Right now, I'm just taking it day by day."
And two minutes, by two minutes.
Photos by Vic Sailor of PA athletes at the June 20-24 USATF JR/SR Championships, Indianapolis, IN
FRIDAY SEMIS
1 Hazel Clark Nike 2:02.59Q
2 Alice Schmidt adidas 2:02.87Q
3 Alysia Johnson California 2:02.87Q
4 Nikeya Green Reebok 2:02.97Q
5 Lauren Austin unattached 2:03.00Q
6 Morgan Uceny Cornell 2:03.04Q
7 Chanelle Price United Stars 2:03.09Q
8 Geena Gall Michigan 2:03.33Q
9 Trisa Nickoley Missouri 2:04.07
10 Nicole Cook Reebok 2:05.09
11 Julian Clay Nike 2:05.14
12 Mishael Berger unattached 2:05.46
13 Becky Horn unattached 2:07.09
14 Georganne Way unattached 2:07.80
-- Nicole Teter Oregon TC DNF
-- Mackenzie Pierce California DNS
THURSDAY PRELIMS
1 Hazel Clark Nike 2:04.16Q
2 Alice Schmidt adidas 2:04.36Q
3 Alysia Johnson California 2:05.36Q
4 Lauren Austin unattached 2:04.52Q
5 Morgan Uceny unattached 2:04.56Q
6 Nicole Teter Oregon TC 2:05.40Q
7 Nikeya Green Reebok 2:04.57Q
8 Geena Gall Michigan 2:04.75Q
9 Julian Clay Nike 2:05.44Q
10 Trisa Nickoley unattached 2:04.77q
11 Nicole Cook Reebok 2:04.84q
12 Chanelle Price United Stars 2:05.27q
13 Mackenzie Pierce California 2:05.87q
14 Georganne Way unattached 2:05.99q
15 Becky Horn unattached 2:06.13q
16 Mishael Berger unattached 2:06.20q
17 Vicky Brooks unattached 2:06.26
18 Briene Simmons Penn State 2:06.69
19 Venessa Lee Pittsburg St 2:06.75
20 Morgan Bonds Kansas State 2:07.34
21 Erica Schoeller unattached 2:07.46
22 Tanya Osbourne L S U 2:08.77
23 Brenda Martinez unattached 2:10.77
-- Rebekah Noble Oregon DNS
-- Sarah Bowman Tennessee DNS
-- Sasha Spencer Nike DNS