Girls compete for title of ‘fastest’

There must be something in the water.
Queens continues to produce top athletes from sport to sport – and at the New York Road Runners (NYRR) Youth Jamboree on Sunday, May 15, the results were more of the same.
Of the top eight female student athletes from the entire tri-state area who earned the “Fastest Girl” title in the 100 meter qualifying trials, four are from Queens and two of them are twins.
Stephanie and Tiffany Graves, Jade Smith and Adreanne Howard wowed the crowd with their bursts of speed on their way to the finish line.
Smith, from Rosedale, placed eighth; Howard, from South Jamaica, placed seventh; and Stephanie and Tiffany Graves, also from South Jamaica, placed sixth and fourth, respectively. The four Queens girls are all members of Young Runners with the NY Novas Track Club in Jamaica. George Taylor, who has been coaching the Novas for 23 years, says the girls’ first Track & Field experience was with the NYRR Young Runners program.
The girls now qualify to take home the grand prize for “Fastest Girl” during the competition at the adidas Grand Prix at Ichan Stadium on Randall’s Island on Saturday, June 11. This popular and always jam-packed event will showcase four of the most talented young runners in borough and the city.
The Young Runners will now have the treat of checking out some of the tri-state area’s top high school athletes as they compete for the grand prize.
Tickets are available by visiting www.adidasgrandprix.com.
Citywide, over 2,500 students in 76 schools and community centers are Young Runners. The organization’s Queens sites serve 158 students. NYRR is passionate about instilling the healthy habit of running in kids in order to help prevent obesity and illness, build self-esteem, and teach goal setting.
To learn how your child can become a Young Runner, go to www.nyrrf.org.