Western Branch TC (VA)

Team Website / NTN Profile

Top Athletes: Keilah Tyson (sprints & jumps), Shakia Williams (sprints), Desmonae Gray (hurdles), Syndi Cobb (throws), Camille Thomas (jumps), Mary Katherine Sanders (distances) and Blake Andrews (distances).

Team Strengths: One of the premier sprint powers in the country, Western Branch has the track talent to win Nike Track Nationals.  Led by sprinter/jumper Keilah Tyson, who finished top four in three events at the Virginia T&F Championships, this squad is known for coming up big at national competitions.  In addition to Tyson, Shakia Williams, Desmonae Gray and Syndi Cobb will all need to come up big, but have put up some tremendous marks this season.  With depth across the board, this squad seems poised to compete very well come July 2.

Key to Success: While Western Branch is strong in the sprint/hurdle events, the distance events are where this squad needs to find some big points.  They’ll need PR-type performances from distance runners Blake Andrews and Mary Katherine Sanders if they want to challenge for the top prize.  Fresh legs and some strong post-season training could lead these two athletes to new bests, but we’ll just have to wait and see if they can pull it off.

Q&A with Coach Rob Cipcic

NTN: Keilah Tyson competed in four separate events at the Virginia state meet, and a few of your other top athletes competed in two or more.  Do you feel having athletes compete in only 1-2 events at NTN will give an additional boost to your squad?

Rob Cipcic (RC): Absolutely!  We like to give our athletes the opportunity to compete in events they qualify for at our State Meet.  It wasn't necessary to win the state title, but it is good to put athletes in multiple events.  That way when they have to do that, they've "been there before."  Other teams will have athletes that are fresh as well.

NTN: Western Branch is known as a consistent national powerhouse in the sprints the past few years.  What type of planning and work goes into creating one of the best sprint squads in the country?

RC: Our entire program works on the fundamentals of running, from block work to hand offs.  It's not only the mechanics of good running, but also the mental focus of running.  Good nutrition habits can make a difference in each athlete’s performance as well.

NTN: It's been a few weeks since the Virginia T&F Championships.  What have you been having your squad do in order to be best prepared for NTN?

RC: Once the school season is over, most of our athletes participate in summer track through AAU & USATF.  Some actually run on different club teams.  We trust they continue to do what we teach them and are preparing for this great event.

NTN: Ranked as one of the top teams in the country, what are the team's goals heading into Nike Track Nationals?

RC: We are a very competitive team and we have expectations to perform very well and win!  We are looking forward to a great weekend in Track Town USA.

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