“The Flash” Set For AAU Jr. Olympics
MADISON- Liyah Nelson, nicknamed “The Flash” by her coaches, is off and running to the AAU Junior Olympics to be held in Des Moines, Iowa, July 30-Aug. 4.
The 15-year old rising sophomore at Madison Academy has already had a banner year on the track by winning both the 100 (12.13 seconds) and 200-meter(25.24) races at the Alabama High School Athletic Association State Track Meet in Class 4A. Since the completion of her freshman year with the Mustangs, Nelson participated in the elite New Balance Nationals Outdoor Track and Field Meet in Greensboro, N.C., where she set a new personal best of 12.12 seconds in the 100m and placed first in both the 100m and 4x100m relay and third place in the 200m at the District Qualifier Meet in Memphis, Tenn.
She just recently ran in the Regional Qualifier Meet in Knoxville, Tenn. where she ran a 12.38 in the 100m and 25.69 in the 200m to finish first in each event. As part of a 4x100m relay, the squad took third place with a time of 51.75.
Her performances in Knoxville qualified her for the AAU Jr. Olympics later this month.
Even before meeting her summer schedule of events, Nelson was already unofficially labeled the fastest girl in Alabama by winning her events at the AHSAA State Meet. She said, “Going into the state event I knew I was a top contender and I prayed it would go in my favor. Looking at what I did at state I felt good, but it really doesn’t faze me that much.”
The humbling attitude of the 5-foot-one and a half, 108-pound speedster is one of the virtues she possess that keeps her churning towards success. Gary Lambert, head coach of the Mustangs’ track program, said, “She is a natural talent with a stellar attitude of working hard and being a leader on her team. She is driven and focused.”
Her summer training program is part of the Huntsville based HAM Team under strength and conditioning coach Rob Wheeler. He is the one who nicknamed her after the superhero first published by D.C. Comics in 1940 and has since graced TV and movie screens as The Flash.
“Liyah is the perfect storm in local track as she has the raw genetics and receives superb parenting to help make her one of the top athletes in the area,” said Wheeler. “At this age, she is faster than other major athletes that have come through the immediate area in the last decade. She has unbridled love for the sport and you have to be hungry to be successful in track. She’s full of hunger.”
The fleet-footed Nelson has known as far back as she can remember she had the speed in her neighborhood. She also ran against her three brothers, Jaylen, 17, Nicholas, 21, and Kristopher, 27 and that competitive inspiration gave her the incentive to be even faster.
Jaylen, who will be a senior this fall at Madison Academy, was also a participant at the State Meet where he scored points in the 300m hurdles and 4×100 relay, plus was a member of the relay squad which won the boys 4×400 while setting a new school record.
“I’ve always had dreams of attending a college with a good track program, running in the Olympics and possibly running on a professional level,” said Nelson.
An honor student in the classroom, Nelson is just as busy away from the track as a member of the school’s Diamond Dolls, Spanish Club, National Honor Society and President’s List. Her summer workout routine features six days a week mixture of running and weight training.
The Flash is working her way across the country with fleet feet and an eagerness to succeed, and, according to Lambert, “Though she is still young, her stature is actually a veteran. She knows what winning platform she wants to be on.”
