Seattle, WA.  –  American youth track and field is in the middle of one of its most vibrant stretches ever as young athletes are making their marks well beyond their years, especially on the girl’s side.  With names like Mary Cain, Alexa Efraimson, Elise Cranny and Sarah Baxter leading the charge, a full renaissance in track fortunes may well be nearing as fans latch onto these precocious talents.

Besides the expansion of knowledge via the internet, one explanation for this resurgence  is the number and quality of post-season track meets that have cropped up for young athletes in recent years.  From coast-to-coast high quality meets offer competitive opportunities that many of the nation’s top-end talent has a hard time finding at home.  The better the competition, the better becomes the quality of performances.

Today the Brooks PR Invitational comes to Seattle, Washington’s Renton Memorial Stadium on the heels of last weekend’s New Balance Outdoor Nationals in Charlotte, North Carolina and the Dream Miles and Dream 100-meters in New York City — part of the Diamond League’s Adidas New York Grand Prix. And waiting on the near horizon are the U.S. Junior Nationals and IAAF World Junior Championships just south in Eugene, Oregon in July. Continue reading →