This past March, Spartanburg High School Track and Field athletes took their performance to the next level, traveling to New York City to compete at the Nike Indoor Nationals (NIN). Members of the Atomic Speed Training Club had the opportunity to compete at the famous ‘Armory Track & Field Center’, a renowned venue bringing in athletes from across the country. Athletes must meet elite time standards to gain the opportunity to compete in the race, making it an incredibly competitive field.
Atomic Speed Training, founded and led by Oshay Davenport, consists of runners across the upstate including runners, jumpers, hurdlers and pole vaulters. The club’s tight-knit, individualized training gives members a distinctly personal experience tailored to what will improve their performance. Davenport, being a USATF Level two certification in a multitude of Track and Field areas, is incredibly knowledgeable in how to successfully coach athletes, pushing them to reach their full potential. The team not only works together on the track, having fun with one another in activities such as bowling to change the group from simply a club to a family.
“Atomic Speed is a chance to give elite caliber athletes someone that they can trust to have their best interest at heart. I always challenge my athletes to get better and not be complacent just because they may be the fastest. I think elite caliber athletes deserve that versus letting them continue winning yet ignoring ways to get them better,” Davenport said.
Following their successful indoor season, seven athletes from the club, including Nia Glover (12), Joshua Taliaferro (10), Raheim Harris (12), Christian Roberts (12), Justin Rice (12), A’kyra Webster (10) and Torrean Davis (10) earned their way to compete at NIN. Athletes competed March 8, running the girls 400-meter final, the boys 400-meter final, the boys 200-meter relay prelim and the mixed 400-meter relay final, and March 9 with the boys 60-meter hurdles prelim, boys 60-meter prelim, girls 60-meter prelim, girls 200-meter prelim, boys 200-meter prelim and the boys long jump.
Roberts competed in the 200 relay, mixed 400 relay and the 60 and thought that the experience was amazing.
“For some of us it was the first time on a plane. I loved the experience because we got to try new things that we wouldn’t have got to try if we stayed in Spartanburg,” Roberts said.
Among the elite competition at the meet, the Atomic Speed Training mixed 400 relay, consisting of Roberts, Glover, Webster and Taliaferro, came out on top with a time of 3 minutes, 38.34 seconds. This victory crowned the squad as national champions, certainly solidifying it as a lifelong memory for the team.
Glover’s success not only competing but winning at the national level made the trip incredibly special for her.
“Winning nationals in the mixed 4×4 was a surreal experience. My favorite part was being able to enjoy that once in a lifetime moment with my teammates, my coach and my mom. That was a very special moment for my teammates and I, being able to win nationals and become All-Americans for the first time together is truly unforgettable,” Glover said.
