Brashers perform well at Junior Olympics

CAPTION: Josie Brasher (left) eyes the finish line as she keeps a steady stride while running in the Amateur Athletic Union’s Junior Olympics. Courtesy photos

Siblings Everett and Josie Brasher turned in solid performances at the Amateur Athletic Union’s Junior Olympics Aug. 1-8.

Josie finished the 1,500 meters in 5:01 for 14th overall in the girls 13-year-old division and set a new personal record by 11 seconds. She also finished the 800 meters in 2:28 to set a new personal best by two seconds and finish 26th overall.

She made the finals of the 1,500.

“It felt really cool because they called my name while I was like running,” she said. “I think I did really great. (The other runners) were very good, definitely pretty hard to face, but I got through it. My goal is to be under five minutes, and I am getting closer and closer. I was almost there.”

Everett competed in the 400-meter hurdles and clocked 1:02 to finish in the top five of 15-year-old boys and top 50 in the 15-16-year-old boys division.

“I don’t think it was my best performance, but I think just getting there was the big goal,” Everett said. “I was a lot less nervous than I have been before because of the experience before this, and I also learned more on how to do things on my own without the coach pushing me to do things.”

Josie likes to stay close to the front of the pack and then outsprint the competition to the finish line. She followed that strategy in the 800.

“I made sure to have a strategic race, and it just made it better for how I ran,” she said. “In the 1,500 I was more towards the back, and I moved to the front.”

Many of the runners Everett ran against are entering the 10th grade and have already spent a year on a high school campus. Everett will be a freshman at Marble Falls High School.

“It was pretty hard, especially, because I’m in the 15-year-old age group and I have to go against the 16-year-olds as well as my own age group,” he said. “And it’s also nationwide, so it was pretty difficult. I finished in the top five in my age group. If I can translate that to next year, then I would become an All-American.”

Everett will spend his fall playing baseball for the Rough Riders based in Cedar Park, Liberty Hill and Round Rock and join the Marble Falls High School track and field team.

Josie said the summer track season has better prepared her for being an eighth-grader at Marble Falls Middle School where she plans to run cross country and track and play volleyball, basketball, golf and softball.

“It helped me because it let me think about the competition I’m facing, and it helps me be better in school track,” she said.

CAPTION: Everett Brasher (wearing sunglasses) keeps his form as he competes in the 400-meter hurdles of the Amateur Athletic Union’s Junior Olympics.