News

Oakcrest Senior Sets State Record in 800m

When Oakcrest senior Lily James walks across the stage to receive her diploma in a few weeks, she’ll be leaving behind an impressive athletic legacy. A member of the Track & Field team since sixth grade, Lily has capped off her time as an Oakcrest athlete by running the fastest girls 800m time (2:15.33) in the state of Virginia.

Lily’s list of other accomplishments this season spans several different competitive meets. She has set new school records in the 400m, 800m, 1600m, and the 4x800m relay. At the NoVa Invitational she ran the 400m with a time of 1:00.53 and a 4th place finish out of 74 athletes, and placing 6th out of 83 runners in the 800m. In the Draper Invitational Meet on May 3-4, she ran her state record-breaking 800m and also ran in Oakcrest’s 4x800m relay team that placed first and broke a school record with a time of 9:54.67.
 
Lily has always been dedicated to her athletic life at Oakcrest, even as it took different forms over the years. She played soccer for a while before deciding to stop to focus on running. She did Middle School Track for three years and Varsity for four, and this past winter took Head Track & Field Coach Jennifer Pruskowski’s strength training class to gain a strength foundation that would improve her running. Besides the 800m in which she so strongly excels, Lily’s main events are the 400m, the 4x400m relay and the 4x800m relay.
 
Lily will be attending UCLA in the fall, where she will run track.
 
“I have coached Lily since 6th grade, and she has always challenged herself, setting goals and then working hard to accomplish them,” says Head Track & Field coach Jennifer Pruskowski. “Lily is an incredibly talented runner, but her determination, focus, and passion for the sport is what takes her to the next level.”

Read local press coverage of Lily's specatuclar season in the The Connection and Inside NoVa.

Learn more about our strong athletics program. 
Back
1619 Crowell Road, Vienna, VA 22182
703-790-5450