Lee’s Summit West TC (MO)

Team Website / NTN Profile

Top Athletes: Lauren Cheadle (sprints & jumps), Liga Blyholder (distances), Essence Chalmers (throws), Brittany Kallenberger (jumps & pole vaults), Jacque Timberlake (sprints) and Katie Kelly (throws).

Team Strengths: Two athletes dominate this squad, as sprinter/jumper Lauren Cheadle and distance runner Liga Blyholder lead the way for Lee’s Summit West.  Cheadle is a phenomenal athlete, scoring a whopping 34 points at the Missour State T&F Championships, while Blyholder scored 16 points.  Both athletes will be expected to come up big in their respective events.

Key to Success: While Cheadle and Blyholder will be counted on in a big way, the other four athletes competing for this squad are the key to where they finish as a team.  Thrower Essence Chalmers can score some big points in the shot put, while Brittany Kallenberger is competing in two events (high jump and pole vault).  If Chalmers and Kallenberger can both improve their PRs, Lee’s Summit West could end up pushing a top four finish.

Q&A with Coach Jesse Griffin

NTN: It's been quite a while since the Missouri State T&F Championships.  What has the team been doing to prepare for NTN on July 2?

Jesse Griffin (JG): All of our girls outside of Liga Blyholder are competing at AAU meets this summer so they are all training as normal.  Liga has run the Midwest Distance Gala and New Balance Outdoor Nationals, so she is continuing to train as well.  Liga actually has broken her radius in the process of attempting the steeplechase, so it has been touch and go with her.  She is definitely a competitor.

NTN: Your squad seems to be led by two individuals, in distance runner Liga Blyholder and sprinter/jumper Lauren Cheadle.  What do these two athletes mean to the team both on and off the track?

JG: Lauren Cheadle accounted for 34 points at the state meet individually and Liga scored 16 points individually.  They are the heart and sole of our track team.  Lauren actually would have been 4th place as a team by herself at the state meet.  They are both incredible leaders for our team.  Both of these young ladies have worked hard in the off-season and throughout our track season this spring.  They set the bar pretty high for the rest of the girls on the team.

NTN: The Lee's Summit West girls cross-country team is incredibly strong as well.  How does having a strong cross-country team and a strong track and field team work together?

JG: For the first time since I have been coaching at Lees Summit West (past two years) we had a few sprinters join our group in cross-country, including Lauren Cheadle.  I put them on a individualized program that allowed them to get base training for sprinting during track season.  Although I would not really have them doing more than about 25 minutes of aerobic running at any one time, we would rather focus on sprint drills, fartlek work, hills and short intervals.   

The sprinters did get a chance to be a part of our success in cross-country.  In turn, it really pulled both the sprint group and distance group together and has bled over into the track season.  Both groups respect each other more than ever and it has helped build an incredible bond this spring, across all event areas during track.

NTN: What are the team's goals heading into Nike Track Nationals?

JG: The girls are just excited to have the opportunity to compete against some of the best in the nation and represent the state of Missouri and the Midwest.  The experience of competing at Hayward Field will be something they can cherish forever.

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