Angel Jennings profile

Paper: Courier-Journal, The (Louisville, KY)

Title: HIGH SCHOOL REPORT;

Date: May 16, 2003

GIRLS' PROFILE: ANGEL JENNINGS Clearing obstacles with ease

Assumption senior is top 300 hurdler despite being 5 feet 2

JOSH COOK

jcook@courier-journal.com

The Courier-Journal

The first thing most people may notice about Angel Jennings on the track is her size, especially when she lines up for the 300-meter hurdles.

But once the gun goes off, the Assumption High School senior stands tall.

``I don't think size really matters. If you like something, you should be able to do it,'' the 5-foot-2 Jennings said. ``It's just a matter of how much you want something, how hard you work and how much you want to become the best. It's a matter of strength and having heart.''

Jennings has proven she has both. She is the state's top 300 hurdler in the coaches' association rankings and has been the state runner-up the past two years and finished third as a freshman.

``She's only a little bit shorter than Gail Devers, who is the best 100-meter hurdler in the world,'' Assumption coach Barry Kornstein said. ``She's got really good hip flexibility, and running is just pretty easy to her. She has a naturally long running style, which kind of chews up ground.''

Jennings didn't start hurdling until her eighth-grade year at the urging of her AAU track coach.

``I wanted to be a sprinter,'' she said.

But that changed when she finished third in the hurdles at nationals, and she continued to improve in high school.

After her freshman year she corrected a flaw in her hurdling technique, then this year she decided to work even harder. She gave up basketball in the winter to concentrate on track.

``It's really helped with her endurance this year, and she's a lot stronger, too,'' Kornstein said. ``She's really been working hard. She's really dedicated she's been willing to do the hard, longer runs in practice that she needs to do to get her times down in the 300 hurdles.''

It has shown on the track. She ran a personal-best 45.36 seconds - the top time in the state this year - at the Derby Invitational April 29 and a 45.59 at the Bulldog Classic Elite meet 10 days earlier.

``I've noticed a big difference,'' she said. ``That last 100 would kill me, but I'm able to run 400 (meters) now.''

Jennings does that on the Rockets' 1,600 relay team, in addition to running on the 800 relay team and in the 200.

``She's really team-oriented, too,'' Kornstein said. ``She's a good leader in practice. She's firing up her relay teammates to do well in races, and she's really vocal at cheering on distance runners in their events.''

Jennings, who has a 3.62 gradepoint average, still is looking at colleges to run for next year, including the University of Kentucky, Cincinnati, Florida A&M and South Carolina. But first she wants to stand atop the podium at the State Meet.

``The last two years I've come in second,'' she said. ``This year it's going to be competitive. I'm going to have to focus and motivate myself. This year there's no maybe I am going to win.''

BY CHRIS HALL JR., SPECIAL THE COURIER-JOURNAL

Angel Jennings is determined to win her first 300-meter hurdle state title. ``This year there's no maybe I am going to win,'' she said.

Author: COOK JOSH

Section: SPORTS

Page: 03E