Patrice Jones One To Watch

Patrice Jones, Silver medalist 2008 USATF Youth Nationals Midget girls 400m dash,  5th place 2008 AAU Jr. Olympic Midget Girls 400m dash, was nominated to the Who’s Who Registry of Academic Excellence (Middle School Edition), her biography will now appear alongside thousands of other top students throughout the United States. 

 Along with her being an elite youth, she is a hard working student that currently attends Harlem Middle School in Loves Park, IL where she maintains a B average. She is a 7th grader that participates as a community volunteer.  She is also involved in band, marching band(alto saxophone), and swimming; she also helps out tremendously at home with her two younger siblings. She and her brother are also members of the Y-Club. 

She has been a Junior Olympic qualifier for USATF and AAU since the age of 7 and has been an active member of the Illinois Elite Youth track club for the last 3 years.  Patrice in many ways is a trail blazer.  She is the only African American student member of both her school band and marching band and the only female in the saxophone section.  She was the first youth athlete of her age to bring recognition to the fact that our town needed training facilities for youth athletes prior to Middle School and High School.  She has brought a lot of attention to track and field for elementary school athletes in this area of the country.  She has received calls from Gail Devers, and special coaching from Coach Charlton Ehizuelen. 

She has been a gracious athlete in her development, recognizing that every opportunity afforded her has been a gift from God.  Each year the balancing act gets a bit more challenging, as mentioned in Coach Rashad’s commentary of elite athletes, but each year she takes it all in stride always believing  that with God she can do all things.

Thanks to  a ProudTrackMom for this great story.

TracKmom Midwest Monique Jones