These swift and charming young girls have just made New Haven proud. Together they brought home four gold medals in track and field from the Amateur Athletic Union Junior Olympics.
Ten-year-old Danay Rivers (on the right) triumphed in the 1,500 and 800 meters at the competition in Detroit last weekend. Kellie Davis, age 13, ran the 3,000 meters and anchored the four by eight relay team. They’re members of the New Haven Age Group Track Club, who gathered at the harbor pavilion at Lighthouse Point Park on Wednesday afternoon for a celebratory cookout. For 32 years the club has been offering kids 6 to 17, a chance to participate in a full track and field program.
William Thompson, pictured with club alumna Carla Morrison, is the long-time coach of the club. The club was founded by Jim Barber, who has for decades been head of track and field at Southern Connecticut State University. “There were no opportunities for young kids 30 years ago in track and field,” said Thompson. Part of his motivation to start the club was that his daughter had talent as a runner, and he wanted to get behind her efforts.
The result: Vanessa Williams, in the mid 1980s, was the Connecticut state champion in cross country, 800, and 1500 meter runs. She was also a star at Michigan State where she went on a scholarship. “After college,” said Thompson, “she got injured.” That might have ended her career as a runner, but not her contributions to New Haven. For five years now she’s been a New Haven police officer, working in the Hill, active in the club and a role model to young girls.
Carla Morrison, on Thompson’s right, was also a runner — “but she was just average,” said Thompson, with an affectionate hug. For Morrison, however, who now volunteers for the club as do all the coaches, her travel experience with the club opened horizons. “I’d never left New Haven before, “she said, recollecting her glory years as a 6‑year-old runner. “We had terrific trips to New Jersey, we saw Dr. J. play b‑ball, and the whole experience also built confidence, important for young women.”
Thompson believes that his two young running stars, Danay, who goes to the Davis Street School, and Kellie, who attends Troup, both have the potential to achieve on the level of his daughter, and possibly more. The club, which runs cross country practices regularly at Hillhouse High, takes kids to meets throughout the year.
At a meet at Duke University in North Carolina in April, Thompson said that the 4 by 8 relay team scored the second fastest time in the United States for girls 13 to 14.
While the club used to have an even number of boys and girls, it is now by and large girls who are members. Thompson speculated that one reason might be that girls are more able to do the long hard workouts involved in cross country (one, two, and three-mile runs), which everyone is required to do before the swift ones choose the sprints and the others medium or longer distance events in which to specialize. Thompson said that boy athletes have football and other athletic draws, but for girls, especially in the fall, track and field are a real opportunity. “It’s also a full program,” he said, “for all body types. A big kid can do shot put, discus, or javelin.”
Another of the coaches, Major Ruth, agreed. Ruth, who works for United Illuminating, is a long time track performer in his own right (University of New Haven, where he ran and now coaches).
Her dad got Nia Ruth (on the right) to run in the first place. Now she loves it, although she thinks she wants to become a dentist or fashion designer. Danay says if she doesn’t make the Olympics, she’ll just have to become a pediatrician.
What do the kids do before a race? First of all, they don’t socialize, said Danay. “That’s how we get our focus.”
Then Nia added as her dad gave her a pointer or two, “We repeat to ourselves the four things: One: don’t get boxed in at the start; two, breathe; three, don’t slow down in the middle laps; four, use your arms.”
“In all my experience in coaching, being with these kids who brought back four gold medals is a real high point,” said Ruth.
The club, one of those low-profile New Haven nonprofits that quietly change young people’s lives, works hard to get kids new and positive experience, and scholarships to meets, and beyond that, to college.
Those interested in attending meets or in supporting the organization, the contact information is 1404 Whalley Avenue, suite 7, New Haven, 06515. The contact is coach Major Ruth.
Click here for the club website, where meets and events are posted.