Athlete Spotlight: State Leader Samantha Schwers


Lake Braddock is known for its superstars. You have Sophie Chase, Hannah Christen, and of course Kate Murphy leading the way now but they all had great teammates who in their own rights are actually pretty big stars in the state. One of the many Lake Braddock girls who fits that mold is Samantha Schwers. 

Check out Samantha Schwers' Athlete Profile

Not many athletes can ever say they were a part of a state championship but Samantha now can! She has run on a state championship 4x800, won a major title in the DMR, and even helped set the current national record in the distance medley. 

This season she has continued her rise to create her own stardom and started the season off right with a VA #1 1600m opener. Her 5:03 opener is a personal best and leads the state by two seconds. It seems though that this time is only the start for her as she has continued to show very solid improvements across the board all year (XC-now). 

Looking at her stats it is clear her speed has slightly improved but most importantly and evident is that her fitness has shot thru the roof. This added endurance and overall fitness is going to bode strongly heading into the post-season when true speed is introduced. 

Though she has been a solid 800m runner, this early season 1600m performance may mean we could be seeing some more from her in the 1600 and 3200 distances. Regardless which event she focuses on this post-season though, she is definitely a star in our state and as a junior someone you should be watching.