Amber Purvis (Benicia HS)
Frosh 400m Star
2/1/2005

Amber Purvis, now competing for the Alex Van Dyke Track Club
that has churned out many of California's top age-group talents in
recent years (Kevin Craddock, Kenny O'Neal, Deonna Lawrence,
Ashley Lodree, Jamie Nieto and Jamillah Titus, to name a few), is attending
Benicia High School and rocked to a fine 58.28 effort at the DVC All-Comers!

A name that stood out early in All-Comers action, once we secured the spelling was Amber Purvis, currently a first year student at Benicia HS in the Sac Joaquin Section. Her 58.28 clocking in the January 22nd Diablo Valley College meet had us doing a bit of research and asking the new star a few questions about her running. A participant for the 3M Track club in recent summers, with good big-meet experience all the way to the Junior Olympic National Championship level, she switched in recent months over to the highly successful Alex Van Dyke late last summer, joining a club program that has produced a sensational slew of speedy age-groupers in recent years. Amber's 2004 flat 400m best of 57.28 marked her as among the top twenty in the entire nation in the Youth Girls Division 400m last summer! She will be a fine addition to the Sac Joaquin Section and if she continues to improve, a factor at the very competitive Statewide level this spring and in the future!

1) How many years have you been competitively running?

I have been running for 7 years this being my 8th year.

2) What honors have you won so far in your Junior Olympic level running?

I have won 2 gold medals one in the 800 relay and the other in the 400 relay in Oregon 2004 JO's, also 1 bronze in the 100 relay at Nebraska and another bronze in the 2003 Miami Florida JO's.

3) What other sports activities have you been involved with, if any, during your athletic career?

I have been involved in Basketball the only girl playing and Soccer, I did both while running.

4) What are your thoughts as you move into high school and the level of competition there coming up over the next few years?

I think High school is cool I have meet a lot of people and even some of the girls that are captains this year hoping that I can be one later on. I think that the competition is cool I feel normal it's nothing really new to me. But I can't wait for the competition coming up this year so that I can get use to running with these girls as I get older and go to college.

5) As one of the nation's elite middle-school 400m runners last year, what advice would you have for someone who is just coming out for track and thinking of giving the one lap event a try?

I would say don't worry about being tired or placing last. That is how it was when I was little I would always stop when I was younger and act like I had a asthma attack in the middle of the race when I was just fine, I new I could do it but I was scared but now I'm not as much I do get nervous any more.I learned that your running for the time not the place, and never let anyone tell you that they don't think that you can't run it or that they think your not going to make it to the finals. "Just run for you and the money that your parents are paying for you to run."

P.S. BE PROUD OF YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS.