Coach Branch Competes at National Track & Field Championships

Athletics

8/6/2019

Coach Janelle Branch competed against some of the nation's best athletes!

Over the last weekend in July, over 1,000 of the nation's best athletes competed at the USA Track and Field (USATF) Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Des Moines, Iowa. Westminster's Cross Country Coach Janelle Branch was among them, competing in the 10K race walk. 

Branch finished the race 10th overall, but after going into the meet ranked 13th, she considers this a small victory. "I had the slowest qualifying time in the field, so my goal was to just not get last" said Branch "I am happy with my performance. I raced smartly and finished well, despite having only starting training again over the winter after taking several years away from the event". 

Branch is no stranger to the USATF National Scene. She competed in these national championships 3 times from 2010-2013 and in the indoor championships in 2012. Her best place overall was 8th indoor and 9th outdoor in 2013. 

"It feels good to be back" she says "I am looking forward to hopefully moving up in the ranks over the next few years, but mostly I just love this sport and am blessed to be able to still compete as well as coach."

Along with the start of Cross Country at Westminster this week, Coach Branch has also been selected as the Head Coach for the USA National Junior Racewalk Team as they take on Canada in their annual duel meet. The United States hosts this year and the race will be in Philadelphia on August 17. 

Branch's next race will be on October 27 on Long Island, where she hopes to get the time standard required to compete at the Olympic Trials next summer.