Norfolk Jr. sprinter dominates in the west, now heads East
This month she earned gold medals for the 100 and 200 meter dash at the Amateur Athletic Union at Las Vegas, and again at the Cornhusker State Games.
By News Channel NebraskaJamaya Koehlmoos is back to the training field, bringing back two more wins stacked on top an impressively good start for her running career.
When she was 8, she earned second place at the state games of America. She is 12 now, and this month she earned gold medals for the 100 and 200 meter dash at the Amateur Athletic union at Las Vegas, and again at the Cornhusker state games.
It all started at a normal PE class at Washington Elementary in Norfolk.
“My PE teacher thought I was really fast and thought I should probably try track,” said Koehlmoos. “But he is also a long jump coach, and he wanted me to do that, but I’m more for running. So that’s how I started doing it.
She may be a natural speed demon, but being coached professionally made her realize there is a lot to learn about competing on the tracks.
“I didn’t even know there was like mechanics and more stuff to track than just running. Because I was just running to run fast, and I didn’t really know what I was doing,” she said.
Her Coach in Norfolk was recommend by a mutual friend, and they have been training since last year.
“Once I’ve seen her work and her attitude, I was more than willing to help her out,” said Shon King, her athletic trainer in Norfolk. “For one, I’ve seen her worth ethic. For two, if you’ve seen her run and her body and her physique, you can tell she’s got something special as far as being a good sprinter.”
King says there are a few things to touch up on as far as form and breathing techniques, but so far, he has great confidence in her ability to clinch some more medals.
Koehlmoos enjoys the competition, pushing her limits, and bringing home the gold. For her, running is a calling.
She’s headed to Florida in August to compete in East Coast AAU Junior Olympic Games.
While she and her coach are confident in victory, her mother, Vicky, says the important thing of all isn’t simply winning, but improving every time.
“I just love track because it feels like me. So yeah.” Koehlmoos said.