Catonsville Teen Qualifies for USATF Regional Junior Olympics

Myla Abernathy, a 2018 graduate of Arbutus Middle School, ran a personal record in the 800 meter run (15-16 girls division) at the 2018 USATF Potomac Valley Association Junior Olympic Championships on Saturday, June 16, at Prince George's Sports & Learning Complex in Landover, Md. She was among the top finalists to qualify and advance to the USATF Region 3 Junior Olympic Track & Field Championships at Hampton University on July 6, 2018.

"It's surprising and exciting. I've trained with good coaches, and have been encouraged to keep going and that I can do it," she said.

Abernathy, who will turn 15 in October, was a bronze medalist at the 2018 Baltimore County Public Schools Outdoor Track & Field Championships and currently runs with the Owings Mills Track Club. She is a member of the National Junior Honor Society, speaks Mandarin Chinese, and plans to attend Catonsville High School or George Washington Carver Center for Arts and Technology in the fall.