Full Speed Ahead

At an age when most girls are getting into softball or basketball, Camille Edwards and Leigha Tolliver had a different plan. Run. And then, why not run some more? The plan has been beneficial for the cousins, now both seniors on the North Central girls track and field team, and ultimately could be just as rewarding for the potential state-contending Panthers in 2009. The girls began informally competing against one another at about 8 years old. Now, with nearly 10 years of experience under their belts, they are veterans in a sport most athletes don't begin until middle school at the earliest. "Running track at that age was their idea," explained Harry Edwards, who is Camille's dad and Leigha's uncle. "They came to us and said they wanted to run track, but we didn't know how to get them involved in a club." The result was the birth of Indy's Racing Cheetahs, which competes both in USA Track & Field events plus summer and indoor meets through AAU. Initially, the first Racing Cheetahs were Camille and Leigha, who both went to the Hoosier State Games during the summer. Later, Edward's brainchild turned into a club with more than 23 kids registered within two years. Without a coaching background in track, Harry Edwards hired Dedee Nathan, a heptathlete on the 2000 U.S. Olympic Team, and sprinter LiNise Gordon to develop the Cheetahs' skills. "I definitely think we knew the fundamentals when we got to high school," Leigha said. "It gave us the work ethic. We already knew what events and meets were like." Now, the club has competitors as young as kindergarten with older members traveling to meets around the country. "We started out with the two of them, and the next year some of their friends heard how much fun they had and more kids showed up. From there it just kept growing and growing," Edwards said. "We are trying to build a feeder system for our (Marion County) high schools. Our main focus is not just on the track, but building leadership skills and helping them work toward scholarships and paying for college." That collegiate experience is already secured for Camille, who will be running track at Illinois State in the fall. In the meantime, both girls are focused on the task at hand in their signature events. Camille is aiming to build from her fourth-place state finish last year in the 100-meter hurdles. Leigha placed sixth in the 300-meter hurdles but pointed to long jump as her preferred event. Yet, what separates the good from the great is technique such as properly getting out of the blocks efficiently, an important element to all sprinting and hurdling events. "Because (the 100-hurdles) is such a short race, you have to be technically sound," Camille said. "Someone who is not as fast but is more technically sound can win a short hurdle race. The only way you can be better is by practicing over and over the correct way." "I have to really concentrate hard for a longer period of time when I run hurdles," Leigha said. "I'm not as technically sound as she is. My job is to get a quick step and quick turnover over the hurdle and to get low and stay there." While Leigha may be humble while comparing her abilities to her cousin, her desire to beat Camille continues as it has for years. "These guys are buddies and cousins and best friends, but Camille got into hurdles primarily because she was always in Leigha's shadow," Edwards said. "They were always in sprints, and Leigha was always beating Camille. When Camille started in with hurdles, she had success instantaneously." The rivalry reached a milestone in eighth grade when the two squared off in a middle school meet side-by-side in the hurdles. Camille won, but there aren't any hard feelings leftover. "It's absolutely a good thing that we practice together," Leigha said. "We make each other better." North Central is hoping that the senior duo will ultimately transfer their talents to the state meet. Last year, the Panthers finished a close second to Warren Central, 47-43. This year, the team intends to challenge again. "I think at this age, the kids probably get what the state meet means without me saying a whole lot," said Panthers head coach Roger Girtz, who started at North Central as an assistant coach in 1982. "Where we really place our emphasis is doing your best every meet with your times and making steady improvement. When you get to the conference meet and then sectionals and regionals, if you get enough kids down there and they perform well, it takes care of itself." And there is no doubt both Camille and Leigha would like to finish their high school careers by hoisting the state championship trophy. "It's a very big motivator for us," Camille said. "For everybody that ran on the state team last year, everybody is working harder and pushing each other to work harder, too." -