Atlee’s DeJarnette is T-D’s outdoor track athlete of year

The honors keep rolling in for Atlee's Ben DeJarnette.

DeJarnette was The Times-Dispatch cross country runner of the year in the fall.

He was the T-D indoor track athlete of the year and can now add outdoor track athlete of the year to the list. In between those accolades, he was selected the boys Times-Dispatch/Sports Backers Scholar-Athlete of the year.

DeJarnette owned the 3,200 this spring. He won the Capital District race in record time. He surpassed a record that had stood for 38 years in the Central Region meet. DeJarnette also won the 1,600 in the district and region meets.

At the Group AAA meet in Newport News, DeJarnette ran a personal best 9:06.28 to win the 3,200 against two of his distance racing foils, Thomas Porter and Bobby Peavey.

DeJarnette called the victory "a nice culmination to a four-year journey."

The state meet wasn't supposed to be his last one of the spring. The Nike Outdoor Nationals was on the schedule, but while training, he ran into the dreaded "stress fracture."

Now, he's trying to get healthy before heading off to the University of Oregon. Training camp begins Sept. 1. Classes don't start until Sept. 28.

DeJarnette dealt with a stress fracture when he was a freshman, and he says he did not handle it well.

"I've found ways to stay in shape so it isn't so crushing when I hear stress fracture," DeJarnette said.

He's in a boot, and he's running. Just not on the ground.

"I'm able to run in the pool and swim every day," he said. "Pool running is an incredible workout."

DeJarnette's decision to leave the East Coast to attend Oregon, which has a sparkling reputation in the world of distance running, came as no surprise. DeJarnette strove to become better the moment he entered high school. His competitive drive will fit right in.

"Oregon offers a lot of opportunities, but I'll be staying in touch with my Atlee teammates and everyone here," he said.

Contact Arthur Utley at (804) 649-6559 or .