GROVES QUALIFIES FOR AAU, USATF NATIONAL MEETS

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Like a lot of 14-year-olds, Loren Groves suffers from a cluttered room.

But unlike a lot of her peers, there's not a whole lot this freshman-to-be can do about the situation. In fact, in all likelihood the problem will only get worse.

"She probably has over 100 medals and over 20 trophies in her room," said her father, David Groves.

The medal count is more like 103, which impressively breaks down into 92 gold, eight silver and three bronze.

As witnessed by her success at the recent AAU Regional Junior Olympics in Kansas, Groves has a chance to become a highly visible athlete when she begins her freshman year at Chaffee High School this year.

Groves qualified for the AAU National Junior Olympics, to be held early in August in Orlando, Fla., in five events. Competing in Overland, Kan., she took gold in the pentathlon, discus and 100 hurdles, while taking silver in the 200 hurdles and triple jump.

Last weekend she took five gold medals at a USATF meet at William Jewell College in Liberty, Mo., to qualify for the USATF Junior Olympics in Buffalo, N.Y.

"She's looking forward to getting into high school," said her father, who has played a big role in her development as a track athlete. "She knows she has some of the better times in the area."

David introduced his daughter to running while in the Army, stationed in Germany. Loren was 5 at the time of the initiation and has been involved in the sport ever since.

David and his wife Jeannie returned to the United States when Loren was 8. Loren became involved with the Cape Road Runners and began to run 5K races. While she did well in those races, she began to run some 1-mile races and even shorter distances.

David, who ran hurdles at Chaffee High School, started a youth track program in Chaffee when Loren was in third grade.

"She always has been pretty good," said David. "She's never finished less than first or second that I can think of."

She never lost a hurdles race in two years of junior high track and further enhanced her talents by joining the Jefferson County Jets last fall. She makes a three-hour round trip twice a week for Jets practices at Herculaneum High School.

"We wanted to see how she stacks up against some of the best athletes in the area and country," said David. "That's why we got involved."

So far, she stacks up quite nicely.

While competing at the 2000 Ozark Association USATF Championships in St. Louis, she was named the Most Valuable Female Performer of the meet in all age groups and received the accompanying Jackie Joyner-Kersee Award.

In winning the pentathlon -- 100 hurdles, high jump, long jump, shot put and 800 -- at the AAU regional meet, she topped 18 competitors.

Her best times are impressive for any young athlete, let alone an incoming freshman. She has run the 100-meter hurdles in 15.35 seconds, the 200 hurdles in 29.43, has thrown over 116 feet in the discus and triple jumped nearly 34 feet.

Her best single event is probably the 100 hurdles. She has only been beaten once in the event in AAU competition. She also is strong in the discus, an event her older brother Phillip has helped her learn, along with the shot put. Phillip, a physical therapy major at the University of Missouri-Columbia, also oversees Loren's strength training.

"She's the hardest working athlete I've ever been around," said Phillip. "She has the drive."