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Richmond's Susannah Piersol and her friends might just win a junior national championships in their backyard.

At the 2008 USA Track & Field National Junior Olympic Cross Country Championships set for December 13, 2008 at Pole Green Park in Mechanicsville, Virginia, Piersol and members of the Richmond Track Club will be among 2,444 athletes from across the United States will be vying for a shot at the title of cross country All-American and junior national champion. Piersol, who was second in her age group last year, will be one of the favorites.

"Personally, I think it's really neat to have competed on a national level," says Piersol, a 17-year-old senior at Maggie Walker Governor's School.   "You get so nervous, but it's a good nervous because you can just let it out in your run.   And I think the intensity is good prep for college racing."

Already an all-American cross country runner thanks to her second place last year (the top 25 runners in the JOXC earn all-American status,) Piersol is grateful that such an important event falls in familiar territory.   "I'm going to have fun on my home course," says Piersol, "and still remember that it's the national so I want to do my best."

The course at Pole Green Park, which has been used for several regional and district high school meets, was improved through a hands-on cooperation between the Sports Backers and the Hanover County Parks and Recreation Department.

As Piersol knows, this event is also a great opportunity for her many cross-country friends in this area to shine at the national level.   "It's such a neat thing to think that it's going to be in our hometown," she said.   "It's really neat to know that Richmond gets to host it."

Other local runners to watch in the young women's division, which features the event's elder runners, include Lee-Davis' Stephanie Cario, Jackie Farrance.   In the young men's class, look for Atlee's Christian Snider and Lee-Davis' Michael Hoy.  

There are individual and team competitions in five age groups for boys and girls.   The Bantam and Midget runners will cover 3 kilometers, the Youth runners, 4 kilometers and the Intermediate classes and Young Men and Women runners will cover a 5-kilometer course.

Top local competition is also expected amongst the Intermediate Boys racers.   Look for Atlee's Andrew Catanese, Andy Hesse, Austin Smith and Zach Snider to go head to head against Lee-Davis' Houston Steveson, Cody Snyder, Robert Longest, Kyle Jordan and Jeff Bishop.   In the intermediate girls, Lee-Davis runners Amanda Lineberry and Christian Mancuso will be up against Atlee's Ashley Riefner.

"This is the national championships for youth cross country runners," says Jon Lugbill, Sports Backers executive director, who notes that the Sports Backers also organized the U.S. Men's 10k Championship and the USAT Duathlon National Championships here last year.   "Some of these kids will go on to the Olympics.   We think Hanover County had done a great job preparing for this event."

Past USATF National Junior Olympic Cross Country Championships have been held in Kansas, Rhode Island and Washington State.

There will be an Olympic-style opening ceremony open to the public at Hanover High School at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, December 12th.   The races kick off at Pole Green Park at 10 a.m. on Saturday, December 13th.   And the closing ceremonies and awards presentation, which is also open to the public, will be that night at 6:30 p.m., again at Hanover High School.

For more information go to www.sportsbackers.org