Andrew Milliron - Photo by Mike McMillion
This is the sixth in a series of previews on West Virginia High School boys’ and girls’ cross country for the 2013 season.
Year: Senior
School: Jefferson High School (Class of 2014)
Location: Shenandoah Junction, WV
Class: AAA Boys
Pre-Season Rank: West Virginia #2
Coach: Suzy Munnis
Personal Bests:
800 Meter Run - 2:01.60
1,600 Meter Run - 4:17.86
One Mile Run - 4:23.71
3,200 Meter Run - 9:28.05
Three Mile Run - 15:29.40
5,000 Meter Run - 15:59.82
Andrew Milliron 1600 meter career graph
Andrew Milliron 3200 meter career graph
Andrew Milliron 5000 meter career graph
Athletic Honors:
2013 WV Track & Field All-State First Team – 1600M (4:17) 2nd place & 3200M (9:28) 4th place
2012 WV Cross Country All-State First Team – 5000M (15:59) 4th place
2012 WV Track & Field All-State First Team – 1600M (4:22) 5th place
2011 WV Cross Country All-State First Team – 5000M (16:38) 10th place
Andrew Milliron, a senior at Jefferson High School, is the pre-season WV#2 ranked runner for AAA boys. He had outstanding cross country and track seasons as a junior.
Cross Country: In October, Andrew ran a PR of 15:59.82 at the West Virginia State XC Championships, placing 4th. In November, he ran a 16:20.00 at the Foot Locker South Regional, placing 16th.
Indoor Track: In February, Andrew ran a new season best time of 4:35.86 in the 1,600 at the WV Flyers Indoor #2.
Outdoor Track: In May, Andrew ran a PR of 2:01.60 in the 800 for 12th, a PR of 4:17.86 in the 1,600 to place second and a PR of 9:28.05 in the 3,200 for fourth at the West Virginia State Track & Field Championships.
Outdoor Nationals: In June, Andrew ran a PR of 4:23.71 in the Mile Run at the New Balance Outdoor Nationals, placing 18th.
About:
Andrew Milliron started running track in sixth grade and cross country in eighth grade at Wildwood Middle School in Shenandoah Junction, WV. His parents didn’t want him to run cross country in sixth and seventh because he played other sports, and they didn’t want him to get an injury by doing too much. He also played soccer and basketball and was in the school band. His favorite workouts are crazy 8’s and 4-5 mile repeats. Andrew says that he has always loved running since kindergarten. He confesses that he slightly leans more toward track than cross country. “I have always loved the adrenaline of track, but I love how we run as a group in cross country. We are more like a family. I also feel that I excel more at the 1,600 meter run,” says Milliron. He is most proud of this year’s West Virginia Track & Field Championship at Laidley Field, WV, where he got to challenge Jacob Burcham of Cabell Midland High School for the 1,600 title. Though he didn’t win, he hung with Burcham for 900 meters, which helped Andrew run a PR of 4:17.86. Milliron’s goals are for his team to win states, and he would like to run 15:10 by the end of November. When asked what his team’s chances were, he replied, “We have a good shot at winning states. We have a younger team, but they are very talented.” After the West Virginia State Cross Country Meet, he plans on running the Battle of the Potomac/Border Wars at Gaithersburg, MD, and then run the Foot Locker South Regional Cross Country Championship at McAlpine Greenway Park in Charlotte, NC. I asked Andrew who was the most influential person in his running career. “Definitely my parents. They are great motivators.” Andrew is planning on running in college for either a D1 or D2 school. It will all depend on money where he goes, because he is wanting to get a degree in Aerospace engineering. “I would love it out west, west of the Mississippi,” says Milliron.
Milliron’s 2013 Cross Country Schedule:
Aug 24 - Knight's Night Relays Invitational at Preston, WV
Aug 28 – Musselman at Poor House Farm in Martinsburg, WV
Sept 4 - Tri Meet w/ HHS, MHS at Poor House Farm in Martinsburg, WV
Sept 7 - PT XC 5K at Kutztown, PA
Sept 11 - Quad Meet w/WHS, MHS and MUSS at Sam Michael's in Shenandoah Junction, WV
Sept 14 - Judges Classic at Kearnstown Battlefield XC Course in Winchester, VA
Sept 21 - Oatlands Invitational at Leesburg, VA
Oct 2 - Tri Meet w/ WHS, MHS at Sam Michaels in Shenandoah Junction, WV
Oct 5 - Buffalo Wild Wings Stampede at Hampshire HS in Romney, WV
Oct 9 - County Meet w/ WHS at Sam Michaels in Shenandoah Junction, WV
Oct 18 - Region II - Class AAA at Elkins, WV
Nov 2 – West Virginia State Cross Country Championships at Ona, WV
Nov 30 – Foot Locker South Regional Championship at Charlotte, NC
A Final Thought:
At last year’s West Virginia AAA Boys Cross Country State Championship: At 800 meters, Matthew Brafford and Andrew Milliron were second and third. At the mile mark, Brafford was second in 5:07, while Milliron was in fourth in 5:08. At 1.5 miles, Brafford was second, while Milliron was fourth, about six seconds back. At the two-mile mark, Brafford remained in second, while Milliron was in fourth about 13 seconds back. On the track, Brafford finished second in 15:42, while Milliron finished fourth in 15:59. Matthew Brafford opened up a gap of 17 seconds from 800 meters to the finish.
Can Andrew Milliron, an 800- to 1,600-meter specialist, defeat Matthew Brafford, a senior at George Washington HS who is a 3,200- to 5,000-meter specialist, for the Individual AAA Boys Cross Country Championship? Or will he help lead his team to another team championship like their 2011 cross country season?
