Here's the story -- looks like Villanova was not in the mix:
Neptune's Ajee' Wilson ends the suspense, will head to Florida State to continue track career
Published: Sunday, January 08, 2012, 10:41 PM Updated: Monday, January 09, 2012, 12:01 AM
By Rich Bevensee/For The Star-Ledger
Ajee' Wilson just completed the second major hurdle of her high school track and field career.
The first was nearly a forgone conclusion. After a breakthrough sophomore year where she ran the fourth-fastest 1,600 meters in state history and won a NJSIAA Meet of Champions title in the 800 meters, it was only a matter of time before she left an indelible imprint on New Jersey track and field.
That moment came last summer in Lille, France.
Wilson, coming off a sprained ankle which forced her to skip the M of C and the New Balance Nationals, came from behind with an incredible surge to win the IAAF World Youth Championships 800 title in 2:02.64 , breaking the long-standing state record of 2:03.54 which U.S. Olympian and former Columbia High star Joetta Clark set in 1979.
And now, Wilson has tackled obstacle No. 2, and it didn't require nearly as much training. After a lengthy search which included several top-flight Division 1 programs, Wilson, perhaps the most sought-after girls track and field recruit in the country, has chosen Florida State as her college destination.
``I feel relieved that it's over,'' Wilson said, ``but I actually had a good experience. Some people find the college search stressful. I was able to enjoy the entire process.''
Wilson, a student at the Neptune Academy of Allied Health and Science, also considered Texas, LSU and Tennessee before settling on competing for the Seminoles and enjoying campus life in Tallahassee. Florida State was her fourth and final official visit.
``My first visit was LSU and I was so positive when I got home that I was going there,'' Wilson said. ``Then I visited Texas and I thought I was going there. My mother just told me, stay open-minded, take your time. Thanks to her I was able to make a more informed decision.''
Florida State's women's track team is coached by Bob Braman, and the women's distance coach is Karen Harvey. FSU finished second in the Atlantic Coast Conference Championships last spring.
Wilson said it was the coaches and combination of other things which put Florida State over the top. She added that FSU's location on the East Coast was not a factor even though she happened to choose the eastern-most school among those she considered.
``The coaching staff, first of all, they were all so wonderful to me,'' Wilson said. ``I felt like I could learn a lot from them. I liked the way the campus was set up, where everything seemed close. And the students made me feel like I could fit right in. Of all the schools I saw, I felt I would be most comfortable there.''
Now that Wilson owns the 800m state record and has enjoyed being crowned a world champion, she maintains simple goals for the remainder of her high school track career.
Those goals, she said, do not include any time targets, like for example, breaking two minutes in the half-mile. When Wilson split 2:00.59 at the 2010 outdoor nationals, it led many to believe a sub-2:00 was only a matter of time, so to speak.
``My main goal is to run well at the World Juniors,'' she said. ``I don't have any time goals. I was happy to get the decision over with because all I wanted to worry about was my running.''
This post was edited on 1/9 8:12 AM by LSU-Nit
Neptune's Ajee' Wilson ends the suspense, will head to Florida State to continue track career
Published: Sunday, January 08, 2012, 10:41 PM Updated: Monday, January 09, 2012, 12:01 AM
By Rich Bevensee/For The Star-Ledger
Ajee' Wilson just completed the second major hurdle of her high school track and field career.
The first was nearly a forgone conclusion. After a breakthrough sophomore year where she ran the fourth-fastest 1,600 meters in state history and won a NJSIAA Meet of Champions title in the 800 meters, it was only a matter of time before she left an indelible imprint on New Jersey track and field.
That moment came last summer in Lille, France.
Wilson, coming off a sprained ankle which forced her to skip the M of C and the New Balance Nationals, came from behind with an incredible surge to win the IAAF World Youth Championships 800 title in 2:02.64 , breaking the long-standing state record of 2:03.54 which U.S. Olympian and former Columbia High star Joetta Clark set in 1979.
And now, Wilson has tackled obstacle No. 2, and it didn't require nearly as much training. After a lengthy search which included several top-flight Division 1 programs, Wilson, perhaps the most sought-after girls track and field recruit in the country, has chosen Florida State as her college destination.
``I feel relieved that it's over,'' Wilson said, ``but I actually had a good experience. Some people find the college search stressful. I was able to enjoy the entire process.''
Wilson, a student at the Neptune Academy of Allied Health and Science, also considered Texas, LSU and Tennessee before settling on competing for the Seminoles and enjoying campus life in Tallahassee. Florida State was her fourth and final official visit.
``My first visit was LSU and I was so positive when I got home that I was going there,'' Wilson said. ``Then I visited Texas and I thought I was going there. My mother just told me, stay open-minded, take your time. Thanks to her I was able to make a more informed decision.''
Florida State's women's track team is coached by Bob Braman, and the women's distance coach is Karen Harvey. FSU finished second in the Atlantic Coast Conference Championships last spring.
Wilson said it was the coaches and combination of other things which put Florida State over the top. She added that FSU's location on the East Coast was not a factor even though she happened to choose the eastern-most school among those she considered.
``The coaching staff, first of all, they were all so wonderful to me,'' Wilson said. ``I felt like I could learn a lot from them. I liked the way the campus was set up, where everything seemed close. And the students made me feel like I could fit right in. Of all the schools I saw, I felt I would be most comfortable there.''
Now that Wilson owns the 800m state record and has enjoyed being crowned a world champion, she maintains simple goals for the remainder of her high school track career.
Those goals, she said, do not include any time targets, like for example, breaking two minutes in the half-mile. When Wilson split 2:00.59 at the 2010 outdoor nationals, it led many to believe a sub-2:00 was only a matter of time, so to speak.
``My main goal is to run well at the World Juniors,'' she said. ``I don't have any time goals. I was happy to get the decision over with because all I wanted to worry about was my running.''
This post was edited on 1/9 8:12 AM by LSU-Nit
