LaTasha Pharr is wearing her first USA uniform and feeling like an Olympian. That’s because she’ll be representing her country in a major track and field meet next week.

“I look to this meet as the Olympics for me, because it’s the World Junior Championships,” said the North Rowan High School athlete.

The 17-year-old Pharr was selected as a hurdler on the United States Junior National Team that will compete in the International Amateur Athletic Federation-sanctioned meet in Santiago, Chile.

Pharr will leave for Chile on Saturday. Her first day of competition will be Tuesday when the first round of the 100-meter hurdles will be held. The semifinals are scheduled Wednesday, followed by the finals on Thursday.

“I watched the Olympics and saw what they were doing. Gail (Devers) inspired me, even though she hurt her leg. Just how focused she is and the determination that she has, that inspires me to do well,” said Pharr. “That’s my goal, running in the Olympics.”

Pharr’s best events during her All-American four-year prep career have been the 100 hurdles and triple jump. She earned a spot as an alternate for the USA team by finishing third in the hurdles in the U.S. Junior NationalMeet at North Texas State last June. When one of the top two finishers dropped out, Pharr was invited to be on the national team.

“I knew I was an alternate when I got third, but I didn’t thinkI would actually go to Chile. I was very ecstatic when I heard about it,” she said.

For North coach Robert Steele, Pharr is the fifth athlete he has coached who will compete in the World Junior Championships.

Brian Ellis made the USA team as a triple jumper in 1991, when he went to Barcelona, Spain. Ellis and Emmanuel Barnes-Smith both were triple jumpers on the national team in 1992 in Seoul, South Korea. Emmanuel’s twin, Reggie, competed in the 110 hurdles in that meet.

Two years ago, North’s Greg Yeldell made the national team and captured the bronze medal in the triple jump in Annecy, France. Yeldell set a national high school triple jump record in that meet.

Steele and North girls coach Brian Mills and former North girls coach Leland Peacock have coached Pharr during her four years. Pharr competes during the summers with Steele’s Rowan Express Track Club. He’s been working with her several days a week this fall.

“It’s going to be real interesting just to see what happens,” said Steele. “We’ve been practicing around volleyball, and she hasn’t had a competitive race since August. It’s sort of strange to really be training for that top level of competition at this time of the year. Mid-October is pretty late for an outdoor meet. I guess, this being an Olympic year, it sort of got pushed back a little bit.”

Pharr will be well-rested, but Steele said that may not help her much in the hurdles.

“Hurdling is one of those events that requires a lot of sharpness, technique-wise. I think sometimes the repetition of having to compete at a higher level than you may be able to similate in practice could make a little bit of a difference. We’ve tried to do everything we can do to get ready. We’re sort of crossing our fingers, hoping that things will go well.”

“My last track meet was in August (national AAU meet in Florida). I’m just as focused as I was over the summer. This is something I’ve been wanting to do ever since my freshman year. I don’t think it will be hard to PR(personal record), because you’re running with the best. If you run with the best, you run good,” she said.

Going to Chile will not be her first taste of international competition, because she was one of the American athletes chosen for a trip to Norway last spring.

“It will be my second time overseas, so I have a little bit of experience overseas. It won’t be hard at all as long as I go in and do what I know I can do and have confidence in myself,” she explained.

Pharr is a nationally-ranked triple jumper, having leaped 41 feet, 7 1/4 inches, but she didn’t make the team in that event.

“I wanted to jump, but you have to jump at least 42-4 to make the team.It just wasn’t my time for the triple jump,” she said.

However, competing in just one event for a change could help her as she seeks to improve on her personal-best automatic time of 13.59 in the hurdles. She ran that time in the Junior National Meet in June.

“I’ll be trying to get faster and faster each round. By the time of the finals, I should be down to 13.4,” she said.

“Just being there, I’m happy. I want a medal. If I don’t come back with a medal, I’m still happy.I have my USA gear. It’s a blessing. I’ve worked hard for it.
A lot of things (like injuries) happened that have kind of cut me short, but I just stayed strong, and it came through,” she said.