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HAT-TRICK: Alexandria’s Noah Lyles wins gold in 100m, 200m and 4×100 relay at World Championships

World champion sprinter Noah Lyles speaks after receiving the key to the city at Market Square on Monday, October 10, 2022. (staff photo by James Cullum)

The fastest man on the planet is an Alexandrian.

Noah Lyles cemented his place in history last week with a hat trick at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, by winning the 100-meter and 200-meter races, and brought home the gold for Team USA as anchor in the 4×100 relay.

Lyles, who raced to his third straight 200m championship, was also the first man to win both the 100m and 200m races since Usain Bolt in 2015. He’s now poised to take on the competition next year in the Olympics in Paris, France.

https://twitter.com/adidasrunning/status/1695169257171013870

Lyles ran the 100m last Sunday (Aug. 20) in 9.83 seconds — a personal best, and followed it up by clocking in 19.52 in the 200m on Friday (Aug. 25). Luckily, he wasn’t injured in a golf cart crash on Thursday.

On Saturday, he anchored Team USA in the 4x100m to win gold with a time of 37.38.

Last year, Lyles broke the American record in the 200m with a time of 19.31 seconds, breaking Michael Johnson’s 200-meter record of 19.32 seconds set at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

The 26-year-old is a mental health advocate and last year received the key to the city from Mayor Justin Wilson after earning the bronze medal in the 200m at the Tokyo Olympics. He’s a graduate of Alexandria City High School and now lives and trains in Clermont, Florida.

https://twitter.com/NBCOlympics/status/1695525136009474204

https://twitter.com/NBCOlympics/status/1695523685363237173

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Alexandria’s speedster Noah Lyles wins 100m at World Championships

World champion sprinter Noah Lyles speaks after receiving the key to the city at Market Square on Monday, October 10, 2022. (staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria’s Noah Lyles was crowned world’s fastest man after taking home the gold medal in the 100 meters at the  2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, on Sunday.

The 26-year-old Lyles was emotional as he received his medal for running the race in 9.83 seconds, a personal best for the Olympic bronze medalist. Lyles also said that he’s been challenged since the Olympics, and that he had an empty feeling in the days since.

“They can doubt you ,call you crazy, and even make fun of you but as long as you believe in yourself that’s all that matters,” Lyles tweeted after his win.

Robert Griffin III, former quarterback for the Washington Redskins, tweeted that Lyles ran the race that “no one thought he could. But he believed he could win and THAT’S ALL THAT MATTERED. Now he is a WORLD CHAMPION in the 100m.”

Lyles, a graduate of T.C. Williams High School, will run the 200 meters on Wednesday in Budapest.

Last summer, Lyles broke the American record in that race with a personal best of 19.31 seconds, breaking Michael Johnson’s 200 meter record of 19.32 seconds, which was set at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996.

https://twitter.com/travismillerx13/status/1693311822328181008

https://twitter.com/NBCOlympics/status/1693310408390586616

https://twitter.com/TidalLeague/status/1693313454986142151

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Noah and Josephus Lyles presented key to city by Alexandria Mayor

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World champion sprinters Noah and Josephus Lyles were born and raised in Alexandria, and now they’ve got the key to the city.

Last weekend, the brothers were inducted into the Alexandria City Public Schools Athletic Hall of Fame, and on Monday night (October 10) they got a little extra. At a ceremony at Market Square, the pair were presented with the key and a commendation by Mayor Justin Wilson.

Noah, who won the bronze medal in the Tokyo Olympics, has been hailed for frankly discussing battles with mental health.

“The reason we’re here is not just your athletic pursuits, but what you have done using your platform that you have as an athlete to speak out on mental illness and make sure you raise awareness of that,” Wilson said. “We know that that advocacy that advocacy is not not just important, that advocacy saves lives.”

The 25-year-old is a 2016 graduate of T.C. Williams High School (now Alexandria City High School), and 24-year-old Josephus graduated in 2017. Following the Olympics, Noah ran the third-fastest 200m in history at the World Championships in July, clocking in at 19.31 seconds. Josephus also broke a personal record by running the 200m in less than 20 seconds on the U.S. National team. The brothers now live and train in Clermont, Florida.

After receiving the awards, Noah said he was surprised that talking about mental health would have an impact. Since he was a child, he and his brother have gone to family therapy, and have been open about their mental health challenges.

Noah said that he sees two therapists “quite often.”

“I truthfully did not realize how much of the impact I had on everybody when it came to mental health,” Noah said. “Until I came back from the Olympics, and everybody was talking about it. Even at the world championships this year, I had the honor to talking to the Second Gentleman of the United States, and we talked about mental health, and I was shocked, because my first thought is like, ‘Me? Why do you want to talk to me?’ I mean, I know I’m fast, but fast only gets you so far.”

Lyles continued, “And he’s said, ‘Well, you’re the only male that talks about mental health openly in a international level.’ And I thought to myself, ‘What? No, there’s, um, well, there’s… I never thought of that before. I never thought of my moment of, you know, being vulnerable as being so heroic.”

The brothers, who have a sports foundation, were also praised for giving ACPS more than $100,000 in Adidas sports attire to local high school athletic teams, including Alexandria City High School.

“It’s always a wonderful feeling when Alexandria City public school students work hard and realize success in their endeavors,” said School Board Chair Meagan Alderton. “One of their biggest achievements has been how they’ve developed as young men outside of sports. They have the character that will stand the test of time. We need more of that in this world.”

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Olympian Noah Lyles and other Alexandria athletes inducted into Hall of Fame this weekend

Noah Lyles comes home to Alexandria City High School, Tuesday, September 7, 2021. (Via Elijah Walter Griffin, Sr.)

Alexandrian Olympic medalist Noah Lyles and his brother Josephus are among the 24 athletes set to be inducted into Alexandria City Public Schools’ (ACPS) Athletic Hall of Fame this weekend.

The Alexandria City School Board is scheduled to host the 2022 Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremony at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 8. The ceremony will be held at Alexandria City High School (3330 King Street).

The full list of inductees — announced back in May — includes educator and basketball player Naomi L. Brooks (for whom the school is named) and Shirley Marshall-Lee, the world’s first African American female scuba diver.

The ceremony will also honor the 1945 and 1977 High School Boys Basketball Teams.

The full list of honorees from earlier this year:

The 2022 ACPS Athletic Hall of Fame

  • 1945 George Washington High School Boys Basketball Team — State champions
  • 1977 T.C. Williams High School Boys Basketballs Team — State champions
  • DeArcey “Dee” Campbell, George Washington High School Class of 1944, Crew Coach 1975-2005
  • Robert Garda, George Washington High School Class of 1957 — Football, Basketball, Track
  • Joe Hensley, George Washington High School Class of 1944 — Basketball
  • Bobby Jones, George Washington High School Class of 1949 — Track
  • Naomi Lewis-Brooks, Parker-Gray High School Class of 1951 — Basketball
  • Shirley Marshall-Lee, Parker-Gray High School Class of 1956 — Scuba Diving
  • Doug Yates, George Washington High School Class of 1955 — Basketball, Track
  • Fred Borchelt, T.C. Williams High School Class of 1972 — Crew
  • Yolanda Brown, T.C. Williams High School Class of 1994 — Track/Field
  • Lesa Diggs-Moore, T.C. Williams High School Class of 1981 — Track
  • Sherri Funn, T.C. Williams High School Class of 1978 — Track
  • John Johnson, T.C. Williams High School Class of 1973 — Track/ Field
  • Rodney Johnson, T.C. Williams High School Class of 1997 — Football, Track/Field, Track Coach
  • Missy Anne Kilkpatrick, T.C. Williams High School Class of 1991 — Track
  • Kathy James Lorton, T.C. Williams High School Class of 2000 — Cheerleading
  • Josephus Lyles, T.C. Williams High School Class of 2016 — Track/ Field
  • Noah Lyles, T.C. Williams High School Class of 2016 — Track/ Field
  • Marie McKeon Zack, T.C. Williams High School Class of 1983 — Soccer/Field Hockey
  • Barry Mountain, T.C. Williams High School Class of 1979 — Track/Field
  • Stephanie O’Toole Whalen, T.C. Williams High School Class of 1990 — Field Hockey, Basketball, Softball
  • Lydell Scott, T.C. Williams High School Class of 1987 — Football
  • Carl Turner, T.C. Williams High School Class of 1974 — Football, Basketball
  • Ezra Whorley, T.C. Williams High School Class of 1992 — Track/Field, Football
  • Eryk Williamson, T.C. Williams High School Class of 2015 — Soccer
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Alexandria’s Noah Lyles breaks American record in 200 meters

Blink and you’ll miss it. Alexandria’s Noah Lyles broke the American record in the 200 meter race at the track and field World Championships in Eugene, Oregon, on Thursday (July 21).

Lyles clocked in at 19.31 seconds, breaking Michael Johnson’s 200 meter record of 19.32 seconds, which was set at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996.

“This year, all me and my coach was talking about was we’re going after that record,” Lyles told reporters after the race.

The 25-year-old Lyles also won the race in the 2019 World Championships in Doha, Qatar.

Lyles, the winner of the bronze medal in the Tokyo Olympics, is a 2016 graduate of T.C. Williams High School (now Alexandria City High School).

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Noah and Josephus Lyles to be inducted into ACPS Athletics Hall of Fame

Noah Lyles, the world champion sprinter and Olympic bronze medalist can add another trophy to his collection, as he and his speedster brother Josephus Lyles have been chosen for induction into the 2022 ACPS Athletic Hall of Fame.

“Noah Lyles is a world record holder, world champion, bronze medal winner and a great ambassador for our city,” Aly Khan Johnson, chair of the ACPS Athletic Hall of Fame Advisory Committee Meeting, told the School Board last Thursday night (May 19).

The impressive list of 26 inductees also includes Alexandria’s Shirley Marshall-Lee, the world’s first African American female scuba diver; educator Naomi L. Brooks, who played basketball at Parker-Gray High School and has a school named after her; and Fred Borchelt, a 1972 T.C. Williams High School grad who won the silver medal in the 1984 Olympics.

“We are blessed in this community to have wonderful athletes that come through our school system,” said Alexandria School Board Vice Chair Jacinta Greene. “So many of which that we have thousands of (ACPS Athletic Hall Of Fame) applications that come in each year.”

There are 26 inductees this year — more than usual due to a backlog of nominees. The Hall of Fame started in 2014, and previous winners include members of the 1971 T.C. Williams High School varsity football team, which gained worldwide recognition in the 2000 movie Remember The Titans.

The induction ceremony will be held in the Alexandria City High School auditorium at 2 p.m. on October 8.

The 2022 ACPS Athletic Hall of Fame

  • 1945 George Washington High School Boys Basketball Team — State champions
  • 1977 T.C. Williams High School Boys Basketballs Team — State champions
  • DeArcey “Dee” Campbell, George Washington High School Class of 1944, Crew Coach 1975-2005
  • Robert Garda, George Washington High School Class of 1957 — Football, Basketball, Track
  • Joe Hensley, George Washington High School Class of 1944 — Basketball
  • Bobby Jones, George Washington High School Class of 1949 — Track
  • Naomi Lewis-Brooks, Parker-Gray High School Class of 1951 — Basketball
  • Shirley Marshall-Lee, Parker-Gray High School Class of 1956 — Scuba Diving
  • Doug Yates, George Washington High School Class of 1955 — Basketball, Track
  • Fred Borchelt, T.C. Williams High School Class of 1972 — Crew
  • Yolanda Brown, T.C. Williams High School Class of 1994 — Track/Field
  • Lesa Diggs-Moore, T.C. Williams High School Class of 1981 — Track
  • Sherri Funn, T.C. Williams High School Class of 1978 — Track
  • John Johnson, T.C. Williams High School Class of 1973 — Track/ Field
  • Rodney Johnson, T.C. Williams High School Class of 1997 — Football, Track/Field, Track Coach
  • Missy Anne Kilkpatrick, T.C. Williams High School Class of 1991 — Track
  • Kathy James Lorton, T.C. Williams High School Class of 2000 — Cheerleading
  • Josephus Lyles, T.C. Williams High School Class of 2016 — Track/ Field
  • Noah Lyles, T.C. Williams High School Class of 2016 — Track/ Field
  • Marie McKeon Zack, T.C. Williams High School Class of 1983 — Soccer/Field Hockey
  • Barry Mountain, T.C. Williams High School Class of 1979 — Track/Field
  • Stephanie O’Toole Whalen, T.C. Williams High School Class of 1990 — Field Hockey, Basketball, Softball
  • Lydell Scott, T.C. Williams High School Class of 1987 — Football
  • Carl Turner, T.C. Williams High School Class of 1974 — Football, Basketball
  • Ezra Whorley, T.C. Williams High School Class of 1992 — Track/Field, Football
  • Eryk Williamson, T.C. Williams High School Class of 2015 — Soccer

Via Noah Lyles/Twitter

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PHOTOS: Alexandria City High School edged by West Potomac in nail-biter Homecoming game

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Alexandria City High School rallied in the final moments to send their homecoming game into overtime Friday night, but it just wasn’t enough. The West Potomac Wolverines edged their way to a 22-21 win.

The evening included an unexpected appearance by world champion sprinters Noah and Josephus Lyles, who watched the game from the sidelines with ACHS Principal Peter Balas and Alexandria City Public Schools Superintendent Gregory Hutchings, Jr.

The Titans now have a record of 4-4 and will play this Friday at home against the West Springfield Spartans.

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ALXnow’s top stories this week in Alexandria

What an interesting week in Alexandria. Here’s the rundown.

World champion sprinter Noah Lyles brought home his bronze medal from the Tokyo Olympics on Tuesday. In a frank, TED Talk-like speech at Alexandria City High School, Lyles talked about the importance of mental health as he struggled to perform at the games.

“A lot of people will look at the Olympics this year like something was different with the athletes,” said Lyles. “Well, it was a lot of difference because we had so much weight that we had to hold onto — about two years. I was no different.”

On the COVID-19 front, while the transmission level remains high in Alexandria, this week the city tied with Arlington for the lowest seven-day positivity rate in Virginia. Large outdoor public events are still happening, too, and on Monday, a vast majority of local elected officials and candidates converged for the Alexandria Democratic Committee’s annual Labor Day Picnic, which included an appearance by gubernatorial candidate, former Governor Terry McAuliffe.

Important stories

Top stories

  1. Man arrested for spending spree after finding wallet in Bradlee Shopping Center parking lot
  2. COVID-19 Update: Alexandria ties with Arlington for lowest seven-day positivity rate in Virginia
  3. BREAKING: Pedestrian critically injured in Old Town car crash
  4. Mark Center development plans head to Planning Commission this week
  5. Alexandria Police union calls out years of executive mismanagement
  6. JUST IN: Suspects arrested after allegedly firing shots at Alexandria Police
  7. BREAKING: Video shows brawl at Alexandria City High School cafeteria just two days after school starts
  8. Mayor outlines upcoming plastic bag tax plans
  9. Village Brauhaus aims for rooftop expansion
  10. No injuries or arrests after shots fired in Old Town Sunday night
  11. Most expensive homes sold in Alexandria in August

Have a safe weekend!

Via Elijah Walter Griffin, Sr.

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Sprinter Noah Lyles brings Olympic bronze medal home to Alexandria

The pressure was on. After a COVID-delay of more than a year, Alexandria sprinter Noah Lyles was finally racing against the top runners in the world at the Tokyo Olympics. The gun fired, and 19.74 seconds later he was the winner of the bronze medal.

Lyles returned to his alma mater, Alexandria City High School, on Tuesday (September 7) to talk about his unexpectedly long journey to the Olympics. In a frank, TED Talk-like speech, he talked about the importance of mental health, and described talking about being depressed with his therapist.

“When 2020 started, it felt like a normal year,” Lyles said. “I’d just come back from doing a whole bunch of interviews and photoshoots with NBC and they’re talking about the Olympics, and ‘How we’re going to be plastering you everywhere. It’s gonna be the biggest thing that summer,’ and (I’m) like, ‘Yes! So excited, This is fun.”

Then COVID hit, Lyles said, and he was forced to put his plans on the back-burner and keep mentally and physically fit until the games were rescheduled.

“All that energy that we had built up in a 2020 year, we had to save on to that stress and that pressure and push it on for a whole other year,” he said. “A lot of people will look at the Olympics this year like something was different with the athletes… Well, it was a lot of difference because we had so much weight that we had to hold onto — about two years. I was no different.”

Lyles continued, “I was disappointed that I didn’t get what I wanted. And I was disappointed that it happened like that. I didn’t get to show my greatest self. I knew walking into Tokyo that I was ready to PR, but I didn’t get to show that. I didn’t have a team with me. And that hurt in the whole Tokyo experience. It was very emotional. And I always thought in my head four years ago, when I went through this, it was going to be others. I was going to be able to celebrate, I was gonna not be alone. But it felt very alone.”

Just weeks after the games, Lyles was asked to return to the track in the Diamond League Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon. At first, he says, he didn’t want to race and spoke with his therapist about it.

“She said, ‘I think you’re scared,'” Lyles recalled his therapist saying. “‘You don’t get defeated often. So, when you do, you didn’t know how to react.’ I said ‘You might have a point.'”

The 24-year-old ended up defeating his Olympic rivals and running the ninth-fastest 200 meters in history, clocking in at 19.52 seconds.

“I feel that even though we’ve been going through this 2020-21 year, and we’ve all been feeling a little bit of pressure that maybe this can help you guys out a little more,” Lyles said of his story.

The event was sponsored by the Lyles Brothers Sports Foundation, Lyles’ mother, Keisha Caine Bishop, also spoke at the event and said that she introduced mental health therapy to her children at a young age.

“We are huge advocates for mental health,” she said. “Sometimes we all need help.”

https://twitter.com/AlexCityTitans/status/1435335090998030343

Photos via Elijah Walter Griffin, Sr.

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Morning Notes

Noah Lyles places first and brother Josephus Lyles gets third in 200 meters at Prefontaine Classic — “He’s baaaccckk! @lylesnoah takes 1st with 19.52!“

Alexandria starts program to prevent opioid overdoses for former inmates — “The program is the first of its kind in Virginia and one of a few in the country. It is a collaboration between the Alexandria Sheriff’s Office and the Department of Community and Human Services.” [Zebra]

Today’s weather — “Sunshine and clouds mixed (during the day). A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 91F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph… Partly cloudy skies. Low 73F. Winds light and variable.” [Weather.com]

New job: Professional mover — “Join We Were Soldiers Moving And Storage today! We offer flexible schedules, competitive pay, part time or full time available. Just load and unload trucks, provide your own transportation to and from job sites.” [Indeed]

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