Photos provided by Dwayne Pierre-Antoine
Alexis Pierre-Antoine is just a baby in the world of track and field, 11-years-old to be exact, but she loves to run and has been doing so competitively for the past three years. The Chicago native was ranked 11th and 12th in the 800m and 400m, respectively, in the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) sub-midget category for the US State of Illinois. Alexis’ favorite event is the 400m; however, she’s better at 800m. Last season, she showed marked improvement in the longer race and is now poised for a breakout season.
Yet another athlete of Caribbean descent, Alexis’ grandmother, Hyacinth Pierre-Antoine, is from Kingston, Jamaica and her grandfather, Gerard Pierre-Antoine, is from Haiti.
Alexis is the first of three children. Her six-year-old brother, Mason, and five-year-old sister, Asha, are a part of her supportive family. It’s not unusual for them, dad (Dwayne), mom (Shonda) and her grandparents to travel across state line to watch her compete. She also has the support of the teachers at her school, Southeast Elementary in Evergreen Park, Illinois.
Although Alexis lives in Chicago in the Midwest, she has competed in numerous states including Florida in the South, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee. She likes to run against athletes from the southern states “because they provide the best competition.” She also likes to travel and she enjoys keen rivalry as well as hanging out with her teammates.
Personal Bests
Alexis has been a member of Illinois Elite Track Club for three years. Since 2006, the Club, under the leadership and direction of president and head coach Angelo Brown, has been molding some of whom could well be Illinois future track stars. The team is a registered member of both the AAU and the USATF (USA Track and Field) and competes during indoor and outdoor seasons.
Since joining the Club, Alexis has made it to the AAU National Championships every year. With personal bests 1:04.21 secs in the 400m and 2:36.09 in the 800m, she is set to improve on her time. Under Coach Brown and assistant middle-distance coach Dwayne Pierre-Antoine (her father), Alexis was able to lower her personal best in the 800m from 2:51.33 to 2:36.09 secs over the 2009 season.
Despite running 2:42.91 secs in the 800m (well below her personal best) at the 2009 AAU National Championships, Alexis has enjoyed tremendous success and is ready to continue that trend in the upcoming season. The young wondergirl is hungry for more success and has been training intensely. She currently does core training at an indoor facility in Chicago. That training program consists of explosion drills, running, endurance and tempo work.
Since last season, Alexis has grown five inches and has added 14 pounds to her frame. Her primary goal now is her first sub-one-minute 400m this coming season and she’s also set to tackle the 80m hurdles. A stronger, taller and more determined Alexis is not only ready to make the AAU Nationals for her age group, but also to continue her journey up the ranks.
She Loves Science
Alexis, who dreams of representing the United States in track and field, said that when she competes she “tries her best.” And how does she feel after a win? “I feel excited and proud of myself, and I just want to be the best,” she said.
On the academic side, Science is Alexis’ favorite subject in school. She will need it to become a doctor, the medical career she wants to pursue. Her favorite musical group is News Boys and she likes Jamaican patties and plantains.
Does she ever get nervous before her races? Alexis responded in typical kid mode: “not really, sometimes.”