Michael Cherry from Oscar Smith High School
It gives us great pleasure to recognize Michael Cherry as the 2012 Chesapeake male Athlete-of-the-Year. Michael is currently a senior at Oscar Smith High School. Michael has been a 4 year letterman on the OSH boys indoor track team.
As a freshman, Michael was a member of the VA AAA outdoor state championship mile relay team at OSH.
As a sophomore, he won the Southeastern District and Regional title in the 400 M dash, then finished 5th in the state. Michael then won his second state title as a member of the OSH outdoor state championship mile relay team in 2011.
Last year as a junior, Michael won the AAA state indoor track titles in the 300 M dash and 500 M dash. He then competed in the 2011 New Balance Indoor Nationals and placed 3rd in the country in the 400 M dash, setting an all–time VA record with a time of 46.88 seconds, and setting a new National High School Junior Class record in the process. During the outdoor track season last spring, Michael finished 3rd in the VA AAA state championship as a member of the 1600 m relay team. He then placed 2nd in the 200 m dash, and captured the gold medal in the 400 m run.
During this past indoor track season, Michael burst onto the national track scene. He was a member of the OSH indoor state championship mile relay team. Michael then captured the gold medal in the 300 M dash, setting the US high school record on a flat track surface. He then captured his third gold medal of the competition by winning the 500 m dash, recording the fastest time in the nation for 2013 and the 4th fastest time ever record for a high school athlete.
Michael holds OSH track records in the 300 M, 400 M, 500 M, 800 M and mile Relay. Michael is the most decorated track athlete in the history of OSH and the state of Virginia.
Michael has already signed an athletic scholarship and will attend Florida State University next fall and compete at the Division 1 level. Michael, we wish you the best of luck for the remainder of his high school season. Michael Cherry is also in the latest issue of Sports Illustrated in the faces in the crowd section. Congratulations Michael.