Vanessa Aniteye
Every time the competition elevates, Vanessa Aniteye has risen to the occasion.
Now based out of Seattle, the former Chugiak High star and mother-of-one has taken her talents internationally, placing fifth in the 800 at the German Championships, running 2:04.59 — a personal best by more than two seconds.
In a span of seven months, Aniteye has essentially transitioned from novice to seasoned veteran, reducing her time by over eight seconds and leveling up with each competition.
After topping the NCAA Division II field in mid-March, Aniteye continued to train, making improvements at the Bryan Clay Invitational, before turning her focus to meets overseas.
She returned to her previous strong suit, the 400, running a season-best in Belgium, along with testing her speed in the short sprints. After fine-tuning her turnover, Aniteye was primed to line up with some of Germany’s top athletes.
The sprint specialist has had some strong showings at the championships, but up until now, had yet to compete in the two-lap race. And while Aniteye had some doubts after a subpar performance at pre-nationals, she pressed on, refusing to let past races decide her future.
At the German Championships, Aniteye put her best foot forward, etching a then personal best of 2:06.61, placing third in her heat. After the top two athletes from each of the three heats earned a spot in the finals, Aniteye ended up securing the second and final time qualifier — a mere 0.13 seconds over the next fastest time.
When the 800 final arrived, Aniteye applied her speed and endurance, running with nothing to lose after narrowly qualifying. While the top three athletes broke away for a photo finish, Aniteye held her own, finishing in a hard-earned fifth place with a magnificent personal best of 2:04.59.
The mark ranks Aniteye as the second-best-known performer in Alaska history, trailing only Kaarin Knudson — a former Dimond High and University of Oregon standout — who clocked 2:04.52 in 1997.
Alaska Women’s All-Time 800m
1. Kaarin Knudson, 2:04.52 (6/97)
2. Vanessa Aniteye, 2:04.59 (7/23)
3. Danielle McCormick, 2:05.00 (4/19)
4. Tanner Ealum, 2:06.64 (2/20)
5. Caitlin Reese, 2:06.69 (3/04)
6. Ivy O’Guinn, 2:09.34 (5/13)
7. Morgan Dampier, 2:09.78 (2/13)
8. Cynthia Morgan, 2:09.86 (5/98)
9. Ruth Cvancara, 2:10.27 (4/19)
10. Lierin Flanagan, 2:10.53 (5/13)