VIRGINIA BEACH — Nolan Jez had a feeling that Grassfield senior Sophie Rambo was going to do something special on Friday, the first day of the 10th annual VA Showcase at the Virginia Beach Sports Center.
Jez, the founder of the meet, just sensed it.
And he was right because Rambo got out front early and held off all challengers to cover the girls 500-meter race in 1 minute, 10.07 seconds and set a national high school record.
Grassfield’s Sophie Rambo sets national record in the 500 meters. pic.twitter.com/LH0aWTPc1T
— Larry Rubama (@LHRubama) January 16, 2026
It comes one year after another local runner, Bayside’s Andrew Salvodon, set a national record in the boys 500 meters.
Rambo beat the record that was held by Olympic champion Athing Mu, who ran 1:10.22 to set the record at the 2020 VA Showcase. Rambo’s clocking also makes her the 26th-fastest American of all time.
“It means everything,” said Rambo, who will run for Georgia in the fall. “I trusted my coaches, trusted God’s plan for me, and it just happened to work out for me.”
Rambo said she got extra motivation when she heard fans cheering for her during lane introductions.
“It just got my heart racing even more,” she said. “I was just really excited to know that everybody was here supporting me.”
Last season, Rambo was ranked first in the nation in the 500 meters (1 minute, 12.04 seconds), third in the 400 (53.23 seconds) and seventh in the 300 (37.84).
This season, she had run a personal-best time of 1:11.69 at the Grant Holloway Holiday Invitational last month.
“My goal was to hit another PR. I also wanted to win and defend my title,” said Rambo, a nine-time state champion. “So coming out here and running this time, it meant everything.”
Rambo got out front and never looked back.
But as she ran down the backstretch on the last lap, she could hear the crowd as the competition tried to close in on her.
“I knew I had it in me,” she said. “So, I just continued to push myself. It made me go even faster.”
When she crossed the finish line, she was well ahead of her competition. Ataja Stephane-Vazquez of North Carolina was the runner-up in 1:11.00, Hermitage’s Massandje Comara was third in 1:12.73 and Nansemond River’s Michailyn Rose was fourth.
“My mind went completely blank at first,” Rambo said after she crossed the finish line. “I didn’t even realize that I had broken the record. I didn’t even realize it until a couple of seconds after.”
Grassfield coach Leroy Harper, who also coached Olympian Grant Holloway, was all smiles after the race. He had heard the mumbling from some people who thought Rambo should transfer to a bigger program out of the state. But she stayed
“It means everything because it shows the true body of hard work,” he said. “She stayed true to what it is. She stayed at Grassfield. She trusted the process, and this is where we are. But there is still more in the tank, way more in the tank.”
Rambo is glad she stayed, too.
“It means everything,” she said. “I really trusted Coach Harper. If I would have gone anywhere else, it wouldn’t have been the best decision for me. I knew if I stayed here that it would all work out. Thank God it did.”
