SportsInk.com Photo

Brunswick junior Brianna Neitzel is the SportsInk.com Athlete of the Week for Mar. 20-26. She placed fifth at the 2010 OHSAA state meet in both the 100 and 400 meters.

Our SportsInk.com Athlete of the Week for Mar. 20-26 is the "Brunswick Flyer," junior Brianna Neitzel, a sprinter on the Blue Devils' girls track team.

Last weekend at the season-opening Brunswick Invitational, she was first in both the 100 and 200 meters and was part of the Blue Devils' first-place 4x100 relay team.

“She is a tireless worker who has that same attitude both on and off the track,” Devils coach Melissa Wojtala said. “Her ability to focus on each meet and each event is something special."

Wojtala is not the only coach who has praise for Neitzel. Even opposing ones, such as Wadsworth's DJ Schrock, marvel at what she can do.

“She can fly. She is something else,” he said.

It all started for Neitzel when she was 7 years old and living in East Cleveland. She was raised in a neighborhood that had plenty of children, but most were boys, so she would run races and play sprinting games with them.

“I used to beat them all the time," Neitzel said. "I had to."

Indeed. Those wins made the boys respect her. 

Neitzel moved to the Brunswick area in the eighth grade and was happy that the school district had girls track. She has sprinted on the varsity level since she was a freshman, when she was part of the Devils' successful 4x100 and 4x400 relay teams.

Last spring as a sophomore, Neitzel qualified for the Division I state meet and finished in fifth place in both the 100 and 400 meters.

“I was real strong last year. I hope I can come close this year,” she said.

Neitzel is off to a great start after last weekend's performance, plus she was terrific in the recently-completed indoor season for the Devils.

Neitzel has two younger sisters, Amber and Madelyn, who are very athletic. In fact, Amber, a seventh-grader, is already being viewed as a big-time contributor for the Brunswick High School track team beginning in two years.

But Amber -- and Madelyn -- will have a tough act to follow..

“Brianna is so strong and competitive," Wojtala said. "She would run every event if she could."

And she would probably do pretty well in each one.

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Brianna Neitzel

Junior

Brunswick High School

Track

TV:  George Lopez show

Movie:  “The Longest yard”

Pizza:  Cheese

Home Cooking: Chicken paprakash (she cooks the dish)

IPod:  Taylor Swift

Class:  Science

Bucket List:  Travel the world