DOWNS - Many communities erect signs congratulating their state champions and Downs is no different.

A sign is being made for Stephanie Brown. If they want to list everything she did, they better make it big.

The Tri-Valley High School graduate did enough this past school year to become the Pantagraph's Female Athlete of the Year.

In May she became the state's first four-time champion in the 800-meter run, breaking her own small-school state meet record with a time of 2 minutes, 9.12 seconds.

That effort proved a mere appetizer for thrill-craving fans as she later anchored her 3,200 relay to a 9:23.93, erasing an 80-meter deficit and a 23-year-old state meet record with a 2:06.2 split.

The Arkansas-recruit also won her first state 1,600 in a school-record 5:01.50. She also helped her 1,600 relay advance from the state prelims with a lifetime best split of 55.3.

Brown's efforts earned Tri-Valley the third-place team trophy and put a fitting exclamation point on a prep career which included four all-state runs in cross country.

Only six others have won a single state track event four times. Brown also won two grade school state 800s, clocking a record 2:16.61 in eighth grade that would have won the Class A state high school title that year.

"I think she is one of those who has a national reputation as a phenomenal competitor," said Arkansas coach Lance Harter. "No matter what the level of the challenge, she's able to rise to it."

Brown reminds Harter of another runner he coaches, Bloomington Olympian Christin Wurth-Thomas.

"She's as tough a competitor as I've seen in the prep ranks this season," Harter said.

Brown placed fourth in the Nike Outdoor Nationals 800 on June 20 in a lifetime best of 2:07.81, which ranks 10th nationally among preps and makes her Harter's fastest recruit in 19 years as coach.

Normal's Darren Kerschieter, who has helped design Brown's workouts for three years, says the best is yet to come.

"Honestly, with the right conditions and the right meet, she's good enough to be in the Olympic Trials for the 800 pretty much right now," said the former Augustana runner.

Brown, who ran a 4:48.27 1,600 on June 13, is not a typical distance runner, according to Kerschieter, who has had to train her more like a sprinter.

When Brown logged 50 "slow" training miles a week last summer, she expected big things in cross country, but only finished 10th in the state after running second in 2007.

"The slow stuff wasn't good for me," said Brown, who started her cardio and lifting workouts earlier than usual last winter.

By the time indoor track rolled around in January, she had a 2:08.41 800 to her credit.

Because of other coaching duties, Kerschieter hasn't been able to watch Brown train in person. That role was filled this spring by Tri-Valley assistant John Pearson.

"Having him there was a positive," Brown said. "If you are going to run workouts alone, you kind of have to have someone there you want to run for."

Pearson also watched Brown - a 5-foot-4½ ex-tomboy/ex-soccer player - grow as a student.

"I think she's really prepared herself well for the next level," he said of the future advertising/public relations major.

Brown hopes the next level finds her qualifying for the NCAA Track Championships.

"The sky is the limit for that next level," said Kerschieter, who will miss the fun-loving Brown - a lot. "She's a pretty special kid and they don't come around very often."

If they did, there would be too much signage.

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The winner is …

Pantagraph Female High School Athletes of the Year:

2002-03 - Jessie Shay, Olympia

2003-04 - Ashlee Pistorius, University High

2004-05 - Chandra Golden, University High

2005-06 - Stacey Miller, Central Catholic

2006-07 - Megan Laughlin, Flanagan

2007-08 - Olivia Klaus, Eureka

2008-09 - Stephanie Brown, Tri-Valley

Stephanie Brown profile

High school: Tri-Valley

Sports: Track and field, cross country

College: Arkansas