It's often Venus and Serena Williams who get the nod as the most fashion-conscious women in sports, and with plenty of reason. But another athlete is making a name for herself as the most stylish woman in sports (so dubbed by New York Magazine), and she's doing it with a much smaller spotlight than the tennis superstar sisters.

When Maggie Vessey lost her sponsorship with New Balance, it gave the American middle-distance runner a chance to make her own statement when she competed, and a collaboration with L.A. designer Merlin Castell has made the chicest of waves. Vessey has competed for the U.S. in two world championships, but has failed to successfully make a bid for the Olympics, two facts that make her sudden ascent as a niche fashion icon all the more remarkable. In a recent interview, Vessey revealed how transformative the decision to go her own way has been.

"I do want to draw attention to the sport and maybe give people who aren’t necessarily interested in track and field a reason to be interested," Vessey told Runner's World. "But it is a very authentic expression of who I am, and I now have this opportunity to be able to put that out there, be bold, and take a risk."



Any concerns over whether the outfits would perform as well as the standard track garb were put to bed quickly when the 32-year-old ran a personal best in the 400-meters at May's Occidental Invite in Los Angeles, and also put together a nice performance a week later, recording her best time in the 800-meters since 2011. And there's no need to worry about her competitors, who have been blown away by the outfits, rather than being put off.

"Before the trials at USATF Championships, one of the girls pulled me aside and said, 'I just want to thank you for what you’re doing for track and field,'" Vessey said. "It was such a beautiful moment because we were about to go compete, but yet she’s still felt inclined to say that to me. I was just overwhelmed with gratitude to know that what I was doing was being well-received by my competitors."



That she drew attention to herself and the sport is the purest testament to how impactful her designs have been. After all, when's the last time you noticed anything happening on a track that didn't involve the Olympics or Usain Bolt?

Is it a longshot that her impact on the industry could ever be lasting? Of course, but she's come this far, and as any runner knows, every part of the race counts. And it would be an even better story if this was just the warm-up to her main event.



Speaking of making a statement, the VCU men's basketball team knows how to make noise in the NCAA tournament each spring, and part of the team's toughness comes from annual September trip to work through Navy SEAL training. After watching what they went through, it's no surprise that their full court pressure defense is so relentless.

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