Nansemond River High School senior track standout Candice James will compete for a Division I university next fall, a reality made possible after she produced an extraordinary junior year on the track.

She committed to Virginia Commonwealth University before a crowd of teammates, coaches, family and friends during a signing ceremony on Monday at Nansemond River.

On commanding the respect of a Division I school, James said, “It means so much to me, like, it doesn’t even feel real. My coach and everybody that pushed me, it just means so much now.”

Nansemond River track coach Justin Byron said, “I’ve been blessed to work with a lot of talented athletes, and I’ve never seen anyone cover so much ground in one year.”

He said she went from being ranked 401st in the state in the 400-meter dash to being ranked 11th.

“She literally dropped eight seconds in one year,” he said, later adding he is excited to see what she does in her senior season.

If she continues her growth, she could improve the athletic scholarship to VCU.

“It was partial, but if I bring my times down, then it will be a full ride,” she said.

James said she has wanted to run in college ever since she started running in her sophomore year.

She is following in family footsteps as her father, John James, explained at the signing.

“As a dad, this is awesome,” John James said, noting that he, his father and his son all had attended colleges on track scholarships.

John James, who ran the 400 also, originally did not think Candice and her sister Courtney were going to participate in track and field, as they had shown an interest in soccer.

“I hadn’t pushed them,” he said. “And one year, they said, ‘Daddy, I think I want to run track and field.’”

Now, two years later, Candice was considering a couple different colleges where she could run but wanted to go to VCU after her official visit there.

“I just got that college feeling, and the whole track team felt like a family,” she said. “Our team here at Nansemond, we’re all one big family, so that’s what I’m all about.”

She also had to find a school that had her major, and VCU, again, met the requirement.

“I want to major in biology and pre-vet track, because I want to be a veterinarian,” James said.