Jones, Harris Close Out Junior Olympics in Style

7/28/2013

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Tia Jones (Marietta, Ga.) and Sydney Harris (Dacula, Ga.) each won multiple Junior Olympic national titles, while breaking records in their respective age groups to conclude the USATF National Junior Olympic Track & Field Championships on the campus of North Carolina A&T State University Sunday.

The Junior Olympic program is a series of meets progressing from preliminary, association, regional and national meets. Athletes compete in two-year age groups ranging from 8 and under to 18-years-old.

Video of the USATF National Junior Olympic Track & Field Championships is available at USATF.tv. The home for original and on-demand programming for all the 2013 USATF Championship Series, youth and masters events. USATF.tv offers on-demand videos of the competition.

Jones capped a remarkable week with triumphs in the 100m hurdles and 200m hurdles on the final day of competition. She won the 100m hurdles in 13.53, breaking her own national and Junior Olympic record for the second time this week. Two hours later, Jones won the 200m hurdles in 25.80, where she set the national and Junior Olympic record on Wednesday. She also finished second in the 200m dash on Saturday.

Harris (Dacula, Ga.) donned her third gold medal in two days. After winning the 7-8 girls’ long jump and 200m dash Saturday, she kicked off the final day of competition, bettering her own national and Junior Olympic record in the 400m dash running 1:09.11.

On the boys’ side in the same age group, Anthony Valentine (Ellicott City, Md.) pulled off a three-peat when he placed first in the 7-8 boys’ 400m in 1:05.50. Valentine’s final performance bettered the national and Junior Olympic record he established in the 400m on Friday. Saturday, he placed first in the 200m dash and the long jump.

Emoni Coleman (Conyers, Ga.) earned a second trip to the awards podium after her triumph in the 11-12 girls’ 400m, posting a time of 57.82. She also won the 800m final yesterday in time of 2:13.62.

Lynna Irby (Indianapolis, Ind.) took home her second Junior Olympic national title in the 15-16 girl’s 400m dash, finishing in 54.16. On Saturday, Irby achieved her first title in the 800m. This is Irby’s fourth championship in a month after winning the 100m dash and 400m dash on the final day of the Youth Outdoor Championships in June.

It was business as usual for the Browne sisters. After both won gold yesterday in the 800m, Mackenzie Browne (Moreno Valley, Calif.) won her second Junior Olympic national championship in the 7-8 girls’ 1500m run in 5:29.81, setting a national and Junior Olympic record in the process. Makayla Browne (Moreno Valley, Calif.) achieved silver in the 9-10 girls’ 1500m final in a time of 5:11.31.

Miles Jones (Oakland, Calif.) could not leave Greensboro with one national and Junior Olympic record, he needed two. After setting the record in the 7-8 boy’s 800m Saturday, he added the 1500m in 5:11.00 to his resume en route to his second national championship.

Two-hundredths of a second decided the 11-12 girls’ 1500m final. Athing Mu (Trenton, N.J.) and Sarah Flynn (New Rochelle, N.Y.) fought for the lead coming down the home stretch. Mu ultimately surged ahead for the win in 4:48.58.

Luke Schuller (Easley, S.C.) secured his second Junior Olympic title in the 7-8 boys’ shot put when his throw sailed 8.90m/29-02.50. Schuller's winning attempt broke the Junior Olympic record by half a meter. His first championship title came on Wednesday in the mini-javelin.

Tairyn Montgomery (Los Angeles, Calif.) won the 15-16 girls’ javelin throw and surpassed the Junior Olympic record when her third attempt flew 47.26m/155-01. Rachel Walker held the previous record at 46.53.

Kendal Drewery (Waldorf, Md.) capped an impressive week with a first-place finish in the girls’ 11-12 80m hurdles final, stopping the clock at 12.67. Earlier this week, Drewery won the pentathlon with 3,118 total points and finished second in the long jump with a best mark of 4.95m/16-03.

In the 17-18 men’s high jump final, Spencer Walden (Carthage, N.C.) and Alex King (Metropolis, Ill.) both had a highest clearance of 2.10m/6-10.75. Walden won the gold medal having fewer misses.

Nolan Van Amen (Port Orchard, Wash.) broke the national and Junior Olympic record in the 13-14 boys’ discus throw when his third attempt traveled 62.48m/205-00 on his way to his second championship of the week. Van Amen’s first title came in the shot put on Wednesday.

Karrington Stewart (Shreveport, La.) stood alone on the top of the podium after she ran 13.31 in the 9-10 girls’ 100m dash. The title is her second in two days, as she also posted the fastest time in the 200m dash.

Brashard Smith (Miami, Fla.) goes back to the sunshine state with two gold medals. He won his first championship yesterday in the 9-10 boys’ 200m dash, before taking the 100m today in 13.02.

De’Andre Sincere (Bremerton, Wash.) bolted down the track in 11.27 seconds winning the 13-14 boys’ 100m dash for his second title of the week. The first title occurred yesterday in the 200m dash.

Two-thousandths of a second decided the 15-16 girls 100m dash, Alfreda Steele (Dade City, Fla.) and Lynna Irby (Indianapolis, Ind.) raced to a photo finish. Steele won in 11.857, with Irby narrowly behind in 11.859.

Mustaq'eem Williams (Triangle, Va.) glided down the track in 10.31 to win the 17-18 men’s 100m dash. Williams is not unfamiliar to winning, as he took the 200m dash in 20.64 seconds yesterday.

Seventy meters separated Sophia Cantine (Sammamish, Wash.) from the rest of the field in the 13-14 girls’ 1500m run, winning in a time of 4:32.48. Cantine’s wire-to-wire win is her first Junior Olympic title.

In three consecutive 4x400m relay finals the national and Junior Olympic records went down. The Los Angeles Jets were first, breaking the 7-8 girls’ record in 4:48.95. Next, Desito Nitro stormed around the track in 4:44.45 in the 7-8 boys’ division. Finally, Track Houston Youth completed the trifecta in a time of 4:17.32 in the 9-10 girls’ division.

Sunday's Junior Olympic Champions
Sydney Harris (Dacula, Ga.), 7-8 Girls’ 400m, 1:09.11*
Anthony Valentine (Ellicott City, Md.), 7-8 Boys’ 400m, 1:05.50*
Kayla Davis (Charlotte, N.C.), 9-10 Girls’ 400m, 1:01.82
Tyler Mapson (Union City, Ga.), 9-10 Boys’ 400m, 59.52
Emoni Coleman (Conyers, Ga.), 11-12 Girls’ 400m, 57.82
Nicholas Wilson (Accokeek, Md.), 11-12 Boys’ 400m, 55.05
Dnia Freeman (Temple Hills, Md.), 13-14 Girls’ 400m, 55.92
Howard Fields (Fresno, Texas), 13-14 Boys’ 400m, 50.29
Lynna Irby (Indianapolis, Ind.), 15-16 Girls’ 400m, 54.16
Colin Winslow (Parlin, N.J.), 15-16 Boys’ 400m, 47.82
Felicia Majors (Lorton, Va.), 17-18 Women’s 400m, 53.61
Zyaire Clemes (Trenton, N.J.), 17-18 Men’s 400m, 46.74
Mackenzie Browne (Moreno Valley, Calif.), 7-8 Girls’ 1500m, 5:29.81*
Miles Jones (Oakland, Calif.), 7-8 Boys’ 1500m, 5:11*
Michaela Rose (Virginia Beach, Va.), 9-10 Girls’ 1500m, 5:07.34
Adrian Bichara (Miami, Fla.), 9-10 Boys’ 1500m, 4:52.50
Athing MU (Trenton, N.J.), 11-12 Girls’ 1500m, 4:48.58
Elijuhuan Wilson (Brooklyn, N.Y.), 11-12 Boys’ 1500m, 4:42.90
Sophia Cantine (Sammamish, Wash.), 13-14 Girls’ 1500m, 4:32.48
Morgan Risch (Tucson, Ari.), 13-14 Boys’ 1500m, 4:14.71
Jamie Grossman (Huntington, N.Y.), 15-16 Girls’ 1500m, 4:43.70
Thomas Pollard (Ames, Iowa), 15-16 Boys’ 1500m, 3:59.75
Rebekah Topham (Griswold, Iowa), 17-18 Women’s 1500m, 4:30.33
Bryan Kamau (Snellville, Ga.), 17-18 Men’s 1500m, 3:59.17
Kendal Drewery (Waldorf, Md.), 11-12 Girls’ 80m Hurdles, 12.67
Matthew Harris (McDonough, Ga.), 11-12 Boys’ 80m Hurdles, 11.84
Tia Jones (Maritta, Ga.), 13-14 Girls’ 100m Hurdles, 13.53*
Eric Allen (Odenton, Md.), 13-14 Boys’ 100m Hurdles, 13.51
Anna Cockrell (Waxhaw, N.C.), 15-16 Girls’ 100m Hurdles, 13.95
Amere Lattin (Houston, Texas), 15-16 Boys’ 110m Hurdles, 14.25
Stefani Kerrison (Orlando, Fla.), 17-18 Women’s 100m Hurdles, 13.56
Isaiah Moore (Burlington, N.C.), 17-18 Men’s 110m Hurdles, 13.64
Tia Jones (Marietta, Ga.), 13-14 Girls’ 200m Hurdles, 25.80
Eric Allen (Odenton, Md.), 13-14 Boys’ 200m Hurdles, 24.59
Shaelyn Grant (Berkeley, Mo.), 15-16 Girls’ 400m Hurdles, 58.91
Dominick Patterson (Garner, N.C.), 15-16 Boys’ 400m Hurdles, 54.14
Akuira Young (Tomball, Texas), 17-18 Women’s 400m Hurdles, 1:01.79
Desmond Palmer (Pickerington, Ohio), 17-18 Men’s 400m Hurdles, 51.66
Chelya Scott (Charlotte, N.C.), 7-8 Girls’ 100m, 14.49
Rodrick Pleasant (Los Angeles, Calif.), 7-8 Boys’ 100m, 13.97
Karrington Stewart (Shreveport, La.), 9-10 Girls’ 100m, 13.31
Brashard Smith (Miami, Fla.), 9-10 Boys’ 100m, 13.02
Semira Killebrew (Indianapolis, Ind.), 11-12 Girls’ 100m, 12.67
Pharoah Williams (Phoenix, Ari.), 11-12 Boys’ 100m, 12.40
Candace Hill (Stockbridge, Ga.), 13-14 Girls’ 100m, 12.04
De’Andre Sincere (Bremerton, Wash.), 13-14 Boys’ 100m, 11.27
Alfreda Steele (Dade City, Fla.), 15-16 Girls’ 100m, 11.857
Christopher Ntreh (Murphy, Texas), 15-16 Boys’ 100m, 10.67
Brittany Brown (Upland, Calif.), 17-18 Women’s 100m, 11.61
Mustaq'eem Williams (Triangle, Va.), 17-18 Men’s 100m, 10.31
Los Angeles Jets, 7-8 Girls’ 4x400m Relay, 4:48.95*
Desito Nitro, 7-8 Boys’ 4x400m Relay, 4:44.45*
Track Houston Youth, 9-10 Girls’ 4x400m Relay, 4:17.32*
Jackrabbit Track Field Clinic, 9-10 Boys’ 4x400m Relay, 4:15.54
Glenarden, 11-12 Girls’ 4x400m Relay, 3:59.75
Aw Brown, 11-12 Boys’ 4x400m Relay, 3:51.73
Valley United, 13-14 Girls’ 4x400m Relay, 3:50.29
Baldwin Jets, 13-14 Boys’ 4x400m Relay, 3:30.17
Tachyon, 15-16 Girls’ 4x400m Relay, 3:44.54
Track Express, 15-16 Boys’ 4x400m Relay, 3:17.42
Texas Storm, 17-18 Women’s 4x400m Relay, 3:38.76
Trenton, 17-18 Men’s 4x400m Relay, 3:11.12
Adora Nwokeji (Humble, Texas), 9-10 Girls’ Long Jump, 4.20m/13-09.50
Jonavon Wade (Pearland, Texas), 9-10 Boys’ Long Jump, 4.85m/15-11
My'khiyah Williams (Brooklyn, N.Y.), 11-12 Girls’ High Jump, 1.55m/5-01
Spencer Walden (Carthage, N.C.), 17-18 Men’s High Jump, 2.10m/6-10.75
Jazzmine Poole (Fairview Heights, Ill.), 13-14 Girls’ Discus, 40.21m/131-11
Nolan Van Amen (Port Orchard, Wash.), 13-14 Boys’ Discus, 62.48m/205-00
Luke Schuller (Easley, S.C.), 7-8 Boys’ Shot Put, 8.90m/29-02.50*
Dylan Carter (Maryville, Tenn.), 11-12 Boys’ Shot Put, 15.16m/49-09
Caleb Bertrand (Elton, La.), 17-18 Men’s Pole Vault, 5.00m/16-04.75
Tairyn Montgomery (Los Angeles, Calif.), 15-16 Girls’ Javelin, 47.26/155-01*
Mike Biddle (Williamsburg, Pa.), 15-16 Boys’ Javelin, 53.56m/175-09

* - indicates a USATF Youth Age-Group Record

For more information and results of the USATF National Junior Olympic Track & Field Championships, visit www.usatf.org.


Joey Lamar
Communications Intern
USA Track & Field
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