Jones, Linebarger, Brown Set National Records on Day Three of Junior Olympics

7/24/2013

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Tia Jones (Marietta, Ga.), Makalya Linebarger (Sparks, Nev.) and Treasure Brown (Los Angeles, Calif.) set national records in the 200m hurdles, pole vault and mini-javelin, respectively, highlighting day three of competition at the USATF National Junior Olympic Track & Field Championships on the campus of North Carolina A&T State University.

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 eight and under to 18-years-old.

The free, live online broadcast of the USATF National Junior Olympic Track & Field Championships lives on USATF.tv. The broadcast began with the opening ceremony and will run through July 28. Coverage of the first two days is available on-demand at USATF.tv. USATF.tv is the home for original programming and on-demand videos of all the 2013 USATF Championships Series, youth and masters events.

Jones rewrote the record books with her time of 25.34 in the preliminary rounds of the 13-14 girls’ 200m hurdles. Jones set a new national and Junior Olympic record for her age group. Char Foster previously held the national record at 26.63 set in 1994, and Jasmyne Graham held the Junior Olympic record of 26.55 from 2010. Four hours later, Jones posted the fastest wind legal time in the prelims of the 200m dash in 24.02.

In the pole vault for the same age group, Linebarger vaulted into the Junior Olympic and national age-group record books after posting her best clearance of 3.75m/12-03.75. Runner-up Carlson Dingler (Ellijay, Ga.) also cleared the previous national record and Junior Olympic record Meagan Gray set in 2011. Dingler bested her regional qualifying mark of 3.35m/10-11.75

Brown destroyed the national and Junior Olympic record by two and a half meters, in the 7-8 girls’ mini-javelin with a final mark of 21.11m/69-03. The previous record was set by Kimora Daniel at the Junior Olympics last year. Brown topped her nearest competitor by nearly three meters. Brown rests Thursday before battling in the shot put, where she comes in with the highest mark.

The Wings Track Club swept the 17-18 age group in the 4x800m relay. On the women’s side, which featured Aaliyah Lane (Sugar Land, Texas), Raygen Smith (Friendswood, Texas), Maygen Smith (Friendswood, Texas), and Raevyn Rogers (Houston, Texas) pulled off a come-from-behind victory in 9:37.52. Rogers, the IAAF World Youth Championship 800m bronze medalist, took the baton with the Wings trailing. She started 100 meters behind the leader on the final lap of the anchor leg, but kicked around the track to win by 80 meters. The anchor leg was run in an impressive 2:13.47.

Not to be outdone on the men’s side, The Wings Track Club pulled off a victory after falling behind during the anchor leg. They accomplished their goal with 250 meters left in the race, stopping the clock at 7:51.20.

The third section of finals of the 11-12 boys’ 4x800m relay race provided fans tons of excitement. Speed City took the lead with 300m remaining on the final lap of the race. The lead was 20 meters coming down the home stretch, with Track Houston and Bay City following close behind. Ultimately, Speed City staved off the competition to take gold in 9:41.28.

Wednesday’s Junior Olympic National Champions

Samiyah Samuels (Cypress, Texas), 15-16 Girls’ Long Jump, 5.53m/18-01.75
Kenneth Fisher (East Point, Ga.), 17-18 Men’s Long Jump, 7.38m/24-02.50

Ty’ania Gray (Durham, N.C.), 9-10 Girls’ High Jump, 1.25m/4-01.25
Alivia Ash (Merrillville, Ind.), 13-14 Girls’ High Jump, 1.65m/5-05

Nolan Van Amen (Port Orchard, Wash.), 13-14 Boys’ Shot Put, 18.10m/59-04.75
Noelle Parker (Fayetteville, N.C.), 15-16 Girls’ Shot Put, 12.86m/42-02.25
Kara Eck (Auburn, Ind.), 17-18 Women’s Shot Put, 14.00m/45-11.25

Treasure Brown (Los Angeles, Calif.), 7-8 Girls’ Mini-Javelin, 21.11m/69-03*
Luke Schuller (Easley, S.C.), 7-8 Boys’ Mini-Javelin, 28.48m/93-05
Timon Edelen (Raleigh, N.C.), 11-12 Boys’ Mini-Javelin, 45.57m/149-06

Makayla Linebarger (Sparks, Nev.), 13-14 Girls’ Pole Vault, 3.75/12-3.50*
Joseph Nickell (Perry, Okla.), 13-14 Boys’ Pole Vault, 4.15m/13-07.25

Jayhlen Washington (Wilmington, N.C.), 13-14 Boys’ Triple Jump, 12.62m/41-05
LeSheon Strozier (Lithia Springs, Ga.), 15-16 Boys’ Triple Jump, 13.86m/45-05.75

Brandon Lombardino (Round Lake, Ill.), 17-18 Men’s Discus, 55.52m/182-02

MacFarland, 11-12 Girls’ 4x800m Relay, 10:10.65
Speed City, 11-12 Boys’ 4x800m Relay, 9:41.28
Valley United, 13-14 Girls’ 4x800m Relay, 9:34.13
Las Vegas Blazin Onez, 13-14 Boys’ 4x800m Relay, 9:42.21
Waukegan Invaders, 15-16 Girls’ 4x800m Relay, 10:28.51
Triangle Champions, 15-16 Boys’ 4x800m Relay, 8:42.89
The Wings, 17-18 Women’s 4x800m Relay, 9:37.52
The Wings, 17-18 Men’s 4x800m Relay, 7:51.70

* - indicates a USATF Youth Age-Group Record

Competition resumes Thursday morning at 8 a.m. with the preliminary rounds of the 13-14 girls 1500m and runs through Sunday. For more information and live 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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