AAU Junior Olympic National Championships
WEDNESDAY Highlights
Best of the Day (oldest age groups): The best prep high jump competition of the year took place in 17-18 Young Men, where US#1 Bishop Gorman NV jr Randal Cunningham jumped 7-0 ... and was beaten by two others. Arlington Bowie TX jr Natron Gibson and Ponchatoula LA sr Steven Barze each cleared US#2 marks of 7-2, with Gibson winning on misses! Gibson was the Texas Relays and 5A state champ with a best of 6-11 in the spring, but had cleared 7-0 and then 7-2 this summer in his AAU district and national qualifier meets to emerge as a big threat. Barze, however, had not cleared higher than 6-10 coming in. Cunningham is still the US#1 at 7-3.25, but suffered his first loss of the year.
More Top 17-18 Highlights
- US#6 41-5(+1.5w) women’s TJ final for Citrus Valley CA jr Rian Young-Werner
- 58.71 women’s 400H final for Great Oak CA sr Jade Miller (mark beaten only by her own US#1 57.21)
- 1:50.45 men’s 800 final by Cardinal Ritter MO jr Charles Jones, Jr. (off his US#11 1:50.33), beating Robert Downs Jr PA 1:51.65 and World Youth Trials winner Robert Ford TX 1:52.65, completing USATF/AAU JO double
- 2:10.58 women’s 800 final for Pleasant Valley IA soph Kaley Ciluffo over Griswold IA soph Rebekah Topham 2:10.83
- 52.24 men’s 400H final for Digital Harbor MD sr George Flaviano (already US#7 51.87) over TJ Burnett MI US#10 52.40
- 10.67 men’s 100 semi(-0.5w) for Forest Park VA jr and USATF JO 100/200 champ Mustaqeem Williams
Top 15-16 Highlights
- US#11 59.77 girls 400H final by Cypress Lakes TX soph Jessica Duckett (US#2 soph)
- 19-7.5(+1.3w) girls LJ final by Clovis North CA frosh Rhesa Foster (already US#9 and #2 frosh 19-10.5 PR)
- 1:54.01 boys 800 final for Memphis U. HS TN frosh Terrell Jackson (now holds 3 age grp records)
Youth Highlights/Records
- 14yo G-800 Final: 2:08.15 AAU record for Daesha Rogers FL over Gabrielle Wilson PA 2:10.63 (also beating record). Rogers now holds 4 single age records.
- 13yo B-800 Final: 2:02.43 for Terry Simuel OH
- 13yo B-SP Final: 50-11.25 AAU record for Verdis Brown IL
- 13yo G-200H Final: 27.25 for Sophia Myers NY (.01 off AAU record)
- 12yo B-DT Final: 137-6 AAU record for Zechariah Blake LA
- 11yo B-800 Final: 2:11.98 AAU record for Brandon Miller MO for 800/1500/3k triple (set 10yo record in 2012)
- 11yo G-JT Final: 82-6 AAU record for Rebecca Hampton CA
- 11yo B-HJ Final: 5-1.5 AAU record for Tyus Wilson KS
- 10yo G-800 Final: 2:22.51 AAU record for Sherrise Peterson PA
- 9yo G-800 Final: 2:30.22 AAU record for Makayla Clark MO
Other 17-18 Young Men’s/Women’s Champs and Leaders
- W-2k ST Final: 7:42.54 for Christina Micale MI
- M-2k ST Final: 6:25.85 for Kevin Chavira MO
- W-100 Semis: 12.03(-1.3w) for Ebony McClendon IL
- M-SP Final: 56-9.5 for Fredrick Jones FL
- W-SP Final: 43-9.75 for Lloydricia Cameron FL (completing SP/DT double)
Other 15-16 Boys/Girls Champs and Leaders
- G-2k ST Final: 7:44.24 for Rachael Lau IL
- B-2k ST Final: 6:29.40 for Shayn Jackson MO
- G-800 Final: 2:11.40 for Bianca Bryant CA
- B-400H Final: 53.77 for Quincy Hall MO
- G-100 Semis: 11.89(-0.6w) for Wensia Johnson MN
- B-100 Semis: 11.06(-2.0) for Jeffrey Uzzell GA
- B-LJ Final: 22-8.5(+0.0w) for Jeremy McDuffie GA
- B-DT Final: 163-1 for Brody Gowing TX
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