National High School Leader Wins Girls 17-18 Hammer By 14 Feet, Comes Up A Little Short Of World U20 Standard; Addison Kleinke Dominates Pole Vault 

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

Photo by Brynn Kleinke

Kimberly Beard from Get Strong First Track Club (Washington) won a USATF National Junior Olympic championship in the hammer for the third year in a row Wednesday at College Station, Texas. 

Beard, competing for the first time in the 17-18 age division, threw 180-5 (55.00m) to easily take the win. 

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The sophomore will end the year as the national high school leader with her best of 186-6 (56.86m). She threw that to place second at the USATF U20 Championships, but needed to go a bit farther (188-4/57.40m) to achieve the qualifying standard for the World U20 Championships in Lima, Peru. 

Addison Kleinke of Eugene, Ore. won the 17-18 age group title in the women's pole vault by nearly a foot, clearing 13-5.25. Kleinke, the Oregon state high school record holder, had the bar moved up to a meet record height of 4.29m (14-00.75) but was unable to get over that. 

Grant Weighall, an Alabama state champion from Hoover High, won the men's 17-18 javelin competition with 193-4 (58.94m). 

Cassandra Atkins of Alpha Speed Academy needed a clutch sixth-attempt mark of 41-3.75 (12.59m) to overtake Kaeli Powe of Angel Flight (41-1.75/12.54m fifth attempt) to secure victory in the women's 17-18 triple jump. Atkins is due to enter the University of Oregon in the fall. 

Ava Kitchings from ATL Zoom Athletics won the girls 15-16 long jump with 19-10.25 (6.05m). 

Teammates from the Ocean State Hammerheads of Rhode Island, Shamrock Thoun and Ryan Evans, went 1-2 in the boys 15-16 hammer throw competition. Thoun came up with the winning throw on his final attempt, 192-3 (58.73m) to move ahead of Evans, who threw 191-3 (58.30m) in the third round. 

Samantha Campos of Lincoln Community Track Club (Nebraska) won the girls 15-16 pole vault with a clearance of 12-5.50 (3.80m).

Ava Torgersen of the Oakland Cubs won the 13-14 girls 3,000-meter racewalk, clocking 14:53.34, which was faster than the 15-16 and 17-18 age group winners.

David Dorantes of Elgin Sharks Track won the boys 15-16 racewalk in 14:16.78. 

In track prelims, Jasmine Robinson of Heat Track Club (Georgia) ran a time of 58.48 in the 400-meter hurdles. 

James Ledbetter of Track Houston produced the top prelim time in the men's 17-18 400 hurdles with 52.52. Vance Nilsson, who competed at the Olympic Trials, also safely advanced with 53.35.

Keayari Thompson from TakeOff ran a time of 46.45 seconds to advance to the final of the men's 17-18 400 meters.