It was a tremendous week of activity for the athletes from the St. Louis area who competed in the Amateur Athletic Union Junior Olympics in Detroit, MI.
Area athletes won a total of 13 national championships in addition to the other countless number of medals earned in age groups from eight years old to high school.
Cardinal Ritter College Prep star Charles Jones and youngster Brandon Miller were the big winners as each brought home three gold medals. Running for the St. Louis Express, Jones won the national title in the 800- and 1,500-meter runs, plus he ran a leg on the first-place 4×800-meter relay team. Jones also won the national title in the 800 at the USA Track and Field Junior Olympics in Greensboro, N.C. in the previous week.
Jones turned in a winning time of 1 minute 50.8 seconds in the 800, then came back to win the 1,500 in a time of 4:03.29. Jones then joined Nicholas Stewart, Marcus Davis and James Williams to win the 4×800 in a meet record of 7:39.04. The quartet finished nearly 30 seconds ahead of their nearest competitor.
Miller, who runs for the Ultimate Speed Academy, dominated the distance events in the 11-year old division as he won the 800, 1,500 and 3,000-meter runs. The talented youngster also set two new meet records in the process. Miller was a three-time national champion at last year’s AAU Junior Olympics.
Jerrick Powell of the St. Louis Storm won the national title in the boys’ decathlon in the 15-16 division. Powell scored 5,622 points to capture the gold medal. Cecilya Johnson of Throwing and Growing won the girls discus in the 15-16 division with a throw of 137 feet 9 inches.
Shayn Jackson of the Blues Track Club won the 2000-meter steeplechase in the boys’ 15-16 division in a time of 6:29.40. Nia Lyles of the Ultimate Speed Academy won the shot put in the girls’ 11-12 division with a throw of 42 feet 2 inches. Reece Goddard (unattached) won the discus in the boys’ 13-14 division with a throw of 178-1.
Mason Brock (unattached) won the javelin in the boys’ 9-10 division. Keshon Campbell of the Ultimate Speed Academy won the Outdoor Pentathlon in the boys’ 11-12 division. Corey Hunn, Jr. of the St. Louis Storm won the shot put in the boys’ 9-10 division.
There were two more area national championships from the recent USATF Junior Olympics in North Carolina. McCluer High’s Shaelyn Grant won the gold medal in the 400-meter hurdles in the girls’ 17-18 division. Grant turned in a winning time of 58.91. Jazzmine Poole won the gold medal in the discus in the girls’ 13-14 division. Poole will be a freshman at Belleville East in the fall.
Here is a list of the other medalists from the AAU Junior Olympics by their age group:
Girls (8): Sydney Burdine (Herbert Hoover) fifth in 800; Herbert Hoover, eighth in 4×400;
Boys (8): Jeremiah Cook (STL PAL), second in shot put; Robert Battle (U City Xplosion), fifth in shot put; Deion Brown (U City Xplosion) eighth in shot put; Carl Summers, Jr. (U City Xplosion) fourth in javelin;
Girls (9-10): Emmie Marshall (STL Edge), second in triathlon, seventh in shot put, fifth in high jump; Adrianna Toran (STL PAL), seventh in triathlon, third in shot put; Eve Shelton (Blues) third in 1,500-meter race walk; Amani Henderson, third in 1,500-meter race walk; Karlie Wooten (Ultimate Speed) seventh in 800, sixth in long jump; Raven Moore, third in long jump; Blues Track Club, second in 4×100;
Boys (9-10): Valonz Powell (U City Explosion), sixth in triathlon; seventh in shot put, eighth in long jump; Larry Minner, Jr (Blues), second in shot put; Jakailin Johnson (Herbert Hoover) seventh in 400; George Blanco (STL PAL) eighth in 800; Jordan Lumpkins (Ultimate Speed) fourth in long jump; Myles Norwood (STL Storm) seventh in high jump, eighth in long jump;
Girls (11-12): Shauniece Pierce (Ultimate Speed Academy), fifth in 1,500-meter race walk; Scout Regular (STL Lightning), fifth in outdoor pentathlon; Michelle Owens (Ultimate Speed), sixth in outdoor pentathlon; Armira Mitchell (STL PAL), fifth in shot put; Chloe May (Ultimate Speed), second in 1,500; Nia Lyles (Ultimate Speed) third in discus; Andrianna Miner (unattached) fourth in discus, sixth in shot put; McKinlee Morris (Blues) fifth in discus, fifth in shot put; Ultimate Speed, second in 4×800; Blues, third in 4×800; Alona Williams (Herbert Hoover) sixth in 100; Teriona Gurlly (Blues), eighth in 200; Herbert Hoover, seventh in 4×100; Blues, seventh in 4×400;
Boys (11-12): Aaron Holmes (Blues), third in outdoor pentathlon; Isaiah Williams (STL Storm), fourth in outdoor pentathlon; Larry Williams (Herbert Hoover), sixth in 80-meter hurdles; seventh in high jump; Jalen Head (U City Xplosion) second in shot put; Hasani Barr (Herbert Hoover) second in 400, third in 800; Jamerson Williams (Herbert Hoover) third in 400; Jaylen Burdine (Herbert Hoover) seventh in 1500, seventh in 800; Keshon Campbell (Ultimate Speed) second in 80-meter hurdles;
Girls (13-14): Elaina Verges (Ultimate Speed), third in 3000-meter race walk; Royce Yates (STL Express), eighth in 3000-meter race walk; Rokelle Stanley (East St. Louis), fifth in 200-meter hurdles; Jamie Tabron (STL PAL) fourth in discus, second in shot put; Samantha Cary (St. Charles) fourth in 1,500; Alexcia Ayers (East St. Louis) seventh in 100-meter hurdles; Kameron Barnes (Webster Groves) sixth in javelin;
Boys (13-14): Dyllan Conway (Blues), fifth in 100-meter hurdles, third in outdoor pentathlon; Johnathan Campbell, fifth in 3000-meter race walk; Darius Morrison (Missouri Elite), eighth in 200-meter hurdles; Daniel Still (Webster Groves), eighth in javelin, seventh in discus; Eathan Cadenhead (Webster Groves) seventh in triple jump, fifth in high jump;
Girls (15-16): Ja’Nia McNeil (U City Xplosion) third in javelin; Jasmine Barge (Blues) seventh in 400-meter hurdles; Hannah Pierson (Missouri Elite) fourth in 1,500, second in 3000; East St. Louis Community, sixth in 4×800; Blues, eighth in 4×100; Blues, eighth in 4×400;
Boys (15-16): Jaryn Blackshear (U City Xplosion), eight in decathlon; James Smith (Cahokia), fourth in triple jump; Jerrick Powell (STL Storm) eighth in long jump, fifth in high jump;
Girls (17-18): Aiesha Irvin-Muhammad (Blues), eighth in 100, third in 200; Janelle Johnson, seventh in 800-meter run; Kijuana Brimer, sixth in 800; Blues, fourth in 4×100; Blues, second in 4×400; Blues “B”, eighth in 4×400.
Boys (17-18): Marcus Davis (STL Express) sixth in 800; Nicholas Stewart (STL Express), third in 1500, second in 3000; John Esswein, seventh in 1500; Blues, third in 4×800; STL Express “B,” third in 4×800; East St. Louis Greyhounds, fifth in 4×800; Michael Wells (STL PAL), third in 100, third in 200; St. Louis PAL, seventh in 4×100; STL Express, second in 4×400; Samantha Cary (St. Charles), third in 3000;
