The St. Louis area was well represented in the track and field portion of last week’s Amateur Athletic Union Junior Olympics, which were held in Detroit.
Area athletes brought home seven national champions and many more All-American medals for placing in the top eight in the annual summer national track meet.
Normandy High graduate Darwin Price (Police Athletic League) was the area’s top performer as he won two national titles in the 800 and 1,500-meter runs in the Young Men’s Division. Price, who was a state champion in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200 at last spring’s Class 4 state meet, was a repeat national champion in the 800. His winning time was 1 minute 53.33 seconds. He came back to win the 1,500 in a time of 3:58.13. Price finished second in the 1,500 at the AAU Junior Olympics last year. Price is headed to Grambling State in the fall.
McCluer South-Berkeley’s Kianna Ruff of the Blues Track Club brought home a national championship in the Intermediate Girls (15-16) Division. Ruff posted a winning time of 2:11.24. Ruff, who will be a junior at MSB, also finished second in the 400 in a time of 55.45 seconds.
More gold in the distance events came courtesy of the U. City Explosion’s standout Charles Johnson, who won the 3,000-meter run in the Young Men’s Division with a winning time of 9:01.89.
A pair of relay teams won national championships with some stellar times at the end of the competition. The St. Louis Express won the national title in the Young Men’s 4×100-meter relay. The quartet of Jordan Henderson, Gerren Hendricks, Eric Rodgers and C.J. Rainey brought the baton around the track in a winning time of 41.12 seconds.
Being a part of the national-championship relay team concluded a productive week for Hendricks, the former Hazelwood Central star who is headed to Mississippi State. Hendricks also finished second in the 100 and 200-meter dashes.
The Blues Track Club finished first in the Young Women’s 4×400-meter relay as the foursome of Paris Daniels (Normandy), Lauren Hollingsworth (Villa Duchesne), Olivia Lewis (Gateway Tech), and Yolanda Suggs (Belleville West) posted a blistering time of 3 minutes 48.87 seconds. The Blues Track Club have enjoyed a stranglehold on this event in this age group for several years.
Breanne Borman, who will be a freshman at Festus, won the heptathlon in the Youth Girls Division with a total of 3,958 points. Borman competes for the Jefferson County Jets.
The youngest national champion amongst the group of St. Louisans was Zuri Reid, who won the 800 in the Girls Primary (7-8) division.
Crystal City girls standout Precious Selmon won a national championship in the heptathlon at the United States Track and Field Junior Olympics, which were held in Omaha, Neb. Selmon, who is a five-time Class 2 state champion, won the event with a total of 4,450 points. She also competes for the Jets, who are coached by Vince Bingham. Another national champion from the Jets was Festus senior Allysa Allison, who won the 2,000-meter steeplechase.
Here is a list of the other All-American medalists at last week’s AAU Junior Olympics
Primary Girls: U. City Xplosion (5th in 4×100); Herbert Hoover Eagles (8th in 4×100): Diamond Sullivan, Herbert Hoover Eagles (6th in long jump)
Girls Bantam: Symiah Fulton, Blues Track Club (5th in 100); St. Louis Blues (3rd in 4×100); Raven Fletcher, Blues Track Club (8th in 200), Jania McNeil, U. City Xplosion (5th in Shotput, 6th in Triathlon)
Boys Sub-Midget: Preston Whitfield, Herbert Hoover Eagles (7th in 800)
Boys Sub-Youth: Ezekiel Elliot, St. Louis Express (8th in 100-meter hurdles); Dominic Vainana, Kirkwood (8th in long jump);
Girls Sub-Youth: Janelle Johnson, St. Louis Express (8th in 800); Jasmine Hayes, Herbert Hoover Eagles (5th in long jump); Micoyla Collins, Cahokia (8th in long jump); Taylor Gibson, St. Louis Express (4th in triple jump); Asiah Allen (U. City Xplosion) (4th in javelin)
Boys Youth: Emmanuel Price, U. City Xplosion (7th in triple jump); Nicholas Stewart, St. Louis Express (7th in 3,000);
Boys Midget: Lca Washington, East St. Louis (4th in discus)
Girls Midget: Herbert Hoover Eagles (6th in 4×800); Hailee Morris, Blues Track Club (6th in discus, 6th in shot put);
Intermediate Boys: St. Louis Blues (4th in 4×800); St. Louis Blues (2nd in 4×400)
Intermediate Girls: East St. Louis Railers (4th in 4×800); Kianna Ruff, Blues Track Club (2nd in 400);
Young Women’s: Jelani Kelly, St. Louis Express (7th in Discus, 7th in shot put); Ronecia Nash, East St. Louis Railers (2nd in 100, 2nd in 200); Paris Daniels, Blues Track Club (8th in 400); Olivia Lewis, Blues Track Club (6th in 200)
Young Men’s 800: Banjo Jaiyesim, PAL (4th in 800); Gerren Hendricks, St. Louis Express (2nd in 100, 2nd in 200);
