More than 8,000 of the next generation of American track and field athletes traveled to the 2012 USA Track & Field National Junior Olympic Championships July 23-29 in Baltimore, Md., on the campus of Morgan State University. W.A.C. Hughes Stadium held the largest showing of athletes the event has ever seen and the performances did not disappoint with 21 Junior Olympic records being broken over the course of the eight-day competition.
VICTORIA PLUMMER Bruce James
Of the 20 national records, 12 were broken by the sub-bantam age division with an equal six being split between the girls and boys. Eleven of the records fell in field events while three fell in relays. Of the remaining six, two distance national records were broken in the sub-bantam girls 800m and 1500m with the remaining five broken in
sprint events. Thirteen of the records were broken by girls and seven were broken by boys.
While national records were falling, many Junior Olympic meet records were also broken on the way with many athletes grabbing more than one national championship. Youth Boy Denzel Harper made a name for himself when he won the most individual titles in the history of the Junior Olympics.
Harper (Quicksilver Track Club) walked away from his Junior Olympic week with five individual national titles to his name. Earlier in the week Harper took home the youth boys pentathlon title with 3,061 points. Harper went on to win titles in the long jump (6.45m/21-02), triple jump (12.91m/42-04.25), 100m hurdles (13.71) and 200m hurdles (25.01).
Among the onslaught of Junior Olympic records, multiple athletes separated themselves from the rest of the field. Midget boy’s high jumper Sean Lee (USA
High Jump Club) set the bar high when he broke a 33-year-old record set by David Mosley in 1979. Lee’s jump of 1.76m/5- 9.25 was just enough to break Mosley’s
record of 1.75m/5-9.
In the midst of the London Olympic Games, Kaylin Whitney made a statement of the potential of great things to come when she broke Junior Olympic records set by 2012
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GABRIELLE WILLIAMS Bruce James
Olympic 400m gold medalist Sanya Richards-Ross in the youth girls 100m (11.59) and 200m (23.41).
It was a fierce competition in the sub-bantam girls long jump as Azariyah Bryant (Moe Hill) had to hold off five other competitors who all broke the national record as well. Bryant’s jump of 3.73m/12-03 was enough to seal her first place victory and national record performance.
DENZEL HARPER
Bruce James
In the bantam boy’s shot put, Dylan Carter won in style as his throw of 13.40m/43-11.75 broke the national record by almost an entire meter. Even more impressive, Carter threw an astounding three meters more than his nearest competitor.
The future of American track and field looks bright and athletes already have their sights set on the 2013 National Junior Olympic Championships scheduled for July 22-28 in Greensboro, N.C.
NATIONAL JUNIOR OLYMPIC RECORDS SET AT CHAMPIONSHIPS
SUB-BANTAM GIRLS LONG JUMP: Azariyah Bryant (3.73m/12-03.00) BANTAM BOYS SHOT PUT: Dylan Carter (13.40m/43-11.75) SUB-BANTAM BOYS 200M: Nathan Leacock (28.65) SUB-BANTAM GIRLS 800M: Lucea Wright (2:38.26) SUB-BANTAM BOYS LONG JUMP: Kendrick Law (4.46m/14-7.75) BANTAM GIRLS 4X100M RELAY:Miramar Optimist Track Club (52.91) SUB-BANTAM BOYS SHOT PUT: Angelo Allen (8.39m/27-06.50) SUB-BANTAM GIRLS 1,500M: Dashana Morris (5:32.33) INTERMEDIATE GIRLS 100M HURDLES: Quenee Dale (13.80) YOUTH GIRLS 100M: Kaylin Whitney (11.59) YOUTH GIRLS 200M: Kaylin Whitney (23.41)Sub-Bantam BOYS 4X400M RELAY: Carolina Elite Track And Field (4:52.00) MIDGET BOYS HIGH JUMP: Sean Lee (1.76m/5-09.25) SUB-BANTAM GIRLS SHOT PUT: Kimora Daniel (7.34m/24-01.00) SUB-BANTAM GIRLS JAVELIN: Kimora Daniel (18.55m/60-10) MIDGET BOYS HIGH JUMP: Sean Lee (1.76m/5-09.25) SUB-BANTAM GIRLS SHOT PUT: Kimora Daniel (7.34m/24-01.00) BANTAM GIRLS HIGH JUMP: Victoria Plummer (1.50m/4-11.00) YOUNG WOMEN SHOT PUT: Christina Hillman (16.41m/53-10.25) SUB-BANTAM BOYS JAVELIN: Maalik Murphy (33.29m/109-03)
YOUNG WOMEN HAMMER THROW: Avana Story (54.30m/178-02)