YOUNG ST. LOUIS SPORTS STARS EXCEL AT JRO GAMES
08/08/2013
Written by: Earl Austin Jr. 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 ...
Written by: Earl Austin Jr. 
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 4x800-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 4x800 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.
For a list of the other medalists from the AAU Junior Olympics from the St. Louis area, check out the The St. Louis American
