As a coach of an AAU team this track season I have witnessed an intense weekly competition among the teams and its athletes. As I was putting this week's entry together and surveying the stats I decided to view the results of the NC USATF Junior Olympics this past weekend. After viewing the results it reaffirmed my belief that North Carolina is home to some of the most talented youth athletes in
Track & Field. For instance in the Young Men's 100M at the AAU National Qualifier you had Kendall Kee (10.73) of the Gastonia Eagles (7th New Balance Nationals) edging out Kaleb Johnson (10.93) of the Tri-City Relays, and Daniel Greer of the High Point Panthers (10.95). The USATF 100M final was even more impressive with Sean Mclean of the Carolina Eagles winning with a time of 10.6 followed by Donte Shaw, and Anthony Bynum of Track Eastern. In the 200M at Greensboro you had 5 athletes run 21 second times in the final led by Mclean of the Eagles. In the 400M Demari Boswell (49.04) won the AAU event; up in Greensboro you had Denzel Brown (48.48)of Track Xplosion edging out Burkheart Ellis (48.69) of Track Eastern. The Track Eastern trio Tadarrin Phronebarger (1.56.16), Raphael Rojas (1.57.31), and Cameron Tate (1.58.97) took the top three places in the 800M.

In the Intermediate division Barry Harris (49.43)won the 400M in Charlotte, while in Greensboro Xavier Jones of the Greensboro Champions won the 400M (49.37) in Charlotte. Hopefully we can see these two sprinters battle against one another in a 400M final. In Charlotte James Drummond (22.37) of the Salisbury Speedsters won the 200M. While at A&T you had Daquan Smalls (22.12) of Track Eastern edge out two Greensboro Champion teammates Xavier Jones(22.25), and Tevin Hester (22.31)in the 200M. Keith Marshall (10.82) of Carolina Elite edged out Tevin Hester (10.91) in the 100M at the NC USATF in Greensboro. Jordan Jackson (58.90) of the Heat Track Club out of Georgia won the 400M hurdles in AAU while Erin Jenkins (59.69) of Track Eastern took the 400M hurdles in USATF. Jaylon Holt of the Carolina All-Stars won the Intermediate High Jump with an impressive 6'4"attempt in Greensboro. Raekwon Johnson of the Greenville Jets won in impressive fashion in the AAU 100M with a time of 11.27, and the 200M (23.30) in the youth division. 2009 USATF athlete of the year Bryce Love of Carolina Elite won the Youth 200M & 400M with times of 22.62, and 49.47 in Greensboro. Jeremy Griffs of the Durham Striders won the youth 100m with a time of 11.63.

In the midget division in Greensboro Dylan Peebles (12.79) of Carolina Elite won the 100M, and 200M with a time of 25.73. Jonathan Spencer (59.24) of Track Xplosion won the 400M by edging out Sierra Hendrix-Williams of The Heat Track Club and teammate Trevon Mcarn (59.48) in Charlotte. In the AAU Sub-Youth Alex Barrow of Tri-City Relays(12.20,25.02) won the 100M and the 200M by edging out Myles Breedlove of the Charlotte Heat (25.03). Miles Cabean (2.16.25,4.43.27) of the Tri-City Relays won the Sub-Youth 800M, and took 2nd in the 1500M losing to Vincent Crisp (4.42.74). In the Bantam Boys Jacques Johnson of the Greenville Jets (13.57) won the 100M edging out Angel Rivera of the Charlotte Panthers(13.64), and teammate Jamie Elrod (13.80). Rivera was able to come back by winning the 200M with a pr of 27.76 edging out long times nemesis Nolan Johnson of the High Point Panthers (28.05) and Elrod of the Greenville Jets (28.10). Johnson came back and took the 400M with a season best 1.03.03. In Charlotte Coleman Mitchell of the Triangle Champions took the Bantam 400M, 800M, and the 1500M with times of (1.04.16, 2.28.85, & 5.04.66). Khafre Brown running unattached swept the 100M, and 200M in the Sub-Bantam with times of 13.67, and 28.18. Older brother Dyami Brown (13.48,27.63) would have duplicated the same feat if not for a misstep near the end of the 200 which had him finishing second to Aapri Washington (27.58) of the Gastonia Eagles.

Congratulations should go out to all the athletes who qualified for the AAU Junior Olympics in Norfolk,VA, and the USATF Regional in Greensboro, NC. In addition Tri-City Relays won as a team in the AAU State and Regional levels. For any athlete I did not get to acknowledge, please accept my sincere apology. The action takes a break for the most part in North Carolina this week as we celebrate out nation's independence.