Lanese sets national record, wins two Junior Olympic national titles in California

Results

On Sunday (31-Jul) the 2022 USATF National Junior Olympic Championships concluded in Sacramento, California. The championships were held on the campus of Sacramento State University.

4325 athletes competed during the sevens days of competition that began on Monday (25-Jul).  USATF Pacific Northwest was represented by 261 athletes who competed in 432 individual events and 36 relays.  

Ten (10) USATF Pacific Northwest athletes won twelve (12) national titles and turned in a total of 25 all-American performances by way of finishing in the top eight in an event.  Each all-American was presented with a championship medal, an all-American patch, and a coveted Junior Olympic all-American hat. 
Winning two national titles each were Quenton Lanese (Barron Park Striders) and Alexis Leone (unattached - pictured above).  

Lanese, the 2021 9-10 boys cross country champion, won the 11-12 boys 1500m and 3000m.  In the 1500m he ran 4:31.47 to win by 2.44 seconds over Elias Thronson of California.  In the 3000m Lanese and Thronson again locked horns as both broke the 24-year old national youth record of 9:38.52. Lanese stopped the clock at an eye-opening 9:31.17; over four seconds ahead of Thronson and seven seconds under the national record.

Similar to Lanese, Leone's wins also came in the 1500m and 3000m. Competing in the 15-16 girls division she first won 3000m running 10:05.55 on Saturday and then the next morning captured the 1500m in 4:36.45.

Eight other athletes, all from different clubs, won national titles - Jacob Andrews (Ready-Set-Go Sprinters), Kimberly Beard (Get Strong First Track Club), Madsen Clukey (Federal Way Track), Sutton Flint (Cascade Striders), Avery Gessel (Northwest Pole Vault), LeRoy Horton (Team Blackout Elite Track), Saydi Orange (Tahoma Track Club), and Gage Pedro (Yelm Tornado Track Club).

Four athletes won a national title and earned a second trip to the awards podium to accept a another individual all-American honor. Earning a national title and second place finish was Gage Pedro (Yelm Tornado TC - pictured above).  Pedro, a rising junior at Timberline High School, won the 15-16 boys Hammer Throw with a career best throw of 50.30m (165-00).  He then finished second in the Discus Throw with another career best effort of 49.63m (162-10).  He also placed 12th in the Shot Put.

Jacob Andrews (Ready-Set-Go Sprinters) won 17-18 boys 400m, by almost one second, running 46.71.  Last month he ran 46.39; the #2 high school time in Washington state history.  He then finished third in the 200m running 21.69. Andrews also anchored the silver medal Ready-Set-Go Sprinters 4x100m relay. LeRoy Horton (Team Blackout Elite Track - pictured above) captured the 15-16 boys 200m running 22.25 to defeat Harlow Tong of Minnesota by .03 seconds.  He also finished third in the 100m running 10.97.

Sutton Flint (Cascade Striders) ran to victor in the 13-14 boys 100m Hurdles in a time of 13.31.  In the 200m Hurdles he finished fourth (25.54) as Kenyon Andrews (South Central Athletic Assoc) finished second running 25.37. More on Andrews later in this article.

Four more Pacific Northwest athletes won national titles.  Madsen Clukey (Federal Way Track) captured the 7-8 boys Javelin with a throw of 49.56m (82-11).
  Kimberly Beard (Get Strong First Track Club - pictured above) won the 15-16 girls Hammer Throw with a career best of 47.11m (154-06). Avery Gessel (Northwest Pole Vault - pictured above) won the 13-14 girls Pole Vault clearing 3.10m (10-02); a career best by .25 inches. Saydi Orange (Tahoma Track Club- pictured above), the Washington State 4A champion, captured the 17-18 girls Javelin Throw with a 5-foot career best of 49.56m (162-07).  Orange has announced she plans to matriculate to the University of Washington and compete for the Huskies track & field squad.

<article will be updated soon> 


The complete Pacific Northwest Results Scoreboard can be found here.

Next year's championships will be held July 23-30 in Eugene, OR.

The 2022 USATF National Cross Country Championships will be held December 10 in College Station, TX.