Veteran Brady leads all-American haul by Pacific Northwest athletes at Junior Olympic nationals

Results

(8-Aug) The 2019 USATF Hershey National Junior Olympic Track & Field Championships concluded last Sunday (28-Jul) in Sacramento, CA with 267 athletes from the Pacific Northwest association competing in the championships during the seven day competition held at Hornet Stadium on the campus of Sacramento State University.
 
The Pacific Northwest athletes competed in a total of 389 individual events and 50 relays against the best young athletes in the country.
 
A total of four national titles and 99 all-American performances were achieved by Pacific Northwest athletes with each earning a trip to the awards podium, a championship medal, and the coveted Junior Olympic All-American hat.  
 
Thirty-two clubs from the association were represented.  Teams with 10 or more athletes competing (in individual events) were: Cascade Striders (22), Federal Way Track (17), High Voltage (14), Rainier Beach Track (22), South Central AA (11), Speed Unlimited (25), Tahoma TC (13), and Team Blackout Elite (11).  
 
Clubs with multiple all-American performances were: Cascade Striders (12), Rainier Beach Track (10), Speed Unlimited (10), High Voltage (8),Tahoma TC (8),  Thriller T&F (7), Pacific NW Pole Vault (5), 4 Performance (3), Barron Park Striders (3), Team Evolution (3), Top Flight (3), Cheetah Track (2), Flying Ajs (2), Xtreme Speed (2), and Yelm Tornado TC (2). 
 
Beyond the quantity and quality of participation in Sacramento the storyline of the meet for the Pacific Northwest athletes were the four national titles won by Anvi Bhatia (Rainier Beach Track), Alaina Brady (Tahoma TC), Deven Brown (Seattle Speed Track), and Hana Moll (4 Performance).
 

Bhatia siblings throw their way to four all-American honors
Anvi Bhatia (Rainier Beach Track) won the 9-10 girls Javelin Throw with a career best throw of 29.86m (97-11).  She defeated region 13 rival Hadley Hughes of Oregon by over five feet.  She also finished fifth in the Shot Put with a throw of 8.24m (27-00½).  Her older brother Manav Bhatia joined his sister as an all-American finishing as the runner up in both the 11-12 boys Shot Put (13.42m / 44-00½) and Javelin 39.47m / 129-06).  Both marks were career bests. In the Javelin he was less than a foot short of the winning effort turned in my Maxwell Illuzzi of New Jersey.
 
More family success - introducing the Moll twins
While the Bhatia siblings were winning medals in the throws the Moll twins were soaring to all-American honors in the 13-14 girls Pole Vault.  It was Hana Moll (4 Performance) who used a career best performance to win the gold medal with sister Amanda claiming the bronze medal.

Both cleared 3.55m (11-07¾), as did runner-up Tatum Richards of New Mexico, but Hana was declared the event winner based on competition tie-breaking rules. It was a career best mark for Hana by over a foot.

Amanda also picked up an eighth place finish in the Pentathlon earlier in the week with a career best score of 2821 points.
 
Brady (the Veteran) adds to her all-American legacy
Alaina Brady (Tahoma TC) came to Sacramento as a veteran of six previous national championships. The rising high school senior had already earned 13 all-American honors including four national titles (2018 Heptathlon, 2014 Pentathlon, and 2014 80m Hurdles, 2012 Triathlon).

When the dust had settled in Sacramento she had added another national title and three more all-American hats to her collection.   Her national title was earned in the 17-18 girls Heptathlon.  At last year's nationals in Greensboro she won the 15--16 division with a score of 4694 points and looked to improve on the 4983 score she turned in at the region 13 championships two weeks prior to Sacramento.  In Sacramento she had the highest point scores in four of the seven events and ended the competition with a career best of 5160 points; over 300 points ahead of Jania Hodges of Georgia.  It was her first time breaking the 5000 point barrier and she is now the #3 Washington state high school performer all-time.
 
Later in the week Brady earned two more trips to the awards podium as she finished third in the Long Jump (5.61m / 18-05) and fourth in the 100m Hurdles in 14.04.
 
 

Brown is golden
The fourth gold medalists from the association was Deven Brown (Seattle Speed Track).  Brown who finished third at the region 13 championships and came to Sacramento as the #32 seed.  What many did not know was he had run 10.45 in April and then in June finished a strong third at the Brooks PR Invitational in a time of 10.56.  In the semi-finals he continued to fly under the radar finishing second in his semi-final heat (with the top 2 earning automatic qualification to the finals).  Then in the finals he was able to unleash his full talents as he out-leaned Jamhad Booth of Texas by .01 seconds in a time of 10.65.  He also finished 12th in the 200m running 22.07.
 
There was lots of silver to be had in the hills of Sacramento
In addition to the two silver medals won by Manav Bhatia nine other athletes earned runner-up placings in Sacramento.  Seven of the silver medals were won by athletes competing in the 17-18 division.
 
In the Triple Jump competition it was High Voltage teammates Davyd Davydenko and Lyric Harris who finished second in the boys and girls divisions, respectively. Davydenko who finished second at the association championships in June and then third at the region championships unleashed a career best of was 14.74m (48-04½) to claim the silver in Sacramento. His previous best was 47-04½.  Harris's best mark in Sacramento was 12.09m (39-08). It was the third year in a row she has finished in the top three at the national championships having finished third in 2017 and 2018.
 
Similar to the Triple Jump it was Pacific Northwest athletes sweeping the silver medals in the 17-18 Pole Vault.  Zachary Klobutcher (Unattached) vaulted 4.70m (15-05) for second place in the boys competition while Lianne Kistler (Northwest Pole Vault) claimed the girls runner-up position with a clearance of 3.85m (12-07½).
 
In the 17-18 boys steeplechase Joshua Beam (unattached) ran 6:16.04 for his second place finish.  The time broke his career best, set at the region championships, by over four seconds.
 
In the 17-18 girls Long Jump Hannah Ganashamoorthy (Speed Unlimited) captured the silver medal, just ahead of Pacific Northwest rival Alaina Brady, with a mark of 5.81m (19-00¾). It was her third top three finish in the Long Jump at the national championships.  Last year in North Carolina she won the 15-16 division and in 2016 she finished third in the  13-14 division.  
 
In the 10-event Decathlon Ryan Thoma (Thriller T&F) scored 6392 points for his runner-up finish setting a new career best by 58 points.  Thoma had the best High Jump mark of the 22 competitors as he cleared 1.90m (6-02¾).  
 
In the boys 15-16 400m Hurdles Lyricc Lopez (High Voltage) ran 55.36 to finish second to BriYon Watts of Illinois who ran 54.88.  Lopez also finished 23rd in the Long Jump.  And rounding out the silver medalists from Pacific Northwest was JaBron Brooks (Team Evolution) claiming the runner-up spot in the 13-14 boys Shot Put with a mark 15.48m (50-09½); a career best by over six feet. He also placed 22nd the Discus.
 
 
Cascade Striders trio each earn two all-American honors
The Cascade Striders girls distance program flexed their muscles in Sacramento as the trio of Anna Schneidler (11-12 girls), Alyvia Brown (13-14 girls), and Sophia Dahl (13-14 girls) each earned two all-American honors.  Their six trips to the podium helped lead the team to the most all-American honors (12) of all of the local clubs.

At last year's national championship in Greensboro Anna Schneidler won the 800m and finished second in the 1500m.  This year she moved up a division and despite being one of the youngest in the her races ran to all-American finishes again this year.  In the 1500m she ran 4:55.60 to place third and in the the 800m she ran 2:23.45 to finish fourth. Both times were career bests.  Her time in the 1500m was a career best by nine seconds as she broke the 5 minute barrier for the first time.

Alyvia Brown came to Sacramento having already earned three all-American honors over the past two years.  In 2017, she won the 11-12 girls 800m and finished second in the 1500m.  Then last year in North Carolina she finished third in the 13-14 1500m.  She continued her streak as she picked up two more all-American honors in Sacramento. Competing in the 13-14 division she finished fourth in the 1500m running 4:44.01 and seventh in the 800m in a time of 2:24.31.  In the 1500m her teammate Sophia Dahl finished just .10 seconds behind her to finish fifth place.  Competing in her first national championships, Dahl also finished seventh in the 3000m running 10:17.91.

Other Cascade Striders earning all-American honors were - Aiyah Smart (4th 15-16 girls High Jump), Sydney Collier (5th 11-12 girls 3000m), Cassandra Lemus (6th 15-16 girls Long Jump), Luca Andonian (7th 17-18 boys 1500m), Narendra Manogaran (7th 15-16 boys 3000m Race Walk), and Timothy Curtis-Ames (7th 7-8 boys Javelin).
 
 
.....and there are MORE double all-Americans
A total of 14 Pacific Northwest athletes earned multiple all-American honors.  Joining the already mentioned were Laila Bolton (Top Flight), Michael Bulldis (Cheetah Track), Hailee Foster (High Voltage), Kaiha Gayles (High Voltage), Quenton Lanese (pictured - Barron Park Striders),  Jeremiah Nubbe (Yelm Tornado TC), and Adaji Osaro-Igwe (Tahoma TC).
 
Bulldis, competing in the 9-10 boys division, finished fourth in the 800m running 2:27.59 and then seventh in the 1500m in a time of 5:06.55.  His time in the 1500m was a career best by nearly six seconds.  In the 800m qualifying rounds he ran a slightly faster time of 2:27.12 which was his career best. 
 
Bolton (11-12 girls) finished third in the Long Jump with a mark of 4.70m (15-05) and fourth in the Pentathlon with a score of 2525 points. Both marks were career bests for Bolton.  Her previous bests, both set two weeks earlier at the Region 13 championships, where 15-03 in the Long Jump and 2497 points in the Pentathlon.
 
Foster placed fifth in the 9-10 girls High Jump (1.20m / 3-11¼) and fifth in the Triathlon scoring 961 points.  Her Triathlon score surpassed her previous career best of 916 points set when she won the region championships in mid July.
 
Gayles picked up a fifth place finish in the 15-16 girls Heptathlon (3984 pts.) and was seventh in the 100m Hurdles running 14.92.
 
In the 7-8 boys 1500m Lanese finished fifth running 5:26.61 and was sixth in the 800m in 2:45.82.  His time in the 1500m was a career best by over six seconds.
 
Nubbe finished fifth in the 15-16 boys Discus Throw (44.66m / 146-6) and then sixth in the Hammer Throw (49.63m / 162-10).  His mark in the Hammer Throw was a career best by over nine feet.
 
And rounding out the multiple all-Americans was Osaro-Igwe (15-16 girls) who placed fourth in the 100m in 12.02 and was eighth in the 200m.  In the second round of the 200m Osaro-Igwe ran 23.83 a career best (under legal wind conditions) and is the #1 time run by a Washington high school girl in 2019.
 
Speed Unlimited relays their way to four podium finishes
Speed Unlimited picked up four all-American honors in the relays while Xtreme Speed also fought their way to a relay all-American honor.
 
In the 15-16 boys division Speed Unlimited finished fifth in the 4x400m relay running 3:27.07 and also finished sixth in the 4x800m relay in a time of 8:34.24.  Their older teammates finished seventh in the 17-18 boys 4x800m relay in a time of 8:14.52.
 
In the 15-16 girls division the Speed Unlimited quartet finished sixth in the 4x800m Relay running 10:11.37.

And in the same division it was the Xtreme Speed 15-16 girls finishing eighth in the 4x100m Relay in a time of 48.57
 
Making Their Way to the Podium
And our final lists of Junior Olympic All-Americans (not already mentioned above):
 
Third Place 
Mason McVey (Northwest Pole Vault) 15-16 boys Pole Vault
Tyrone Taylor II (Rainier Beach Track) 15-16 boys 100m
Faith Richardson (Tahoma TC) 17-18 girls 100m
Tyara Straka (Team Evolution) 15-16 girls Shot Put
Callie Mueller (Thriller T&F) 15-16 girls 3000m Race Walk
Deyondre Davis (Thriller T&F) 17-18 boys 400m Hurdles
Ellie Talius (Unattached) 17-18 girls Triple Jump
 
Fourth Place
Javon Gray (Flying Ajs) 17-18 boys Triple Jump
Olivia Emanuel (Flying Ajs) 17-18 girls Triple Jump
Allison Neiders (Northwest Pole Vault) 15-16 girls Pole Vault
Elena Kline (Northwest Pole Vault) 17-18 girls Pole Vault
Maya Lord-Roberson (Rainier Beach Track) 9-10 girls 1500m Race Walk
Taja Ward (Rainier Beach Track) 13-14 girls Shot Put
Ethan Willems (Speed Unlimited) 17-18 boys 400m
Adaji Osaro-Igwe (Tahoma TC) 15-16 girls 100m
Mataya Straka (Team Evolution) 13-14 girls Discus
Emma Pollak (Xtreme Speed) 15-16 girls 400m Hurdles
 
Fifth Place
Nolan Mickenham (Evergreen Storm TC) 17-18 boys 100m
Max Berger (Rainier Beach Track) 13-14 boys Javelin
Asher Ogden (Ridge TC) 15-16 boys Decathlon
Justice Etafo (Tahoma TC) 17-18 boys Long Jump
Audrey Green (Thriller T&F) 17-18 girls 3000m Race Walk
Ethan Brandon (Thriller T&F) 17-18 boys 3000m Race Walk
Joren James Rentie IV (Thriller T&F) 15-16 boys Long Jump
Colby Wilson (Unattached) 17-18 boys Decathlon
Tessa Watkins (Unattached) 17-18 girls Pole Vault
 
Sixth Place
Ho oponokau ilani Fuiava (Barron Park Striders) 15-16 girls Discus
Isaiah Englund (Federal Way Track) 9-10 boys Javelin
Ella Petersen (Flanagan Clan) 11-12 girls 80m Hurdles
Isabella Nilsen (Northwest Pole Vault) 15-16 girls Pole Vault
Sesley Love (Rainier Beach Track) 17-18 girls 3000m Race Walk
Orlaan Winston (Rainier Beach Track) 13-14 girls 800m
Aaliyah Khan (Speed Unlimited) 11-12 girls Javelin
Khamille Chappell (Top Flight) 11-12 girls Pentathlon
Jackson Gibbon (Unattached) 17-18 boys Shot Put
Nick Jenkins (Unattached) 17-18 boys Triple Jump
 
Seventh Place
Jonah Tongco (Days TC) 13-14 boys Long Jump
Drew Hill (High Voltage) 17-18 boys 400m Hurdles
Ava Hagwell (Speed Unlimited) 15-16 girls 1500m
Gabriel Shouman (Tahoma TC) 17-18 boys Javelin
Jayden White (Unattached) 17-18 boys Hammer Throw
Danny McJunkin (Unattached) 17-18 boys Pole Vault
Faith Marshall (Xtreme Speed) 17-18 girls 100m Hurdles
 
Eighth Place
Aiden Morton (South Central AA) 9-10 boys 200m
Nell O'Hara (Speed Unlimited) 15-16 girls 1500m
Azad Khan (Speed Unlimited) 13-14 boys Long Jump
Adaji Osaro-Igwe (Tahoma TC) 15-16 girls 200m
Donaven Humphries (Tahoma TC) 15-16 boys Hammer Throw
Grace Johnson (Team Blackout Elite) 9-10 girls Javelin
Emily Riehl (Thriller T&F) 17-18 girls High Jump
 
A complete set of Pacific Northwest performances can be viewed here.
 
Next year’s national championships are slated for Jacksonville, Florida July 27 - August 2.