The four-day AAU Region 15 Track and Field Meet wraps up Sunday in Hillsboro at Grandview High School in Jefferson County. Region 15 is made up of the Ozark District, which includes much of the eastern side of Missouri, athletes on clubs on the eastern side, and some athletes in the St. Louis metro area across the border in Illinois.
The top six finishing individuals and relays and the top three multi-event finishers qualify for the AAU Junior Olympic Games (JOG). This year, the JO Games or national championships will be held in Des Moines, Iowa at Drake University's Drake Stadium, July 29-August 5. The facility is one of the premier in the country. It hosts the annual Drake Relays and has hosted the JOG, NCAA Division I Regionals, NCAA Division I Nationals, and the USA Track and Field Championships.
Besides the youth events for ages 19 down to 8 and under, there are also some Masters events for adults. The track and field triathlon, heptathlon, decathlon, and pentathlon kicked things off on Thursday while wrapping up Friday while some field events and races were held. The meet kicked into high gear Saturday with many preliminary events and some finals.
Some highlights from the high school competition at the meet include:
Green City junior Asher Buggs-Tipton of the Jefferson County Jets ran 14.38 to win the Boys 17-19-year-old 110-hurdles prelims. Buggs-Tipton will race for the 110H final title a month after earning his 9th state title at the Class 1-2 State meet.
Sixty-foot-plus shot put seniors Hayden Dixon of Schuyler County and Sam Albert of Capital City will be joined at Mizzou next year to throw for coach Robert Weir by Chase Crawford. Crawford is a senior at Cahokia High School in Cahokia Heights, Illinois.
Crawford won the Illinois Class 2A (3 Classes in IL.) shot put with a personal record of 19.29m/63-3. At the Region 15 meet, Crawford won the 17-19 age group shot put with a best of 18.49m/60-8.
Eighth-grader Jackson Miller of the St. Louis Blazers has continued his amazing middle school career this summer. After winning the Festival of Miles Middle School Mile in 4:22.33, Jackson won three events in Hillsboro.
He claimed the 14-year-old 3,000-meters Friday in 9:50. Saturday, he captured the 1500 in 4:19.70. The future St. Louis University High School Junior Billiken also won the 800 in 2:04.02.
On the girls' side, hurdling and jumping Hickman super sophomore Athena Peterson secured one event title. She cleared 5-6 to win the 15-16 high jump.
Just a few of the many top Missouri preps competing for a spot in the JOG include: Angel Dickerson
Joseph Anderson
Keion Grieve
Kyndal Harrington-Spain
Aaliyah ElliottGenesis Dixon Alexa Adams
Joseph Anderson
Keion Grieve
Kyndal Harrington-Spain
Aaliyah ElliottGenesis Dixon Alexa Adams