8-Year-Old Jianna Cager Wins JO 400m

Jianna Cager.

Remember that name.

It's one you might want to file away for future reference. One you could store in an envelope where you keep valuable documents like birth certificates and old report cards.

In a decade or so, when Ms. Cager is, perhaps, capping a stellar high school track career or making her first splash as a collegian, you could pull out the yellowed piece of paper and say: "Jianna Cager, I knew she was something special way back in 2009!"

You see, Cager, an 8-year-old from St. Paul, won the Girls' Primary Division 400 meters at the AAU Junior Olympic Games in Des Moines, Iowa yesterday, clocking 1:07.43. She edged Makenzie Chambers of Texas, also age-8, who ran 1:07.56.

Results of the race are HERE.

Cager was a little more than two tenths of a second shy of the Primary Division record in the event of 1:07.21.

It was a good day for young Minnesota quarter-milers in general. Two other North Star Staters placed in the top-10 of their divisions at 400m -- the only other top-10 results for locals at yesterday's competition.

Keylan Jackson, a 9-year-old from Saint Paul, finished 8th in the Bantam Boys event in 1:06.74. Jakobi Jackson, a 12-year-old also from Saint Paul, finished 10th in the Midget Boys' 400m in 58.75.

Two more good names to remember for the future!

Complete AAU Junior Olympic results are HERE.