Down the Backstretch

USATF-Minnesota Youth Athletics Chairman Chris Dallager recaps the first three days for Minnesotans at the AAU National Junior Olympics in New Orleans at Tad Gormley Stadium in the beautiful City Park of the Crescent City. The meet runs from July 30 through August 6. No medals won by Minnesota athletes through the first three days, but some qualifiers did advance to semi-final heats. Birth years are in parentheses for the first mention of the age groups to assist in identifying the ages of athletes.

Qualifiers:

100 Meter Dash: Primary Girl (2003) Tyian White (Richfield, Track Minnesota Elite) 15.53, 11th; Sub-Midget (2000) Ellie Bedingham (Woodbury) 13.79, 26th; Youth Girl (1997) Maddie Gourley (Eagan, Track Minnesota Elite) 12.64, 9th; Intermediate Boy (1996) Shaheed Hickman (Minneapolis, Track Minnesota Elite) 11.23, 10th.

The rest of the action:

3000 Meter Run: Midget Girl (1999) Essyonna Peschong (Brooklyn Park, Track Minnesota Elite) 12:05.17, 13th place; Midget Boy Parker Phillips (Plymouth, Track Minnesota Elite) 10:59.00, 10th place.

800 Meter Run: Sub-Youth Boy (1998) Daniel Palmer (Little Falls) 2:37.07, 78th place; Youth Boy Mitchell Dickerson (Maple Grove) 2:11.77, 25th place; Intermediate Boy Timothy Infinger (Little Falls) 2:16.62, 73rd place; Young Man (1994) David Afolabi (Brooklyn Center) 2:06.51, 65th place.

400 Meter Hurdles: Intermediate Girl Mia Barron (Minnetonka) 1:09.36, 38th place; Intermediate Boy Joshua Gillespie (Brooklyn Park) 1:04.58, 50th place; Young Man Rashad Cohen (Chanhassen) 56.53, 26th place.

200 Meter Hurdles: Youth Boy Alexander Klein (Stillwater) 27.95, 24th place.

100 Meter Dash: Primary Girl Rebecca Scholder (Plymouth) 15.71, 30th place; Bantam Girl Faith Robinson (St. Louis Park, Park Flyers) 14.69, 58th place; Bantam Boy Matthias Algarin (Little Falls) 14.36, 68th place; Sub-Midget Boy Marcus Guy (Plymouth) 14.04, 64th place; Midget Girl Kailynn Blanchard (Brooklyn Park) 13.67, 50th place; Sub-Youth Girl Briesha Hunter (St. Paul) 13.19, 34th place; Cori Bond (Brooklyn Park) 13.47, 59th place; Intermediate Girl Natasha Moore (St. Paul) 12.87, 69th place; Jacquelyn Bedingham (Woodbury) 12.97, 75th place; Intermediate Boy Jake Gourley (Eagan, Track Minnesota Elite) 11.59, 52nd place.

Triple Jump: Young Man Jon Osifuye (Woodbury, Track Minnesota Elite) 13.95 meters (45' 9.5"), 12th place; Deshawn Crutch (Brooklyn Park) 12.47 meters (40' 11") 47th place.

Long Jump: Young Woman Melanie Hill (Minneapolis) 5.03 meters (16' 6.25"), 53rd place.

Discus Throw: Sub-Midget Girl Beth-el Algarin (Little Falls) 15.39 meters (50' 6"), 22nd place.

Shot Put: Primary Girl Silencia Algarin (Little Falls) 2.04 meters (6' 8.5"), 70th place; Sub-Bantam Girl Grace Robinson (St. Louis Park, Park Flyers) 3.98 meters (13' 1"), 35th place.

Pentathlon: Midget Boy Manny Phoulom-Smith (St. Louis Park, Park Flyers) 1283 points, 30th place; Sub-Youth Girl Courtney Clark (Eagan, Real Track & Field) 1444 points, 40th place; Elizabeth Becker (Little Falls) 1238 points, 48th place.