Winners from regional competition advance to Junior Olympics
More than 1,500 young athletes, ages eight to 18 from across the region will compete in this year’s AAU Regional Championship Track and Field Meet on June 25-28 at Park Center High School in Brooklyn Park. The track meet is from 9 am to 5 pm each day.
The regional qualifying meet draws nearly 1,500 young athletes from within the five-state region (Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, and North and South Dakota). The top finishers from each event in the competition will advance to Junior Olympics competition in Norfolk, VA, August 1-8. The winners from the national competition will be named “All American.”
To be eligible for regional competition, individual athletes and relay teams must have placed in the top 16 at a state qualifying or district meet. District meets were held June 20-21 at Brooklyn Center High School.
The state and regional track and field qualifying meets include a wide range of events: 100 meter dash, 200 meter dash, 400 meter dash, 800 meter run, 1600 meter run, 3200 meter run, 4 x 100 meter relay, long jump, high jump, triple jump, pole vault, discus, and javelin throws.
Admission to the regional track and field meet is $5 for the general public; ages five and under are free.
The regional and state qualifying events are hosted by Track Minnesota Elite, a nationally recognized track and field program created by Melvin Anderson that trains youth to be successful track and field athletes as a way to enter college.
Information courtesy of Track Minnesota Elite. To learn more about Track Minnesota Elite, visit www.trackminnesota.org. For more information on the Brooklyn Park meet, contact Melvin Anderson, meet director, 612-486-6730, ext. 10; Jack Mayeron, meet director, 612-486-6730, ext. 12; or Lisa Anderson, event coordinator, 612-486-6730, ext. 40.
Reach the MSR staff at msrnewsonline@spokesman-recorder.com.