Greenhow, Olesen, Choice win individual national titles at National Junior Olympics

Virginia Results scoreboard 

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On Sunday (1-Aug) the 2021 USATF National Junior Olympic Championships concluded in Jacksonville, Florida. The championships were held on the campus of North Florida University. USATF Virginia was represented by 139 athletes who competed in 266 individual events and nine relays.  5432 athletes from 49 states competed during the sevens days of competition that began on Monday (26-Jul).

Virginians won five national titles while a total of 28 all-American performances were earned by athletes placing in the top eight in an event.  Each all-American was presented with a championship medal, an all-American patch, and a coveted Junior Olympic all-American hat.  

Individual national titles were won by Anthony Greenhow Jr. (unattached), Victor Olesen (Xtreme Heights LLC), and Alaiyah Choice (Legion of Zoom TC) and relay titles won by the MVP Leauge and Eastend Lightning TC.

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS 
Greenhow, the Virginia 4A high school champion in the 100m and 200m, only competed in one event in Jacksonville but he made it count as he ripped a 21.23 to win the 200m over Anthony Smith of Washington by .26 seconds.  In the semi-final he ran 21.15, which was just off his career best of 21.03 from the Virginia high school championships in June.  Greenhow will matriculate to the University of South Carolina to continue his education.

Olesen won the 13-14 boys pole vault clearing 3.97m (13-0¼) to win by over 1¼ feet.  Olesen started pole vaulting in 2019 and has improved his career best from 10 feet to 13-6.

Choice claimed her title in the 9-10 girls 400m running 1:02.40 to win by 1.32 seconds.  She also was 18th in the 200m (30.85) and 45th in the Long Jump (2.99m).

STRENGTH IN NUMBERS
Winning relay teams were the  MVP League 17-18 girls 4x400m and the Eastend Lightning TC 7-8 girls 4x100m.  

The MVP League has become a perennial top finisher in the 17-18 girls 4x400m relay and they continued that rich tradition this year as they won the event for the second time in four years. This was the fourth year in a row they have finished in the top two.  Their winning time of 3:43.13 easily outdistanced the second-place finish (3:48.52) by the Quicksilver TC of Georgia . The legs were run by Emily Catlett, Emma Seetoo, Victoria Higgins, and Aaliyah Pyatt. In 2019, Catlett, Seetoo, and Pyatt were members of the winning 15-16 4x400m team in Sacramento. In addition to the relay win, individually, Pyatt and Catlett each earned all-American honors. Pyatt finished third in the 400m running 54.84 and Catlett placed seventh in the 400m Hurdles running 1:04.27.  Pyatt, Catlett, and Seetoo will be moving on to the college ranks this month. Pyatt will matriculate to the University of South Carolina, Catlett to Boston University, and Seetoo to Texas Christian University.

The Eastend Lightning TC took the 7-8 girls 4x100m relay in convincing fashion as they stopped the clock at 1:03.07 to win by over two seconds over the Hallmark TC from Texas.  The championship team members were Nejae Sabbakhan, Kenya Herring, Autumn Lewis, and Shir'Niya Garrett-Pollard.  Individually, Garrett-Pollard earned a silver medal in the 100m (14.72) and was ninth in the 200m (31.68) and Nejae Sabbakhan finished fifth in the 200m (30.76) and 15th in the 400m (1:20.61).

THE SILVER LINING IS AWESOME 
Joining Garrett-Pollard as silver medalists were Emily Romano (Xtreme Heights) and Brian DiBassinga (MVP League).  Romano cleared a career best 3.60m (11-9¾) in the Pole Vault to tie for second place with Megan Kelleghan of Colorado. Her previous career best was 11-6. The competition was won by Kourtney Rathke of Colorado with a clearance of 3.75m (12-3½). DiBassinga grabbed his second place finish in the boys 17-18 Triple Jump in a new career best of 14.72m (48-3½).  His previous best was 47-7½ set in placing second at the VHSL Class 6 State Championships in June.

STATUES ARE MADE OF BRONZE
In addition to Pyatt's  third place finish in the 17-18 400m, Michailyn Rose (F.I.A. Ambassador Lion) and Farraj Al-Amin (Dale City Lightning TC) each earned bronze medals.  Rose was third in the 13-14 girls 800m running 2:20.38 and Al-Amin grabbed this bronze in the 14-14 boys 400m running 52.57.  He also finished fourth in the Long Jump (6.07m / 19-11) and 15th in the 100m (11.74).  He was one of two Virginia athletes to earn multiple individual all-American honors.  Joining him in that rarified air was Jaden Diaz who finished fourth in the 11-12 boys 3000m (10:29.40) and fifth in the 1500m (4:45.76).

USATF Virginia all-Americans:

Place	Name	Club	Division	Event	Performance
1	Anthony Greenhow Jr.	Unattached	17-18 boys	200m	21.23
1	Alaiyah Choice	Legion of Zoom TC	9-10 girls	400m	1:02.40
1	Victor Olesen	Xtreme Heights LLC	13-14 boys	Pole Vault	3.97m
1	Eastend Lightning TC	Eastend Lightning TC	7-8 girls	4x100m Relay	1:03.07
1	MVP League A	MVP League	17-18 girls	4x400m Relay	3:43.13
2	Shir'Niya Garrett-Pollard	Eastend Lightning TC	7-8 girls	100m	14.72
2	Emily Romano	Xtreme Heights LLC	15-16 girls	Pole Vault	3.60m
2	Brian DiBassinga	MVP League	17-18 boys	Triple Jump	14.72m
3	Farraj Al-Amin	Dale City Lightning TC	13-14 boys	400m	52.57
3	Aaliyah Pyatt	MVP League	17-18 girls	400m	54.84
3	Michailyn Rose	F.I.A. Ambassador Lion	13-14 girls	800m	2:20.38
4	Lyndia Bey	Legion of Zoom TC	13-14 girls	800m	2:20.90
4	Jaiden Diaz	Unattached	11-12 boys	3000m	10:29.40
4	Kendric Curry	Xtreme Heights LLC	13-14 boys	Pole Vault	3.30m
4	Farraj Al-Amin	Dale City Lightning TC	13-14 boys	Long Jump	6.07m
5	Nejae Sabbakhan	Eastend Lightning TC	7-8 girls	200m	30.76
5	Jaiden Diaz	Unattached	11-12 boys	1500m	4:45.76
5	Genesis Jackson	MVP League	17-18 girls	Triple Jump	11.83m
5	Naomi Woolfolk	Dale City Lightning TC	15-16 girls	Shot Put	11.51m
5	Dale City Lightning TC	Dale City Lightning TC	17-18 girls	4x100m Relay	47.82
6	Legion of Zoom TC	Legion of Zoom TC	13-14 girls	4x400m Relay	4:15.58
7	Catalina Sanchious	MVP League	13-14 girls	100m	12.47
7	Sydney Wynn	MVP League	17-18 girls	800m	2:17.10
7	Emily Catlett	MVP League	17-18 girls	400m Hurdles	1:04.27
7	Taylor Small	Dale City Lightning TC	17-18 girls	Long Jump	5.62m
8	Madison Whyte	Unattached	17-18 girls	200m	24.59
8	Grace Gillenwater	Xtreme Heights LLC	17-18 girls	Pole Vault	3.10m
8	Zuri Gatson	Loudoun Legacy	7-8 girls	Shot Put	4.13m

Next year's national championships are scheduled to take place July 25-31 in Sacramento, CA.

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