Florida is a little lighter now that Track Houston brought back to Texas 154 medals from the 2015 USATF National Junior Olympic in Jacksonville, Florida. Although there was strong competition from across the country, Track Houston athletes’ performances were so outstanding that Track Houston was the only track club to win 12 first place awards. It was a traditional success for the club.

Excerpt from yourhoustonnews.com:

At USATF Region 12 Championships in Abilene Texas, Track Houston set an astonishing 20 new records with nine of them being set by the 11-12 Girls division. These girls dominated their competition setting new records in the 1500 meter race walk and all running events, except the 100 meters. The highlight of the meet came when the 11-12 Girls 4x100 meter relay team broke the USATF National record with a time of 49.15. Well, records are meant to be broken, but what Track Houston athletes did in Abilene was nothing short of outstanding.

2015 USATF Region 12 records set by Track Houston:

• 100m 9-10 Girls - Angel Haynes - 13.78
• 200m 9-10 Girls - Angel Haynes - 28.20
• 200m 11-12 Girls - Dynasty McClennon - 25.12
• 400m 11-12 Girls - Jalen Elrod - 57.86
• 800m 11-12 Girls - Jalen Elrod - 2:24.40
• 1500m 11-12 Girls - Kevriana Scott - 4:59.62
• 1500m 11-12 Boys - Ayenew Devany - 4:48.57
• 3000m 11-12 Girls - Camille Napier - 10:37.79
• 1500m Race Walk 9-10 Girls - Sanjana Perungulam - 9:10.13
• 3000m Race Walk 13-14 Girls - Camila Vicens - 15:50.95
• 80m Hurdles 11-12 Girls - Tairah Johnson - 13.96
• 100m Hurdles 15-16 Girls - Javlyn Cameron - 13.94
• 400m Hurdles 15-16 Girls - Javlyn Cameron - 1:04.11
• 400m Hurdles 17-18 Boys - Caleb Richmond - 52.47
• 4x100m Relay 9-10 Girls - Angel Haynes, Brooke Coleman, Danielle Johnson, Kameron Butler - 54.77
• 4x100m Relay 11-12 Girls - A'Niya Galloway, Dynasty McClennon, Taejha Badal, Daja Maxey - 49.15
• 4x100m Relay 15-16 Girls - Ariele Adams, Javlyn, Kynnedy Flannel, Rachel Hall - 45.96
• 4x400m Relay 11-12 Girls - Jalen Elrod, Dynasty McClennon, Taejha Badal, Daja Maxey - 3:59.38
• 4x400m Relay 11-12 Boys - Tyler Dale, Malik Campbell, Cedric Jenkins, Elijah Bean - 3:56.38
• 4x800m Relay 11-12 Girls - Heidi Nielson, Natalie Allen, Kevriana Scott, Sophie Atkinson - 10:16.76
  

Coach Kenya Artis has been selected as Youth Coach of the Year for the Southwest Zone by the National Youth Track Coaches Association. The Association will recognize Coach Artis by presenting her this award at the 2015 National Junior Olympics Track & Field Championships in Jacksonville, Florida during the Opening Ceremonies.

At Track Houston Coach Artis has coached and led 8U and 9-10 girls to several national championships. She was also instrumental in starting the cross country program in 2009 with 5 athletes. The program has now grown to over 100 athletes and 5 practice sites. Currently she is coaching the 13-14 girls and will lead them in their quest for their own national titles.

We appreciate Coach Artis contributions and dedication to the USATF Youth Program at Track Houston. Congratulations Coach Artis for an award well deserved.

At the USATF Region 12 Championships in Abilene Texas, Track Houston qualified 175 athletes for the National Junior Olympic which included 47 relays and 134 individual events. Way to go TRACK HOUSTON!

Several Track Houston divisions have top ranked relays and individual events that aspire to bring home their respective national titles. The 11-12 Girls 4x100 meter relay team seeks to break their own national record set in early July, and the 13-14 Boys 4x800 meter relay is going for their fourth straight national title.

The USATF National Junior Olympic will be held in Jacksonville Florida on July 27 thru August 2, 2015.

A team of Track Houston athletes traveled to Lisle, Illinois to compete in the USATF Hershey Youth Outdoor Championships.

Results from USATF Hershey Youth Outdoors

• Aaron Cooper 7th shot put
• Alexis Metoyer 1st 4x400, 2nd 4x800
• Andrew Gandy 2nd 3000m
• Camila Vicens 2nd 3000m Racewalk, 5th 3000m run
• Emma Godfrey 4th Steeplechase, 3rd 4x800
• Malik Campbell 2nd 200m and 8th 100m
• Janae Simoneaux 2nd 4x800, 3rd 4x400
• Jordan Cooper 6th 200m
• Kennedy Hunter 8th discus 
• Kevriana Scott 1st 3000m and 2nd in the 1500m
• Leeah Phillips 3rd 4x800, 1st 4x400
• Mariam Busari 3rd 4x800, 3rd 4x400
• Rebeca Gonzalez 7th 800m, 2nd 4x800, 3rd 4x400
• Sophie Atkinson 2nd 3000m and 3rd 1500m
• Sydney Gandy 4th 800m, 3rd 1500m, 1st 4x400, 2nd 4x800
• Tyler Rose 5th 400m, 3rd 4x800, and 1st 4x400
• 11-12 Girls finished 4th in the Team Championship
• 17-18 Women finished 2nd in the Team Championship

As one of its many fundraising opportunities for the Club, Track Houston Youth Track Club volunteered at this year's Chevron Houston Marathon on Sunday, January 18th. Pictured are administrators, coaches, parents and athletes who volunteered at the "refueling station". A huge thank you to all of our volunteers.

Congratulations to the cross country program for qualifying 52 athletes for the USATF National Junior Olympic Cross Country in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. At the USATF Gulf Association qualifying meet, Track Houston won 5 individual first place awards and 5 team championships. Special acknowledgement goes to the 11-12 Girls who won 1st through 6th place in the 3K run.

There’s no place like home. That statement rang true for Track Houston as the club amassed 10 USATF National Junior Olympic Championships at Turner Stadium. This year the nation’s best talent in youth track and field met in Houston to compete and crown its champions.

Houston area clubs had a very strong contingency of athletes competing but it was Track Houston athletes that kept 142 medals home.

Starting the medal count was Camila Vicens in the 11-12 girls 1500m race walk. She won gold in a time of 7 minutes flat, one minute faster than second place. Over the past 3 USATF Junior Olympics, Camila has won 2 gold and 1 silver making her one of the most successful athletes in the 1500m race walk event. Camila also was part of the 11-12 girls 4x800m relay of Camille Napier, Jalen Elrod and Kiarra Wafer-Randle that also won gold. All the girls on the relay team ran great but it was Camille Napier who was in a battle on the forth leg but eventually she wore down her competition to secure victory. 

Excerpt from www.yourhoustonnews.com:
[ . . . Track Houston led the Houston area with 10 national championships including six in relays. The club was particularly impressive in the boys 13-14 division as Bryson Jackson, Deonte Bradford, Kendon Flowers and Nathaniel McRae won the 1,600-meter relay in 3:28.05 and Deonte Bradford, Lucas Bourgoyne, Nathaniel McRae and Solomon Brent won the 3,200-meter relay in 8:44.14 . . . ]

In the 15-16 girls division the 4x800m relay team of Dinah Murphy, Janae Simoneaux, Sydney Gandy and Tyler Rose won gold in time of 9:38.15. 

The Track Houston 15-16 boys division claimed 3 national championships and 29 total medals. Their first championship can as a result of winning the 4x800m relay with the team of Cameron White, Oscar DeLeon, Randall Jubilee and Robert Lewis. Also in the 15-16 boys division, Shamon Ehiemua won gold in the 100m dash in a time of 10.90 and silver in the 200m in a time of 21.58. Isaiah Lucas collected his gold in the 110 hurdles with a time of 14.31.

Akeyla Mitchell ran her last 200m race before entering college at Kansas State University. She won the 17-18 women 200m dash with a time of 23.85.

For the second time in 3 years the 17-18 men won gold in the 4x100m relay. The team of Tracy Watson, Malcolm White, Bryce Deadmon and Malik D. Wilson ran a time of 40.65.

 www.yourhoustonnews.com article and results

The Track Houston 13-14 boys had an exemplary 2014 track season. Competing in 3 national meets, this group of boys won 8 national championships, won over 70 total medals and set 2 new records.

The 4x800 A-team of Deonte Bradford, Lucas Bourgoyne, Nathaniel McRae, Solomon Brent and the B-team of Andrew Gandy, Audraleous Henderson, Cameron Gilmore and Darrell Simoneaux dominated their event by winning gold and silver at the USATF Junior Olympic and at the AAU Club Championships. At the AAU Junior Olympic the teams won gold and bronze. These 2 relay teams are the top ranked 4x800m relay teams in the country. This is the third straight year this division has won this event and looks forward to making it 4 in a row.

During the AAU National Club Championships held in Orlando FL, Deonte Bradford set a new AAU Club meet record in the 14 year old 800 meters with a time of 1:59.70 and in the 13 year old division Lucas Bourgoyne set a new record in the 3000 meters in a time of 9:30.78.

Also at the AAU Club meet the 13-14 boys faced strong competition in the 4x400m relay race that ended in a thrilling finish. The team of Kendon Flowers, Deonte Bradford, Bryson Jackson and Nathaniel McRae, ran a great race but the forth leg Bryson Jackson was in a back and forward battle with the forth leg of the Miami Garden Xpress team to end the race in a photo finish. After a few seconds the timing system showed "1. Track Houston" with a time of 3:26.57, one hundredth of a second faster than the second place team Miami Garden Xpress. This Track Houston relay team also won gold at the USATF Junior Olympic and  silver at the AAU Junior Olympic.

Excerpt from www.yourhoustonnews.com:
[ . . . Track Houston led the Houston area with 10 national championships including six in relays. The club was particularly impressive in the boys 13-14 division as Bryson Jackson, Deonte Bradford, Kendon Flowers and Nathaniel McRae won the 1,600 meter relay in 3:28.05 and Deonte Bradford, Lucas Bourgoyne, Nathaniel McRae and Solomon Brent won the 3,200 meter relay in 8:44.14 . . . ]