Four members of the Columbus Parker Track Club are headed to the AAU Junior Olympics this weekend.
Jaden Alexander, Michaela Bufford, Reggie Harris and Amir Ware will represent the club at the 56th annual event July 29-Aug. 6 at North Carolina A&T in Greensboro, N.C.
They qualified for the Junior Olympics at the AAU Track & Field Region 8 Qualifiers, held June 30-July 3 at Eastside High School in Taylors.
South Carolina and Georgia athletes who place in the top 16 at their state qualifiers compete at regionals for a chance to go to the Junior Olympics.
Those who place in the top six at regionals move forward to the National AAU Jr. Olympics, where over 13,000 track and field athletes will compete, and over 30,000 spectators from all over the country and Puerto Rico are expected.
Tina Shaw said the Columbus Parker Track Club is proud to have four athletes qualify for the Junior Olympics.
Bufford, 9, won the silver medal in the 1500 racewalk at regionals. She attends McDonald Green Elementary School.
Harris, a Lewisville High School student, won the silver medal in the triple jump in the 15-16-year-old division at regionals.
Ware, 14, a Lancaster High School student, won the silver medal in the javelin at regionals.
Alexander, a Lancaster High student, came in fourth in the 3000-meter run in the 15-16-year-old division.
State winners
At the S.C. State qualifiers, held in early June at Eastside High, three CPTC athletes won medals.
Kamille Hayden won gold in the long jump, and also qualified in the 200m dash.
Ware won gold in javelin, and qualified in the 100m dash and 200m dash.
Alexander won silver in the 3000m run, and qualified in the 1500m run and 800m run.
Six more CPTC athletes placed in the top 16 at the S.C. state qualifier for a total of nine club members eligible for the region meet.
Harris — 800m run, long jump and triple jump
Josalynn Shaw — shot put, discus and javelin
Bufford — 1500m racewalk and turbo javelin
Jackson Chambers — javelin
Joshua Chambers — turbo javelin
All-Star Opener winners
The following CPTC athletes received medals in the All-Star Opener meet earlier in the season, also held at Eastside High:
Shaw — javelin, first; discus, first; shot put, second
Harris, long jump, first; 800m run, second
Jackson Chambers — 800m run, first; 400m run, second
Bufford — 1500 racewalk, second
Alexander — 800m run, third
