LowcoSports.com
A group of 23 athletes from the Palmetto Road Runners track club opened their season Saturday and Sunday at the AAU South Carolina District Qualifier at Richland Northeast High School in Columbia, and 16 of them punched their tickets back to Columbia for the AAU Region 8 Qualifier meet June 27-30 for a chance to qualify for the AAU Junior Olympics later this summer.
Coached by Whale Branch’s Daniel Kline and anchored by a number of standouts from the Warriors’ highly successful high school program, the Road Runners had 11 athletes collect top-10 finishes with Jonathan Kelley leading the way with a third-place finish in the 200 meters, sixth in the 100, and eighth in the long jump in the boys 15-16 age group.
Hope Eugene (10U girls) and Joi Mulligan (13-14 girls) also qualified in three events.
DISTRICT QUALIFIERS
8U GIRLS
Charity Eugene: 8th 100m, 11th LJ
10U GIRLS
Hope Eugene: 14th 100m, 12th 200m, 12th LJ
Jocelyn Mulligan: 14th 200m, 14th LJ
12U GIRLS
Jaiden Eugene: 14th 100m, 9th LJ
13-14 GIRLS
Ariana Eugene: 6th LJ
Leah Smith: 12th LJ
Zykeriah Goodman: 7th 100m H, 15th LJ
15-16 GIRLS
Joi Mulligan: 10th 800m, 4th 1500, 11th LJ
15-16 BOYS
Isaiah Eugene: 11th 800m, 6th 1500
Jonathan Kelley: 6th 100m, 3rd 200, 8th LJ
17-18 GIRLS
Imani Blackwell: 7th 100m H
Makeima Adams: 10th LJ, 11th TJ
17-18 BOYS
Jayden Young: 6th 400m
Jonas Foskey: 12th 400m, 6th 800
Zaire Polite: 13th 400m, 8th 800
Jordan Cowan: 11th LJ, 5th TJ
