* A runner finishes off his race on Saturday at the AAU Junior Olympic Games
Photo Credit: Carlos Martinez/MileSplit
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GREENSBORO -- Saturday marked the latest iteration of the AAU Junior Olympic Games.
The annual event kicked off at Truist Stadium on the campus of North Carolina A&T with a series of events, including the multis and the race-walk, and the opener was the primer for eight days of action on the track and in the field.
With the soft launch to one of the biggest events on the calendar -- nearly 13,000 athletes scheduled to appear across the week -- the festivities got underway with a bang.
Check below for the top moments from the day, including some thrilling race-walks and early moments in the decathlon and heptathlon.
WATCH LIVE: THE 2024 AAU JUNIOR OLYMPIC GAMES
COVERAGE BEGINS AIRING ON JULY 27 AT 8:00 a.m. EST
For more coverage, check out our AAU Junior Olympic Games meet page
TRACK:
9yo Girls 1,500m Racewalk: In the closest race of the day, it was a dramatic finish and a bittersweet final decision. The overall winner Ashlynn Williams-Gilford, earned her third and final yellow card just meters from the finish line, despite the fact that she crossed the line first by seven-tenths of a second over Alysha Orozco Ocasio, who, by default, earned the victory in 10:13.63. Avha-Rose Allen was second in 10:15.42, while Khloe Alexander was third in 10:16.44.
9yo Boys 1,500m Racewalk: Two teammates from Maryland battled tooth-and-nail from the front, and there is no denying that fact. Reign Centano claimed the win in 9:29.40, while Joshua White was second in 9:31.30. The pair from Severn Highsteppers Track Club were also a minute faster than the third-best athlete, Hridhaan Daga, who finished in 10:29.50.
10yo Girls 1,500m Racewalk: Team Puerto Rico grabbed it second win behind the effort of Atabey Moreno Bezares, who claimed the win in 9:33.93. Sofia Forero was second in 9:36.08.
10yo Boys 1,500m Racewalk: Zaid Melendez, another stalwart from Puerto Rico, rocked the heat with a blitzing racewalk in 8:50.56, claiming the victory by just under 30 seconds. Samuel Noe was second in 9:20.54.
11yo Girls 1,500m Racewalk Amelie Guzman gapped the field after 800 meters, securing the win in 8:15.40. It was her second straight racewalk title.
11yo Boys 1,500m Racewalk: Saain Patel returned to the AAU Junior Olympic Games vying for a victory, and he did just that, authoring a winning time of 7:32.46. Ryker Newberry was second in 7:50.14.
12yo Girls 1,500m Racewalk: Karina Maldonado secured Puerto Rico's fourth title of the day with her dapper race in 8:33.74. Wearing futuristic shades, she pulled away from Aveline Moret over the last lap. Moret was second in 8:46.32.
12yo Boys 1,500m Racewalk: Darius Dunlap-Elkins collected the win by over 30 seconds, crossing the line in 8:27.88. Waza Track Club's Luke Carroll, competing in just his second racewalk, was second in 9:00.75.
MULTIS:
15-16yo Boys Decathlon: Jayvier Kerr, a 16-year-old from Cleveland, finished off day one with an electric 400m in 49.26, leading the charge with 3,421 points.
17-18yo Boys Decathlon: Colton Dean has scored 3,686 after one round, securing a time of 10.89 in the 100m and 49.27 in the 400m.
15-16yo Girls Heptathlon: Connecticut-area star D'Asia Duncan is in the lead after one day of action with 2,823 points. Her 14.88 clocking in the 100mH and time of 26.12 in the 200m have been her go-to events thus far.
17-18yo Girls Heptathlon: Richmond Hill, Georgia resident Mmekom Inyang leads all athletes after the first day with 2,898 points. She clocked a time of 14.51 in the 100mH to begin the day.
14yo Girls Pentathlon: Isabella Alvarez secured the bag with a final push in the 800m, earning 680 points with her time of 2:31.03. She totaled 3,633 points to out-maneuver Khloe Washington, who was second with 3,502.
14yo Boys Pentathlon: Wichita Falls' Quincy McLean -- mirroring his teammate Lily Leblanc -- took the overall title by the narrowest of margins. Just seven points separated his win to the second-place finisher, Jahmai McKenzie of Leander, Texas. In fact, it was the final 1,500m that earned McLean the victory. He clocked a time of 4:37.79, a brilliant finish to the day which secured 694 and ultimately overcame McKenzie's stellar day -- one that included an elite time of 13.91 in the 100mH.
13yo Girls Pentathlon: This Texan was too much for the field. Lily Leblanc was nearly 300 points better than her competitors, totaling 3,109 to win on the day. She picked up 842 points in the 100mH, clocking a time of 15.00, and earned 672 in the 800m, running 2:31.64.
13yo Boys Pentathlon: Nineteen points was the difference between first and second-place in the division. Louiken Freishtat took home the victory with 2,600 points. The Potomac, Maryland athlete picked up 770 points with his time of 15.67 in the 100mH. Jonathan Johnson was second with 2,581 points.
INTERVIEW OF THE DAY
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Luke Carroll, Waza Track Club (MI)
In just the second racewalk of his career, Carroll put down a time of 9:00.75 and overcame some inexperience to walk away with a silver medal in the 12-year-old division. The rising seventh-grader said he's going to continue to train in the racewalk and hopes to develop there.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
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"I'm not sure how (I won this race today). But I work my hardest and I try my best to win the race."
Darius Dunlap-Elkins, Severn Highsteppers TC
The 12-year-old race-walker won the division with a time of 8:27.88. He mentioned in his post-race interview that it was a surprise how well he performed.
MVP OF THE DAY
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Jayvier Kerr, Cleveland (OH)
Boys 15-16yo Decathlon
Kerr is leading the group after five events and closed off his day with a blitzing run in the 400m of 49.26 seconds. The 16-year-old has scored 3,421 points, which gives himself a 200-point cushion on the current runner-up.
PHOTO(S) OF THE DAY
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* A runner finishes off his race on Saturday at the AAU Junior Olympic Games
Photo Credit: Carlos Martinez/MileSplit