Fast Heats And A Conclusion Of Racewalks On Day 2 Of AAU

* Runners compete over the second day of action at the AAU Junior Olympic Games

Photo Credit: Carlos Martinez/MileSplit

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GREENSBORO -- The second day of action at the AAU Junior Olympic Games on Sunday offered the conclusion of the multi events and the race-walk championships. 

It was a flurry of competition. 

The day featured multiple-time winners and an array of fast heats within the multis inside Truist Stadium on the campus of North Carolina A&T, pushing the event forward as we head into the track and field events on Monday. 

Check below for a longer look at a selection of the top moments from Sunday's efforts. 

Related Links: 

A Day 1 Recap Of The AAU Junior Olympic Games

TRACK: 

13-14yo Girls 3,000m Racewalk: Elgin's Kayleia Lindsay was in a league of her own on Sunday, authoring a winning time of 16:42.36. No one was close. Isabella Chu, the runner-up from Ambler OC, was second in 19:42.36.

13-14yo Boys 3,000m Racewalk: In a race that combined the 13yo boys, Josh Fink -- out of Fort Worth, Texas -- was the overall winner with a time of 15:43.82. 

15-16yo Girls 3,000m Racewalk: Team Puerto Rico picked up another win here behind the efforts of Cheryan Melendez, who clocked a time of 18:27.23. Her teammate Andrea Stella followed 30 seconds later in 18:57.72.

15-16yo Boys 3,000m Racewalk: Winning for the second straight year, Bryce Hammond made sure to cross the line with a little gusto, celebrating his finish with a simulated bow-and-arrow strike and a hand to the sky. He won the title in 16:45.23, gapping the field by 83 seconds.

17-18yo Girls 3,000m Racewalk: Abigail Cupo did not enter Sunday's festivities feeling like she was a contender. She left as a winner, however, securing a 6-second win over Keesha Vazquez in 16:26.34. Vazquez followed in 16:32.80. The pair were nearly four minutes faster than the third-place finisher.

17-18yo Boys 3,000m Racewalk: In a two-man race, Puerto Rico's Elvin Pillier pulled away from Brock Schweikert, a veteran of the Blue Thunder Track Club, in 15:43.57. Schweikert was second in 15:55.09.

MULTIS: 

9yo Girls Triathlon: Addison Brown was first with a point total of 1,071. 

9yo Boys Triathlon: Los Angeles native Myles Pressley was first with 685 points.

10yo Girls Triathlon: Ava Mensah finished with a winning effort of 1,170 points. 

10yo Boys Triathlon: Andre Truesdale claimed the victory with a total of 984 points. 

11yo Girls Pentathlon: Aaliyah Grinion finished with 2,516 points, claiming the overall title.

11yo Boys Pentathlon: Paxton Shipley secured the title with 2,186 points, while Kermit Barnhart was second in 1,986 points.

12yo Boys Pentathlon: Cambria Heights (NY) native Keannu Lawson edged Matthew May over the final event, scoring a total of 2,638 points to win. May followed with 2,599.

12yo Girls Pentathlon: Adrienne Knox was the only athlete over 3,000 points. Her performance of 12.48 seconds in the 80mH gave her 1,072 and set her up for a successful showing on Sunday. Leeah Combest was second with 2,845 points.

15-16yo Girls Heptathlon: Finishing off her seven-event series with a strong performance, Duncan clocked a near-career best of 2:18.67 to secure a total of 4,684 points, just off her PB of 4,777 from the AAU regional. Blair Haverkamp was second with 4,608 points.

15-16yo Boys Decathlon: While Jayvier Kerr did all he could to secure a win, clocking a speedy 4:31.34 in the 1,500m to finish off the 10-event series, he was roughly 80 points short. Trae Brickner won the overall competition with 6,025 points, ultimately moving past Kerr with successful showings in the discus, pole vault and javelin. 

17-18yo Girls Heptathlon: The 800m may have just decided the victory here, and it was a dominating display over the final frame for Avery Miller, whose 2:17.97 gave her 851 points and shot her right up to the lead with a winning total of 4,924 points. Gabrielle Crane, whose first six events put her in a position to contend for the title, struggled in the final event and came away with just 374 points. She scored 4,491 to finish second overall in the heptathlon.

17-18yo Boys Decathlon: The highest scoring point total went to Colton Dean, who registered 6,817 tallies and opened his account on Saturday with two massive performances in the 100m (10.89) and long jump (6.91m). Darius Jones II was second with 6,488 points. 

INTERVIEW OF THE DAY

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In what amounted to her sixth appearance at the AAU Junior Olympic Games since 2017 -- and her first since 2021 -- D'Asia Duncan didn't disappoint. 

The rising high school junior from Bloomfield High School in Connecticut approached her U.S. No. 10 performance in the heptathlon, coming up just two points shy of her personal best with a total score of 4,684 points.

"It's a lot of determination," she said. "Every morning waking up at 5 a.m. to go outside with my coach ...I had to put in that work." 

Duncan excelled on the track, notching times of 14.88 in the 100mH  and 2:18.67 in the 800m.

"It's like my specialty," she said. 

QUOTE OF THE DAY 

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"At first I came in seeded at 12th or whatever, so it was kind of a surprise when I looked at the results and I was third yesterday. But, to come out and finish second is a blessing." 

Gabrielle Crane, Acworth (GA)

The rising high school junior defied odds -- or at least her seed mark -- when she finished second overall in the 17-18yo girls heptathlon on Sunday at the AAU Junior Olympic Games, scoring 4,491 points.

MVP OF THE DAY

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Avery Miller, Cumberland (MD)

The rising senior at Allegany High School in Cumberland, Maryland dropped a ridiculous final 800 meter time of 2:17.97, scoring 851 points and moving up 477 points to overtake Gabrielle Crane, who led after six events. It only further illustrated the power of the 800m as Miller had last set an 800m best in 2022 of 2:17.00 at the Maryland State Championships. She had focused primarily on the 100m, 200m and 400m over the high school season. Miller's arsenal also included wind-legal times of 15.29 in the 100mH and a 200m clocking of 25.27.

PHOTO(S) OF THE DAY

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