USATF National Junior Olympics: 10 Of The Top Performers

WINSTON SCHRODER

IMG Academy (Fla.)

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The multi-athlete from star "The Sunshine State" hasn't even begun his penultimate year of high school, but has already been crowned national champion after a low-stress win in the Men's 17-18 Decathlon. All in all, Schroder put up 6975 points, nearly 500 points ahead of the nearest finisher. The incoming junior won the 100m, long jump, and shot put, putting up competition-leading marks of 10.94, 23-7.25, and 44-10.25. Across the high jump, 400m, and javelin, Schroder finished runner-up and added three more top-three finishes in the 110mH, discus, and pole vault. Schroder's second high school season comes to a close with his second national championship win, adding to his Under Armour title he snagged during his lifetime best performance of 7583 from May. 

SANYAH KEETON

Duncanville (Texas)

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After months of racing against some of the best sprinters in both Texas and the U.S., Keeton let her speed do the talking this time around, leaving Norwalk, California with two national titles to her name. In the 100m final, Keeton clocked 11.45, her fastest time of the meet by 15-hundredths of a second, following that up with a 23.59 in the 200m final, also the fastest time for Keeton this weekend. Before she takes her talents to TCU this month and officially begins her Horned Frog career, the UIL state champion added national hardware to her long list of accomplishments.

ELIJAH ZUNIGA

Spring Providence Classical (Texas)

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One of the top entries in the mid-distance realm heading into the 2026 USATF Junior Olympics, the Texan made the most of his trip out West, sweeping the 1500m and 800m titles in the meet's most competitive division. After running the fastest qualifying time out of dozens of entrants in the metric mile, Zuniga pulled away when it mattered most, taking down Torris Prince III, 4:00.52 to 4:02.03. In the shorter of the two, the soon-to-be senior clocked his second-fastest 800m time on the year, running 1:52.22 in the win. 

Kaahliyah Lacy

San Jacinto Valley Academy (Calif.)

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It wasn't even a little close as Lacy coasted through all rounds of both the 100mH and 400mH. One of the top hurdlers in California this past season, Lacy, who is only going to be a junior this upcoming year, won a pair of hurdle titles with not much hassle. Crossing in 13.73 and 59.66, Lacy was in a league of her own and has already made quite the name for herself after just one trip to the USATF National Junior Olympics.

JASIR FONTENOT

San Diego (Calif.)

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Fontenot had already proved himself to be one of the most electric hurdlers in the entire country, but winning your third-consecutive title at the USATF National Junior Olympic Championships is a rare feat. Just weeks before the beginning of his junior year of high school, the San Diego speedster ran his fastest wind-legal time of the year when it mattered most: the 110mH final. Fontenot clocked 13.38 as he won by nearly two-tenths of a second, matching Wayne Davis's 17-year-old record of 13.38 way back in 2009. The 14th-fastest hurdler in high school history still has two years left to work his way up that list, and it shouldn't come to anyone's surprise when he lowers the meet record as well. 

ANNABELLE CARR

Coeur d'Alene (Idaho)

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When Carr wasn't spending time on the track, she was spending the rest of her time on the podium, leaving California with three top-two finishes to her name and a pair of national titles. Individually, the soon-to-be Oregon Duck ended her prep career with an 800m title, and nearly lowered her PB in the process. After cruising through prelims with the fastest time, she blew the field away at the sound of the bell, running four seconds faster than anyone else's bell lap, crossing in 2:09.14. She also helped the Spokane Speed Academy finish runner-up in the Mixed 4x400m and claim gold in the Girls 4x400m, running 3:29.73 and 3:43.41, respectively. 

JULIAN BROWN

Myrtle Beach (S.C.)

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Brown entered his penultimate USATF Junior Olympic Championships ranked as the No. 2 high jumper in the nation, and came within an inch of taking the top spot on the route to his national title. Clearing 7-3.25, Brown was the only competitor to clear the bar, but was challenged by runner-up Joshua Harel, who soared over 7-1.5 for silver. Tied for the eighth-best clearance in high school history, Brown could be the one to finally break Dothel Edwards' meet record of 7-5.75, which has stood for the last 43 years.