The 2019 AAU Junior Olympic Games Sprints Preview

It's probably no coincidence that, with the largest enrollment in AAU Junior Olympic Games history -- over 15,000 athletes are entered to compete -- in 2019, we'll see a changing of the guard among athletes. 

Last year's installment saw countless young stars line the track, from the likes of Tyrese Cooper to Athing Mu to Brandon Miller. 

This year's version will offer some new faces and emerging talents. 

The sprint category, in particular, will offer some of the event's most promising stars: 10-year-olds Juliah Bolden and Grant Reynolds; 12-year-olds Elise Cooper and Jonathan Simms; 13-year-olds Christin Facey and Tavares Duckett; 14-year-old Mekhi Gammons; 15-year-olds Ramiah Elliott and Erriyon Knighton; and a pair of 17- and 18-year-old teammates from the Milwaukee Mustangs, Elijah Johnson and Amari Brown. 

Gammons will enter with the most press following his performance at the AAU National Club Championships, where he ran a 13-year-old world age group record of 47.86 seconds, almost seamlessly taking the reigns as the club's next great sprint star. The MGX sprinter, who has opted not to run the 800m this season, will instead go for the 200/400 double.

Then there's the 15-year-old Elliott, who's resume is skyrocketing upward. She won four high school state championships in Indiana as a freshman and finished fourth in the 200m at the USA U20 Championships in Florida in June, going 23.27. She returns as a champion in the 400m from last year's event. 

Johnson and Brown, two talents from Wisconsin, are nearing star roles in 2019.

Johnson, a runner-up in the 100m and a fourth-place finisher in the 200m at the 2018 Games, had a banner senior season in Wisconsin, earning a sprint double at the state championships. He is likely to be the next great sprinter within the AAU circuit in 2019. 

Brown, meanwhile, is fast rising and has a chance to earn a double of her own at the Games. Like Johnson, she medaled in the 200m last year, placing third, but is coming off two wins at Wisconsin's state championships in both the 100m and 200m. 

The likes of Facey and Duckett could offer some extraordinary, and record-level, performances, while Cooper and Simms are likely to produce the same aura of efforts.

The 17-18 age boys 400m is sure to be a barnburner. While Durham Striders athlete Khaleb Mcrae enters with the event's top time of 46.54, he'll have a few athletes hot on his tail. Team Xtreme's Dominick Yancy (46.72) and i5Elite's Ryan Willie (47.12) will be more than capable of going for a win. 

Up Next: 

• Hurdles Preview (6 p.m., Wednesday)
• Throws Preview (12 p.m., Thursday)
• Distance Preview (8 a.m. Friday)
• Jumps Preview (12 p.m. Friday)

Related Links: 

• 2019 AAU Junior Olympic Games coverage
• AAU Jr. Olympic Games profiles

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* MGX's Mekhi Gammons set a 13-year-old age group record in the 400m at the AAU National Club Championships

Top Sprint Seeds

Girls 100

8 & Under: Ariyana Gray, RBF Run To Be Fit, 14.72

9yo: Bella-marie Black, Charlotte Heat, 13.73

10yo: Juliah Bolden, Miami Gardens Xpress, 13.08

11yo: Tamra Houston, Cleveland Mustangs, 12.92

12yo: Elise Cooper, Owings Mills Track Club, 12.29

13yo: Christin Facey, Alpha Elite Track Club, 12.17

14yo: Cynteria James, Down South Xtreme, 12.11

15-16yo: Kaila Jackson, Track Life University, 11.64

17-18yo: Amari Brown, Milwaukee Mustangs, 11.62

Girls 200

8 & Under: Alaiyah Choice, Legion of Zoom TC, 29.73

Girls 400

8 & Under: Madisyn Scott, Texas Thunder TC, 1:09.24