* Rheinhardt Harrison wins the 14-year-old Boys 1,500m at the 2018 AAU Junior Olympics.
Photo Credit: Cory Mull/MileSplit
Over the course of the meet's history, the AAU Junior Olympic Games has seen many athletes clock noteworthy times and win numerous titles in record-breaking fashion.
From the shorter 800m event up to the 3,000m true distance race, Junior Olympic athletes have set age group records and completed distance event sweeps to make for impressive moments.
Which athletes have produced some of the most memorable performances at the distance specialty?
Scroll below to see which distance performances stand out in AAU Junior Olympic meet history.
Rheinhardt Harrison, Nease (FL)
Year: 2018
Events: 800m, 1,500m and 3,000m
Performance: 14-year-old Boys winner in the 800m, 1,500m and 3,000m; second all-time at the AAU Junior Olympics in the 14-year-old Boys 3,000m
- - -
Before he was running sub-4:00 for the mile, Rheinhardt Harrison dominated the distance events at the AAU level as a middle schooler.
At the 2018 AAU Junior Olympics, Harrison completed a sweep of the three distance events and did so by producing some of the fastest times ever recorded by a middle schooler in meet history.
4:13.03 in the 1,500m began his meet campaign. Harrison followed it up with 1:57.95 performance to win the 800m. The last day of competition saw him close out the meet with an impressive 9:07.86 3,000m to successfully complete the distance triple.
Harrison truly showcased his glimmers of talent as the distances grew longer. His winning time of 9:07.86 in the 3,000m ranks second all-time at the AAU Junior Olympic Games and makes for one of only two sub-9:10 performances in the meet's history.
Brandon Miller, John Burroughs (MO)
Year: 2018
Events: 800m and 1,500m
Performance: New 15-16-year-old Boys 1,500m national record; first-place finish in the 800m
- - -
Brandon Miller put together countless memorable showings at the AAU Junior Olympics over the course of his storied club track career, but his performance in the 15-16 age group in 2018 stands out as perhaps the most noteworthy of them all.
Miller broke a nearly 40-year-old national record in the 1,500m to come away with the event win.
But he didn't put on a show in the 1,500m alone. Miller went after his own 800m age group national record, but fell just short with an event-winning time of 1:50.14. That made for the current U.S. middle distance phenom's ninth 800m AAU title.
Victor Jaimez-Solorio, Pacific Coast ShockWaves (CA)
Year: 2019
Events: 800m and 1,500m
Performance: 8-under Boys 1,500m AAU Junior Olympic record; first in the 800m
- - -
In his first season competing as the sport at eight years old, Victor Jaimez-Solorio didn't wait long to make a name for himself.
His first Junior Olympic performance in 2019 consisted of record-breaking times and debut national title wins. Jaimez-Solorio clocked 5:07.14 to set a new meet record and begin earning his reputation as a future club distance star. He followed up that performance with a 2:32.47 season's best and win in the 800m
To come away with two national titles and a meet record in just his first season with the sport made for quite an impressive showing.
Since his debut in 2019, Jaimez-Solorio has continued his distance dominance in the younger age groups, winning a total of six AAU Junior Olympic titles to date.
Sadie Engelhardt, Ventura (CA)
Year: 2020
Events: 1,500m and 3,000m
Performance: 14-year-old Girls 1,500m national record; event wins in the 1,500m and 3,000m
- - -
Before her days as a star freshman at Ventura (CA), Engelhardt showcased her star power at the 2020 AAU Junior Olympic Games.
In doing so, she set a new national record and won two events, including a highly competitive 1,500m race that came down to the line to determine a winner.
4:34.18 won Engelhardt the 14-year-old Girls 1,500m just ahead of Kailey Littlefield and set a new national record in the event. On the final day of competition, Engelhardt attempted to break another age group record -- the 3,000m mark of 10:02.40 held by London Culbreath -- but fell just short with her winning time of 10:05.34.
Anastacia Gonzales, Boerne Champion (TX)
Year: 2021
Event: 1,500m
Performance: 17-18-year-old Junior Olympic record in the 1,500m; second place in the 800m
- - -
Gonzales rewrote the record books and took down a five-year-old national record in the 1,500m for the 17-18 age group in impressive fashion.
4:22.91 made for a significant personal best in the event, beating her previous all-time best by three seconds. Gonzales' time also improved nearly three seconds upon the previous national record of 4:25.04 set by Gabrielle Wilkinson in 2016, to the delight of spectators who cheered her on as she ran a solo race against the clock for much of the event's entirety.
The University of Arkansas commit also competed in the 800m at the 2021 AAU Junior Olympics where she finished second in 2:10.68.