26 Mount Pleasant Track Club athletes advance to Junior Olympic Nationals

The Mount Pleasant Track Club had a strong showing in the USA Track and Field Junior Olympic Regionals in Newport News, Va., with 26 team members qualifying in 33 events for the Junior Olympic Nationals in Baltimore.

“This year doubled our best performance at Regionals,” said team coach Tami Dennis. “We are very excited about Nationals. We have about a dozen kids who have a chance to be All-Americans (top eight in the nation). That would be the best showing at Nationals ever.”

Sarah Lee set a regional record in the intermediate pole vault with a height of 12 feet, 4 inches. Also earning regional championships were Troy Cocco in the Sub-Bantam javelin; Maggie Henderson in the Youth javelin; and Scott Sawyer in the Youth pole vault.

Dennis pointed out that Dez Venning, a recent graduate of Wando High School who will play football at Newberry, is one of those who has a good opportunity to be an All-American. This will be Venning’s seventh trip to the Junior Olympic Nationals.

Venning qualified in the Young (17-18) age group in both javelin and discus. Other 17-18 qualifiers were Hampton Harvin in the high jump and Anna Fairey in the 1,500 and 3,000.

Qualifiers in the Intermediate (15-16) group were: Sarah Lee, pole vault; A.J. Gawryluk, 3,000; Caitlin Corgill, high jump; and Kenny Waring, 100, 200 and long jump.

Seven athletes qualified in the Youth (13-14) division: Maggie Henderson, javelin; Scott Sawyer, high jump and pole vault; Evan Bailey, pole vault; Worth Burnette, pole vault; Sam Lemon, pole vault; Liam Christenson, javelin; and Ann Poulnot, pole vault.

The Midget (11-12) qualifiers were: Noah Spencer, 1,500 and 3,000; and James Corgill, long jump.

Qualifying in the Bantam (9-10) age group were: Jayla Grant, shot put; Ethan Cocco, javelin; Christopher Corgill, javelin and high jump; Peyton Moore, javelin; and Chloe Berda, javelin.

The Sub-Bantam (8-under) qualifiers were: Troy Cocco, javelin; Ginger Arnold, javelin; Xavier Wright, shot put; Ally Dominiak, shot put; and Caleb Boykins, 1,500.