McDaniel leads Club West at USATF Junior Olympics

Eight members of the Club West Youth Track team traveled to Cerritos this past weekend for the 2009 USATF Southern California Association Junior Olympics Track and Field Championships. A total of 20 events were entered and after three days of competition one new meet record and nine personal records were established.

“These kids have worked very hard for four months,” said coach Rob Thayer. “It is so exciting to see each one of them realize that the last four months of hard work can really pay off with their best performance at one of the biggest meets of the year. I’m so proud of all of them.”

Leading the way was Hannah McDaniel who established a new SCA meet record for Intermediate Girls (15-16 years old) by clearing a personal best of 5′-5″ to win the Intermediate Girls High Jump event. The mark qualifies her to compete in her third consecutive Junior Olympics Region 15 Championships, to be held on June 26-28 at Cerritos College with athletes from Hawaii, Nevada and all of Southern California

Also qualifying for the Region 15 Championships are Natalie Klapp in the Midget Girls Shot Put with a PR of 30′ ‘3-1/2″and Niema Poindexter jumping her best ever in the Youth Girls Long Jump (14’-6″) and also qualifying to move on in the Triple Jump.

Stamatia Scarvelis qualified in three events, taking 3rd overall in the Youth Girls Shot Put and 3rd in the High Jump.  Stamatia finished 8th in the 100 meter hurdles to grab the final qualifying spot in that event for the Region 15 Meet.

In the Youth Boys Division there were three personal records established, two by Max Davis in the 1500 meter run (4:50.89)and the high jump (4′-6″), and also by Ryan Sorensen in the 1500 meter run in 5:16.8. The Midget Boys also had two athletes come through and set personal records. Danny Nofrey set his mark in the High Jump (4′-2″) and David Poindexter ran his best 200 meter dash in 30.5 seconds.