IRVINGTON, NJ – Jamir Brown, of the Jersey Heat Track Club, which is based here in Irvington, won the finals of the 11-year-old boys 80-meter hurdle finals at the 2017 AAU Junior Olympic Games contested at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, located in the Detroit area, on August 3.
Jamir had a personal-best performance of 13.01 in the 80m finals at the Region 1 Qualifier that was contested at Hub Stine Sports Complex in Plainfield on July 2. His performance there provided him with the number one seed in the nation going into the Junior Olympic meet.
After completing the trials on August 2, he decided to scratch the 1,500m run that he was also scheduled to compete in on August 3. Had he ran the 1,500m, he would have only had about an hour between the 1,500m and the 80m hurdle finals, and that would not have been sufficient recovery time.
Jamir was confident that he could win the finals. According to his coach, he woke up his track brother, saying that he should get up so he could watch him win his gold medal.
Coach Michele Jones-Loring is of course proud of Jamir’s achievement but is even more proud because although she has had athletes come home with national medals before, this is the first time a Jersey Heat athlete has won gold at a national competition. “Congratulations to this outstanding representation of our Irvington youth!” lauded Jones-Loring.
As usual, the AAU Junior Olympic Games marks the end of the outdoor competition season for the team. Jamir is expected to take a little time off and then resume full practice with the Irvington Golden Knights football program. He will also intermittently train and compete during Jersey Heat’s cross-country season. During his last competitive cross-country season, Jamir competed in just two meets, with the second meet being the AAU nationals at which he finished fifth in the nation for the 9-year-old boys division.
Anyone needing more information about the Jersey Heat Track Club program can contact Coach Michele at 973-757-2537.
About the Author
