2012 USA Junior Outdoor Track & Field Championships Results

Bloomington, IN -- Freshmen Jaylon Hicks and Johnny Carter both proudly represented Academy of Art University by excelling at this weekend's 2012 USA Junior Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Hosted by Indiana University and taking place at Robert C. Haugh Track & Field Complex, the event was a culmination of a historic year for the Urban Knights. Hicks earned a spot in the Team USA relay pool after reaching the finals of the 100m dash on Friday while Carter had a strong showing Saturday, claiming 6th overall out of 23 competitors in the triple jump.

The USA Juniors, which serve as the selection process for the IAAF World Junior Championships, reward the the top two finishers who meet qualifying standards in each event with an opportunity to compete in Barcelona as members of Team USA.

In the preliminary round of the 100m dash on Friday, Hicks used an early burst of speed to push in front of his competition and hung tough with a 10.64 mark which qualified him for the finals. The time put Hicks in 7th place of the event that featured a total of 13 sprinters. The top time of 10.28 came from Tyreek Hill who ran unattached while runners from Troy State University and the University of New Mexico were both surpassed by Hicks.

Hours later, the top eight qualifiers returned to the track for the 100m finals. Hicks was again quickly off the starting line and would eventually capture 5th overall with a mark of 10.69. Having finished in the top six, he earns a potential place on Team USA. The team will be formally announced by Team USA in early July.

Johnny Carter, the ART U redshirt freshman who set a new personal record with his 51-6 triple jump at the Aggie Open this past March, was also in action in a pair of jump events Friday and Saturday. On the first day of the USA Juniors, Carter opened with the long jump competition where he achieved a distance of 22-9.25 (6.94m) to finish 10th overall in a field of 16 jumpers.

On Saturday, Carter came back with several impressive marks in the triple jump. The Bakersfield, CA native started off by posting a 49-7.25 (15.12m) on his first attempt, but he launched himself well further with a 49-11.25 (15.22m) mark in round two. That distance would get him one of the eight highest finishes and qualify him for the finals of the event. Carter would not surpass his previous distance, but it ended up remaining the 6th farthest mark in a large 23-jumper event.