Multis, Racewalk Center Stage Early At AAU Club Nationals

AAU National Club Championship
Todd Grasley


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Sunday and marked the first two days of competition at the AAU Club National Championships.The only two events on the schedule were the multi events and the race walk. Although neither are contested during the regular season in Florida, the Sunshine State still came away with five champions and one runner-up.

Boynton Beach's Courtney Harris won the 17-18 year old decathlon with a score of 6,211 points. A large chunk of those coming from the field events where he tallied 758 with his 6'04.25 high jump. Harris was a state finalist in the discus, long jump, and triple jump this year and won AAU JO's last year in the high jump.


Daishon Spann added more medals to her illustrious AAU Club National Championships collection. Spann, the 2A state high jump runner-up, has overcame a series of obstacles and health issues over the past three years and is finally feeling at full strength. Lake Mary's Kennedie Reese was 4th and Gabriele Fasanelli of Ponte Vedra was 5th. Spann will compete in the open 100m hurdles and 800 meters later this week.

"It came down to the last event and we ended up 2nd overall by 3 seconds (45 points)," said Spann's mom and coach Dawn Spann. "Overall, it was a good two day showing and start to the week. What we learned from these two days is to take advantage of each event, execute to our expectations and leave it in every event."

In the pentathlon Florida had three individual champions. Kahneil Budham of MGX won the boys 13 YO division, Jessie Strickland of Wildwood Prep Track Club the boys 14 YO division, and Omar'ia Gordon of Florida Elite/Matrix the girls 13 YO event.

Greg Richards of Peak Performance was Florida's lone victor in the race walk. He won the 17-18 YO championship.

Other notable performances include:

  • Keyman Dillingham of Amp Athletics Track Club finished 3rd in the girls 11 YO pentathlon.
  • Carolina Minozzi of the St. Johns Striders and Amanda Kinloch of MGX went 4th and 5th in the girls 15-16 YO heptathlon.
  • Greg Curtis of Peak Performance was 3rd in the 14 YO racewalk.
  • Janaye Thomas of Broward Road Runners placed 3rd in the 17-18 YO racewalk.

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