Boutin, MacKinnon, Wajid win national titles at Junior Olympic Championships in Kentucky

New York Results Scoreboard

On Saturday (11-Dec), 185 athletes representing 8 clubs from the New York association competed at the USATF National Junior Olympic Cross Country Championships in Paris, Kentucky. 
 
A total of 2548 athletes and 175 teams from across the country competed in the championships.  

New York clubs that fielded complete scoring teams were: Prospect Park Youth Running Club (19 teams) and Ocean Breeze Wave Runners (4 teams).

Races were contested in 6 age divisions (8 & under, 9-10, 11-12, 13-14, 15-16, 17-18) for boys and girls.  The top 25 finishers in each age division earned all-American status and the top 3 teams were presented with championship recognition. 

The athletes were confronted with tough competition and less than optimal conditions on a wet and muddy course with strong gusty winds.  The schedule was delayed twice due to the weather.  Devastating tornados on Friday night were recorded just two counties away.  
 
The storylines of the day for the New York athletes were the three individual national titles that were won by Nate Boutin (15-16 boys), Konstantin MacKinnon (11-12 boys) and, Mariam Wajid (7-8 girls) and the Prospect Park Youth Running Club having full scoring teams in every age division. 

A total of 23 athletes from the New York association earned all-American honors and four (4) teams earned top three finishes.

WAJID WINS WITH A BANG

Following a delayed start to the meet due to severe weather the meet got off with a bang as Mariam Wajid (VO2Max Track Club) ran to a victory in the 7-8 girls race.  She ran in second place for most of the 2 km race but used a strong surge over the final uphill 400 meters to cross the line in 7:48; five second ahead of runner-up Angelina Alder of North Carolina.  Earlier this year Wajid won the 1500m at the Junior Olympic track championships.

Wajid's VO2Max TC teammate Abigail Riley finished fifth; and along with Jazara Williams (Prospect Park Youth), who finished 22nd, earned all-American honors.

MACKINNON'S WIN EARNS HIM ANOTHER ALL-AMERICAN HAT 

At the 2019 championships in Wisconsin Konstantin MacKinnon (Westchester Wolves) ran to a seventh place finish in the 9-10 boys division and earlier this year he finished third (1500m) and sixth (800m) at the Junior Olympic Track & Field championships.  On Saturday he not only earned his fourth all-American honor but won his first national title as he won the 11-12 boys race.  He battled with Gabriel Hislop of South Carolina through the first 2700m and used a sustained surge over the last 300m to cross the line in 10:59, four second ahead of Hislop.

Avery Rosado (Ocean Breeze Wave Runners) ran a strong race to finish seventh; just 10 second behind MacKinnon.

BOUTIN FOR THE WIN

In the 15-16 boys division Nate Boutin (Prospect Park Youth Running) ran to victory in a time of 17:09.  He finished 17 seconds ahead of runner-up     Paul Bergeron of Massachusetts.  Boutin's teammate Lucien Louvet finished 12th in the 15-16 division running 17:57.

Boutin and Louvet led the Prospect Park squad to a runner-up finish in the 15-18 team competition.  The team finished with 87 points just 10 points behind Valley Flash of Washington.   Prospect Park's number three and four runners were  Sebastian Margetts and Lucas Simpson who finished 14th and 15th, respectively in the 17-18 division.

SOOOO MANY ALL-AMERICANS

Additional all-Americans were:
4.  Alexander Riley (VO2Max Track Club) 9-10 boys
4.  Maddy Williams (unattached) 13-14 girls
5.  Rose Coats (Prospect Park Youth Running) 15-16 girls    
6.  Rylee Ferretti (Ocean Breeze Wave Runners) 15-16 girls
6.  Alyssia Brown (Prospect Park Youth Running) 17-18 girls         
11. Cyrus Boschen (Westchester Striders T&F) 7-8 boys
13. Kilian MacKinnon (Westchester Wolves) 9-10 boys
15. Aria Boschen (Westchester Striders T&F) 9-10 girls
17. Gigi Putka (Prospect Park Youth Running) 11-12 girls
18. Simone Isip (Prospect Park Youth Running) 17-18 girls 
20. Oona Vali (Prospect Park Youth Running) 17-18 girls 
24. Jasper McHugh (Manhattan Youth TC) 9-10 boys
24. Thea Sjursen (Prospect Park Youth Running) 15-16 girls
25. Linden Cafcules (Prospect Park Youth Running) 15-16 girls

Below are all of the New York team finishes:
2.  Prospect Park Youth Running (15-18 girls)
2.  Prospect Park Youth Running A (15-18 boys)
3.  Ocean Breeze Wave Runners (9-10 girls)
3.  Prospect Park Youth Running A (13-14 boys)
7.  Prospect Park Youth Running (7-8 girls)
7.  Prospect Park Youth Running A (9-10 boys)
8.  Ocean Breeze Wave Runners (11-12 boys)
8.  Prospect Park Youth Running A (11-12 girls)
9.  Prospect Park Youth Running (7-8 boys)
9.  Prospect Park Youth Running A (9-10 girls)
9.  Prospect Park Youth Running A (11-12 boys)
11. Ocean Breeze Wave Runners (9-10 boys)
12. Prospect Park Youth Running B (15-18 boys)
16. Prospect Park Youth Running B (9-10 girls)
17. Prospect Park Youth Running B (9-10 boys)
17. Ocean Breeze Wave Runners  (11-12 girls)
20. Prospect Park Youth Running B (11-12 boys)
20. Prospect Park Youth Running B (13-14 boys)
20. Prospect Park Youth Running A (13-14 girls)
22. Prospect Park Youth Running B (13-14 girls)
23. Prospect Park Youth Running C (11-12 boys)
26. Prospect Park Youth Running C (13-14 boys)
28. Prospect Park Youth Running B  (11-12 girls)

For a complete list of how all the New York athletes and teams finished click here.
 
Next year's championships will be held on December 10 in College Station, Texas.