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  • QUICK FEET: Members of the Baldwin Jets who have earned various tournament accolades this summer include front row, from left: Amber McCrary, Jatavious Harris and Daloria Boone. Back row, from left: Dalton Struthers, James Kilgore and Javon Bullard. Brent Martin

    Baldwin Jets youth track team to send two to Nationals in Sacramento

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July 15, 2010

Baldwin Jets youth track team to send two to Nationals in Sacramento

10-and-unders Daloria Boone and Jatavious Harris continue to shatter records, both hoping to have Calif. trip sponsored

Brent Martin CNHI

MILLEDGEVILLE — Youth track in Baldwin County continues to remain strong after another string of successes by the Baldwin Jets youth track and field team.

The team traveled last weekend to North Carolina A&T University in Greensboro, N.C. and two runners came away with enough points to qualify for the Nationals Tournament in Sacramento, Calif.

10 and under Daloria Boone has been making a name for herself as a Jet over the last few seasons, especially in the 100 and 200 meters  and the running long jump. Boone set a state record in the running long jump at Westlake High School in Atlanta in the Area Junior Olympics in June. She came back last week and shot a new record at the Junior Regional Meet at Greensboro, N.C. According to Jets head coach Barry Havior, Boone also has established state records in the 8 and under category as well.

Another record breaker who is headed to the Nationals is 10-and-under’s Jatavious Harris, who smashed the state record in the 100 meter dash with a time of 13.50. The original mark was held by Lajyrish Greene of Camden County (13.62). Harris came back in the 200 meters and established another state record in his age category with a time of 27.84.

Harris also has a state record in the 8 and under USA Track and Field Junior Olympic in the 100 meters.

Both kids also received word this week that they had qualified for the Hershey’s Track and Field Nationals that will be held later in the summer.

The Jets and coach Havior hope to have a sponsor for the two kids soon, and said that any help would be appreciated. The team even hopes to have a car wash soon just in case they are coming up short. All adult chaperones will have to pay for their tickets to Sacramento.

“We want to make sure we have the money for the kids’ tickets. We aren’t really worried about the adults. The adults are going to have to swim on their own,” said Havior. “We hope  to have a couple of car washes between now and when we live. And we plan to have pledge sheets available.”

The cost for sending one on a round-trip flight to Sacramento can be costly, $700 to 800 depending on when you order the ticket. Sometimes rates are available, but rarely during the peak summer months. A whole sponsor wanting to get their name in the paper, and perhaps gain some kudos in Sacramento would be wise to jump at the opportunity — an opportunity to help two wonderful, hard-working kids.

“We knew the tickets to Sacramento would be expensive. With the economy the way it is, we’ll be needing some assistance. We hope to find somebody in the community to sponsor us and sponsor these kids so they can go to Nationals,” said Havior.

Back in May, the 10 and under boys started out the Rec. Department season with 15 guys, and five of them ran very well, according to Havior.

“We went to the Recreation State Tournament back in May and won the  4x100, the 4x400, the 100 meters, the 200 meters, and the 400 meters,” he said. “We racked up in the 10 and under age group. Out of all the kids that ran with the boys some went on to run with the summer program.”

 Baldwin Jet Amber McCrary qualified for the AAU Nationals by finishing fourth in the high jump at a recent meet.

8 and under’s Javon Bullard also received accolades by making it to his age group’s regional meet, which is their equivalent of a national meet. Bullard finished second in both of his events.

Baldwin’s James Kilgore and Dalton Struthers also earned a spot to compete at North Carolina A&T recently, but both didn’t qualify for nationals.

Congratulations, Jets, for making Baldwin County proud, and for building a strong track and field foundation for the future.

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