Local athletes heat up the track at AAU National Qualifier

THE WOODLANDS, Texas -- JD Hurd II, Tripp Piperi, Patrick Piperi, Kamari Williams, and Journi Williams heated up the track on their way to qualifying for the AAU Junior Olympics to be hosted in Detroit, Mich. The AAU Area 19 Qualifier was contested from Wednesday, June 26, through Saturday, June 29, at Klein Memorial Stadium. The top five competitors in each event advanced to the AAU Junior Olympics.

JD Hurd II, a 2013-2014 senior at Oak Ridge High School, took second place in the Young Men’s Division in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 56.47 seconds. JD stated, “I wanted to post a good time for colleges that are recruiting me and I think I did that.” The senior-to-be continued to improve on a successful junior campaign in which he broke the Oak Ridge High School record in the 110-meter high hurdles.

Kamari Williams, 2013-2014 eighth-grader at Gerald Irons Junior High, shocked the crowd with a blazing time of 14.78 in the Sub-Youth boys 100-meter hurdles taking first place. Kamari stated, “Coach Hurd told me to just trust in the process and my times would fall like Walmart prices and they did. I went from a 15.32 to 14.78.” Kamari also qualified in the 200-meter hurdles with a time 28.22.

Journi Williams, a total newcomer to track and field qualified fifth in the 100 meters with a time of 15.09. The 2013-2014 fifth-grader at Wilkerson Intermediate was elated that she qualified for the Junior Olympics.

Patrick Piperi, a 2013-2014 seventh-grader at McCullough Junior High pulled a double by taking first in both the shot put with a mark of 38 feet and discus with a mark of 116 feet in the Sub-Youth Boys Division.

Tripp Piperi, not to be outdone by his little brother, also pulled a double in the Youth Boys Division, winning the shot put with a throw of 58 feet and the discus with a throw of 186 feet.

Coach Hurd stated, “When I introduced track & field to these two kids several years ago, I knew that they would blossom. Their father Adrian Piperi, my good friend, has done a wonderful job with them”.

The AAU Junior Olympics will be hosted from July 26 - August 3 at Eastern Michigan University.