by (Update 7/27/2012: Xavier did not make it to the 800m finals after this morning semi-finals, however his finish today makes him ranked 23rd nationally for his age division. However, Xavier was only one of three boys in the top 24 of the 800m who were born in 2001; bottom of the Midget division and all the rest were born in 2000; top of the Midget division.)
(Baltimore, Maryland) – Xavier Guillory (Nez Perce), who just turned 11 years old, made the semi-final (top 24 runners in the nation) in the 800m at the 2012 United States Track & Field Junior Olympic championships today in Baltimore, Maryland. If Xavier makes finals (top 8 from semi’s on Friday) he will run in the championship heat on Saturday at Hughes Stadium on the campus of Morgan State University, this year’s USATF host site. Xavier is competing at the bottom of the Midget division which include 11 and 12 year olds.
Xavier, a member of the Nez Perce Tribe of Idaho, is no stranger to these championships, he competed at the 2011 Championships last summer that was held in Wichita, Kansa and in that championship meet for the 800m, he placed 7th out of 45 runners in his division earning a medal. Also that year, Xavier finished 13th in the 400m, just a few places shy of earning a medal as well.
Xavier is a part of the Spokane Mercury Track Club and ran the 200m, 400m, and 800m races at Regionals in the lower end of the Midget boys division (ages 11 and 12). He qualified for Nationals in the 800m where he placed 2nd with a personal record (PR) of 2:25.65! He nearly qualified in the 400m for Nationals again but placed 6th overall (only top 5 taken), just 0.13 seconds behind the 5th place finisher.
Click here for the official results: http://www.usatf.org/events/2012/USATFJuniorOlympicTFChampionships/results/P255.asp
