Coach Tom FitzSimons Jr. finishes 10th in his final USATF Championship competition; SBTC Junior Elite, Allie Jones, finishes 3rd at USATF Junior Outdoor Championships.
Des Moines, Iowa (June24, 2018) – The 2018 USA Outdoor Track & Field National Championships returned to the blue oval at Drake University and once again the ABEO / Santa Barbara Track Club (SBTC) sent multiple athletes to compete in the two-day multi-event competitions. Led by the "retired" Coach Thomas FitzSimons, Jr. who finished 10th in the Decathlon, the SBTC also celebrated Junior competitor, Allie Jones, who earned her first national competition podium with a 3rd place finish at the USATF Junior Outdoor Championships. SBTC alum, Lindsay Schwartz, also finished 3rd, her highest finish at an Outdoor national championship.
Coach Tom Wins Decathlon 1500m
In what was supposed to be his first year in retirement, Coach Tom FitzSimons, Jr., made a comeback to compete one last time at a USATF Outdoor National Championship. Impressively, after a one year hiatus, he finished 10th place in the Decathlon with 7,078pts and won the final event of the two-day competition, the 1500m in 4:33.28.
In the Heptathlon, Nikki Larch-Miller and SBTC newcomer, Juanita Webster-Freeman finished 11th (5,597pts) and 12th respectively (5,480pts). Larch-Miller tied her personal best in the High Jump (1.66m / 5'5.25") and recorded a personal best in the Shot Put (12.46m / 40'10.5") during the seven-event, two day competition.
Allie Jones Win Bronze at USA Junior Outdoor National Championships
Allie Jones at Indiana University
Prior to this week's competition, the USA Junior Outdoor National Championships were held in Bloomington, IN and hosted by Indiana University. SBTC Junior Elite athlete, Allie Jones (pictured), grabbed the podium with a 3rd place, bronze medal finish, scoring 5,098pts in the two-day, seven event Heptathlon competition. Jones set personal bests in an astonishing five of seven events: 200m (25.42), High Jump (1.61m / 5'3.25"), Long Jump (5.66m / 18'7"), Shot Put (11.84m / 38'10.25") and the Javelin Throw (29.42m / 96'6").
The San Marcos High School graduate will be competing for the Stanford Cardinal in the fall. The SBTC Junior Elite program is a private coaching opportunity for local high school student-athletes.