Junior Olympics

2025 Junior Olympics

The National Youth Executive Committee met on Monday, June 23, 9:30 pm, and approved advancing the Top 16 individuals, Top 16 relays, and Top 3 combined event athletes (and those that meet the standard) from the Georgia Association / Region 16 meet to the National Championship.

• The June 12-15th meet results have been uploaded to AthleticNET.
  • ​There are four (4) Georgia athletes who requested a waiver from the the Association meet to the Region 4 meet due to an approved reason for missing the Association meet. These athletes will be advanced to the Region 4 meet and will need to complete their entry (i.e. declare events and pay) and compete in the Region 4 meet. They will be eligible to advance from Region 4 if they finish as a Top 8 individual or Top 3 combined event athlete (or meets the standard).
  • Georgia athletes can compete in the Region 4 meet. They will be eligible to receive medals but are not eligible to advance to the National meet nor will they displace any Florida or South Carolina athlete from advancing.
• Performance Standards
• Starting Heights and Performance Standards
• Additional USATF rules that pertain to Junior Olympic competition - entry fees, qualifying, advancement, waivers, etc.
• USATF Competition rule book

---

Recent background: We received notification at 2:52 pm on Saturday, June 14th, from our liaison in the USATF national office that we would be designated Region 16. Later that same day, at 8:48 pm, an email was sent to all coaches and unattached athletes via the AthleticNET platform announcing that change. We held a coaches meeting at the track on Sunday following the 1500m races to discuss the impact of the change. Hopefully, the coaches communicated this information with their clubs. We have had several meetings this week with the National Youth Executive Committee to advocate for some additional considerations for our Georgia athletes due to the late announcement.

---

Email sent 6/19/2025 at 7:30 am via Athletic.NET to all coaches of registered teams and unattached athletes at the Georgia Association Championship from Lamar Grant, USATF Georgia Executive VP and Region 4 Coordinator for Youth
 
We, the Georgia Association, have received many emails and calls regarding the information we were given and communicated at the meet last weekend where the Georgia Assocation was confirmed to be Region 16 as the host association for the national championship in Savannah.

While we don't have any official updates to share at this time, know that your USATF Georgia Youth Chair - Ora Chism, USATF Georgia President and National Youth Committee Secretary - Matthew Chestnut, USATF Georgia Executive VP and Region 4 Coordinator - Lamar Grant, and National Youth Committee South Zone Representative - Inez Finch, have presented our concerns and frustrations to the appropriate USATF stakeholders. I do not want to elaborate on specifics; however, trust that we have made a case for what we think would reconcile this matter for the affected Georgia Association constituents.

That being said, here are some reminders and clarifying points regarding the Region 4 Championships in Florence, SC:

• GA Association athletes can compete in the Region 4 meet; however, they will be exhibition athletes ineligible to qualify for the JO's through Region 4 (due to the late announcement of GA being its own Region 16 and being able to advance to the JO's directly from our Association meet).
• GA athletes can receive medals at the Region 4 Championships
• Prior to the announcement of being Region 16, a small number of athletes may have been granted a waiver from the Association meet to compete in the Region 4 meet. This waiver would have been granted by Ora Chism and her GA Youth Committee. This small group of athletes WILL be able to compete in the Region 4 meet AND have the opportunity to qualify for the JO's through Region 4.

Here are some reminders and clarifying points regarding the GA Association as Region 16:

• Region 16 exists to allow the JO host association the opportunity to advance athletes to the JO's without having to compete against the other associations in their regular region (GA is part of Region 4; but not THIS year)
• Region 16 advances the same number of athletes to the JO's as the other 15 regions. THIS year, those numbers are 8 for individual events, 8 relay teams, and 2 in the combined events (plus athletes who meet the standard).
  • These advancement numbers for Region 16 are based on the Georgia Association Junior Olympic Championship held June 12-15. We started the Georgia Association JO Championship on Thursday morning as part of Region 4. On Saturday afternoon we became Region 16. That means the advancement rules changed, too.
  • Prior to the announcement, Georgia was going to send 16 athletes to the Region 4 meet (just like Florida and South Carolina). From the Region 4 meet, the "top 8" athletes would be sent to the National meet. This top 8 would comprise athletes from Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina.
  • Since the announcement of Georgia becoming Region 16, we advance Georgia athletes directly from our Association / Region 16 meet held June 12-15 to the National meet.
  • In general (aside from athletes granted a waiver to the Region 4 meet prior to the meet June 12-15), there is no path to the National meet through the Region 4 meet for Georgia athletes. Our path to National is the Region 16 meet.
• Prior to the announcement of being declared Region 16, Georgia was working under the guidance that all Region 4 associations (Florida, Georgia, South Carolina) would send the top 16 athletes (individuals, relays, combined events) from their Association meets to the Region 4 meet. From the Region 4 meet we would advance the same number of athletes as all other regions in the country (described above) to the National meet.

As mentioned at the top of the email, we are advocating for some additional considerations for our GA athletes due to the late announcement and all the many implications this has created. Believe me, as a timer, club coach, and parent of an athlete, I understand the impact this announcement has had on everyone. When we have additional information to share, we will do so through this medium.

Best,

Lamar Grant
USATF Georgia Executive VP
Region 4 Coordinator - Youth

USATF Competition Rules

• Additional USATF rules that pertain to Junior Olympic competition - entry fees, qualifying, advancement, waivers, etc.
• USATF Competition rule book

Junior Olympic Track and Field

• Per USATF Rule 300.1(c) Athletes must be at least seven (7) years of age on December 31 of the current year to compete at the Youth Athletics or Junior Olympic National Championship. Athletes under seven (7) years of age can compete at the Association and Region Championships.
• Advancement to the National Junior Olympic Championship shall be by Association Championship to Regional Championship to National Junior Olympic Championship.

USATF Georgia Association Junior Olympic Track and Field Championships

• The Association Championships (sometimes referred to as the "state" championships) comprise youth athletes from all over Georgia who are members of USATF.
• Requirement: USATF age-verified membership.
• Qualifying standards: No qualification needed, no qualifying times needed.
• Meet held mid-June at a location in Georgia.

The following USATF meets have qualifying standards for entry per USATF Rule 306.2.

USATF Region 4 Junior Olympic Track and Field Championships

• The Region 4 Championships comprise youth athletes from Georgia, Florida and South Carolina Associations who qualified by advancing from their respective Association Championships. The meet location rotates from year-to-year through the Associations in the Region.
• Typically, the Top 8 individuals and top 5 relay teams advance from Association Championships. But these numbers may be adjusted by the Association chairs and Regional coordinator respectively for the purpose of accommodating their local situations.
• Meet held at the beginning of July in Georgia, Florida or South Carolina.

USATF National Junior Olympic Track and Field Championships

• The National Championships comprise youth athletes from all over the United States who qualified by advancing from their respective Region Championships.
• USATF Rule 306.2(g) Advancement to the National Junior Olympic Track and Field Championship shall be by Association Championship to Regional Championship to National Junior Olympic Track and Field Championship.
• USATF Rule 306.2(d) Track and field shall advance five (5) individuals and five (5) relay teams from each Regional to National. These shall be the top five (5) finishers in each event. The Combined Events shall advance the top two (2) placed individuals and any others who meet the performance standard at the Regional Championship. The performance standard for a Combined Event is the average of the 8th place in the last three National Junior Olympic Championships. The number of qualifiers from Regional meets is fixed and no alternates may advance. The host Association shall qualify a like number.
  • ​Note: In 2025 the National Junior Olympic Championships will be held in Savannah, GA.
    • Historically, the host association (Georgia in this case) becomes Region 16 and advances qualifiers straight from the Association Championships to the National Championships without having to compete in the Region 4 Championships. That is what the phrase "the host Association shall qualify a like number" signifies.
    • Note: As of June 14, 2025, for the 2025 Junior Olympics Track & Field, the top 8 individuals, the top 8 relay teams, and the top 2 combined event athletes (plus those who meet the performance standard at the Association Championship) shall advance from the Georgia Association Championships (Region 16) to the National Championships. Note that the Georgia Association is in discussions with the national Youth Executive Committee to increase these advancement numbers due to the late notice we received regarding the decision for us to be Region 16.
• Meet held at the end of July.

Junior Olympic Cross Country

USATF Georgia Association Junior Olympic Cross Country Championships

• The Association Championships (sometimes referred to as the "state" championships) comprise youth athletes from all over Georgia who are members of USATF.
• Requirement: USATF age-verified membership.
• Qualifying standards: No qualification needed, no qualifying times needed.
• Meet held early November at a location in Georgia.

The following USATF meets have qualifying standards for entry per USATF Rule 306.3.

USATF Region 4 Junior Olympic Cross Country Championships

• The Region 4 Championships comprise youth athletes from Georgia, Florida and South Carolina Associations who qualified by advancing from their respective Association Championships. The meet location rotates from year-to-year through the Associations in the Region.
• Typically, the Top 30 individuals and top 5 teams advance from Association Championships. But, per USATF Rule 306.3(a), these numbers may be adjusted by the Association chair and Regional coordinator respectively for the purpose of accommodating their local situations. The normal is Top 30 / Top 5, but Region Coordinator has discretion to change qualifiers based on Association participation (Florida, Georgia, South Carolina).
• Meet held before Thanksgiving in Georgia, Florida or South Carolina.

USATF National Junior Olympic Cross Country Championships

• The National Championships comprise youth athletes from all over the United States who qualified by advancing from their respective Region Championships.
• USATF Rule 306.3(d) Advancement to the National Junior Olympic Cross Country Championship shall be by Association Championship to Regional Championship to National Junior Olympic Cross Country Championship. Qualifiers for the National Championship shall be the top 30 individuals by age division and the top five (5) scoring teams.
• USATF Rule 306.3(e) The number of qualifiers from Regional meets is fixed and no alternates may advance. Individuals finishing in the top 30 places and who are also members of the qualifying teams are not displaced so that additional finishers beyond thirtieth may not advance. Any team may advance if it has five or more individuals placing in the top 30 in the Regional meet. No team finishing beyond fifth place may advance based solely upon any of the first five teams' choosing not to advance.
• Meet held early December.