By Terry Mosher
Editor, Sports Paper
Nolan Van Amen and De’Andre Sincere did it again. The two young lads from Kitsap County each added a second national championship to their junior Olympic resumes on Sunday.
Sincere, running with the Bremerton Jaguars, backed up the 200 championship he raced to on Saturday by winning the 100 in a time of 11.27 on Sunday in the 13-14-age group at North Carolina A&T in Greensboro, N.C. at the USATF National Junior Olympic Track and Field Championships.
Van Amen, competing with Port Orchard’s Raw Speed II, broke his USATF national record he set at regionals at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. in the 13-14-age bracket with a throw of 205 feet to annex the discus championship.
Tim Lavin, coach of the Bremerton Jaguars, said Sincere didn’t get his usual good start out of the blocks, but “Was able to run everybody down He ran just like he did in the 200. He’s just tougher than anybody else.
“It’s just an amazing feat for a young man (Sincere will be a freshman this year at Central Kitsap Junior High). He got two gold medals in probably the most competitive environment in the county. It’s an amazing story.”
Van Amen is also an amazing story. He will be a freshman this year at Cedar Heights Junior High and already is the best thrower in the shot put and discus in the country for his age group.
He didn’t start out well, fouling on his first attempt, and he was sitting fifth behind leader Adrian Piperi (unattached) going into the finals. But on his first throw in the finals he uncorked the winner. Gabriel Oladipo (The Wings Track Club, Texas) got his runner-up throw (192-10) at the same time.
“Man, him and Sincere, that is huge,” said Lavin of the four national championships Van Amen and Sincere are bringing home to Kitsap County. “That is major league.”
The National Junior Olympic Championships brings together the best of the best in various age divisions to one place each year and the competition is held in front of huge crowds, making it daunting for the competitors.
“For these kids to stay focused and go through what they do day after day in front of huge crowds, march out like gladiators and perform and win, whew, you got to be a special woman or man to be able to go through this,” Lavin said. “To me, that is the bigger story. To be able to withstand the constant, constant pressure on you – and some kids don’t, good kids – you have to be special.”
Lavin added that Jaleel Elmore, a sophomore this year at Olympic High School, could easily made it three Kitsap County kids winning national championships if he had made it through the year healthy. Unfortunately, he didn’t and a back injury suffered at the regionals kept him from competing in the 200. He did run in the 400 at nationals, but didn’t make it to the finals.
“I love Jaleel Elmore,” says Lavin. “He’s going to be really special.”
Speaking of special, Olympic High School senior-to-be, Zach Smith, finished seventh in the 17-18-age bracket 100. Smith. competing with the Kitsap Fliers, clocked a 10.78.
Maya Nichols, competing for the Jaguars in the 11-12-age bracket in the 1500 ran to a time of 5:16.76 Sunday to finish 27th.