12 Aurora Residents Place Among Top 15 In County At Amateur Olympic Games

AURORA, IL — Twelve Aurora placed within the top 15 in several track and field events at the 2026 Amateur Athletic Union Junior Olympic Games.

Athletes from the Aurora Sundowners Track Club and the Aurora Flyers competed among 11,000 track and field athletes from across the United States at the competition that took place in Iowa from Aug. 3-8.

The organizations were founded more than 35 years ago to provide young Black athletes with opportunities to advance within track and field.

Amari Lewis, a 13-year-old on the Aurora Flyers, placed second in the nation in the 200-meter hurdles event, while Jakoi Ruff, a 12-year-old with the Aurora Sundowners Track Club, placed third in the 100-meter dash event.

Their placements served as the highest finishes among Aurora residents competing in the event, city officials said.

These athletes also placed:

• Alexandria Richmond finished third in the country in the triple jump
• Noah Howard placed third in the pentathlon
• Harper Hutton placed second in the high jump
• Brisline Lankah placed second in the 400-meter hurdles
• Chloe Crimm placed seventh in the 800-meter run
• Victoria Sanuade placed ninth in the 400-meter dash
• Sanuade, Rowan Slowinski, Kayla Jackson and Kaodichimma Ifeajekwu placed 11th in the girls' 4×400-meter relay
• Ari Watson placed 15th in the 400-meter dash

"What an outstanding effort from both the Flyers and Sundowners at the Junior Olympic Games," Mayor Laesch said in a statement. "You represented our City so well and put together such a phenomenal effort at the national level."

Lewis and Ruff have earned previous medals that garnered them national recognition. Last December, Ruff set the national 11U 60-meter dash record and took home three gold medals at the Amateur Athletic Union Northern National Indoor Track and Field Invitational. Lewis also earned three gold medals at the same event, plus set the national record for the 12U 200-meter dash.