Ada's Hughes headed to Junior Olympic Games

Jeff Cali, The Ada News, Okla.
·3 min read

Jul. 13—Ada High senior-to-be Andrew Hughes is headed to the 2022 AAU Junior Olympic Games.

Representing the Ada Area Elites AAU track team, Hughes earned his spot with a gold medal in the high jump at the AAU Region 16 Qualifier held last month in Carls Junction, Missouri.

Hughes turned in a leap of 6'-8". He easily out-distanced runner-up Arric Spyers of the Springfield Track Club, who had a jump of 6-2 in the Male 17-18 Division.

Hughes, who won a Class 5A State championship with a record-setting jump of 7'-0", won a district qualifier on June 4 in Midwest City.

Xander Rhynes, another Ada High track athlete representing Ada Area Elites, placed 15th in the 400 Meter Run at the Region 16 Qualifier in a time of 51.14. Rhynes will be a junior this year.

The Junior Olympic Games are scheduled for July 30-Aug. 6 at Aggie Stadium on the campus of North Carolina A&T University in Greensboro. Hughes is scheduled to jump on Aug. 3.

Other sports featured at the AAU Junior Olympic Games include: wrestling, trampoline & tumbling, swimming, martial arts, inline hockey, sports stacking, jump rope, field hockey, fencing, basketball and baton twirling.

History of the AAU Junior Olympic Games

The AAU Junior Olympic Games originated from 'telegraphic' state track and field competitions. National Champions were determined through telephone and/or mail entries instead of head-to-head competition. In 1949, the AAU conducted its first 'live' national meet in Cleveland, Ohio — giving birth to the AAU Youth Sports Program. Because of the success of the national track and field head-to-head competition, AAU leaders solicited support from the business and corporate sector. The Chevrolet Division of General Motors Corporation and the Quaker Oats Company assisted the AAU in their vision of the number of youngsters that could be helped.

As the popularity of the AAU Youth Sports Program increased, the AAU leaders decided to conduct two national championships simultaneously. The idea came to fruition when Vice-President Hubert H. Humphrey proclaimed the first AAU Junior Olympic Games open on August 21, 1967, in downtown Washington, D.C at the Departmental Auditorium on Constitution Avenue. Five hundred twenty-three athletes competed in the inaugural AAU Junior Olympic Games in Washington, D.C. in 1967. National champions were determined in swimming and track and field. Eighteen AAU records in swimming and three in track and field were established.

Since its beginning in Washington, D.C., the AAU Junior Olympic Games have been conducted in 19 states and 30 cities across the United States. The state of Tennessee leads the way with six AAU Junior Olympic Games to its credit. "There's nothing junior about it" has become the theme of the AAU Junior Olympic Games while growing to over 16,000 participants in over 20 sports. The Games popularity has exploded to now represent all 50 states and several United States territories.

The AAU Junior Olympic Games are known as the largest national multi-sport event for youth in the United States. It has become the showcase event of the AAU Sports Program. The future hosts include Des Moines, IA; Hampton Roads, VA; Houston, TX; Detroit, MI and Greensboro, NC.