Young Dayton athletes soar to the podium at Junior Olympics

WHIO Staff
·2 min read

A handful of young athletes from Dayton are making their marks on the national Amateur Athletic Union Junior Olympics stage in Des Moines, Iowa.

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The Dayton Wolverines are represented by Nia Poole, Faith Brown, Keyon Coleman, Chloe Chappel, Damare Smith, and Samara Gadson-Butler.

Each one of these athletes has secured podium finishes in their respective events, according to the AAU Junior Olympic Games complete results sheet.

“These athletes have exemplified the spirit of Dayton, showcasing their dedication, hard work, humility, and passion for their sports. Nia Poole, Faith Brown, Keyon Coleman, Chloe Chappel, Damare Smith, and Samara Gadson-Butler have represented our city with pride, and their achievements at the 2023 AAU Jr. Olympics inspire us all,” Keith Ways, coach of the Dayton Wolverines, said.

Poole and Brown both competed in the 14-year-old girls’ 200-meter hurdles event.

Poole is a student at DECA Middle School and she finished in fifth place, crossing the finish line with a time of 28.36 seconds.

Brown is a Dayton Regional STEM School student and she finished the hurdles with a time of 28.90 seconds, landing her in eighth place.

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Coleman is a student at Northridge and competed in the 14-year-old boys’ shot put event where he threw 13.64 meters securing an eighth-place finish.

Chappel is a Pathway School of Discovery student and competed in the 11-12-year-old girls’ pentathlon. She finished in seventh place after competing in a series of events including hurdles, high jump, shot put, and long jump.

She also competed in the 11-year-old girls’ 100-meter dash finishing in eighth place with a time of 13.64. But, in the 11-year-old girls’ 80-meter hurdles, Chappel finished in first place with a time of 12.98.

Smith is a student at Englewood Hills Elementary and competed in the 11-12-year-old boys’ pentathlon securing a fifth-place finish. He also competed in the 11-year-old boys’ 80-meter hurdles where he finished in third place with a time of 12.81.

Gadson-Butler is an honor student at Immaculate Conception and finished the 1500-meter racewalk in fifth place with a time of 9:54.58.

For more information on these young athletes, visit the Dayton Wolverines website to keep up with their competitions.