It has been a busy summer and athletes across the country have been competing well past the end of the 2026 outdoor track & field season.
Wichita welcomed athletes from 8 to 18 years of age during the final week of June to compete at the AAU Region 20 Qualifier in preparation for the AAU Junior Olympic Games in Des Moines, Iowa, beginning August 1st through the 8th.
Here are a few athletes you need to keep an eye on as the summer's biggest track & field extravaganza nears.
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Robert Stepanov, CO - 13 Boys
Coming off three wins at last year's USATF Colorado T&F Junior Olympic Games, Robert Stepanov opened his summer season with another three wins at the AAU Region 20 meet.
Stepanov set a personal best en route to winning the 1,500m, running 4:37.50 and cruising to a dominating performance. The 7th grader also won the 800m and 3,000m, qualifying for the summer showcase in Des Moines in all three. If he makes the trip, this would be his first to the AAU Junior Olympic Games.
In 2023, Stepanov took home national titles in the 800m and 1,500m at the USATF National Junior Olympic Championships - perhaps he can recreate some of that magic three years later in Iowa.
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Amber Calender, Angel Flight - 17/18 Girls
Amber Calender has been soaking in her final couple of weeks of her high school track & field career.
After winning the 100m hurdles at the Colorado State Championships, the senior went on to finish 6th at New Balance Outdoor Nationals before winning the event at the Region 20 Qualifier, in addition to the 100m and 200m dashes.
Calendar finished 9th in the 100m hurdles preliminaries at last year's AAU Junior Olympic Games, missing out on qualifying for the final heat by just one spot, and will have one final shot at climbing the podium at next month's championships in Des Moines.
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Maxwell Moten, CO - 10 Boys
Maxwell Moten made his season debut last month and won three events at the AAU Region 20 Qualifier.
The 10-year-old rising star picked up wins in the 200m and 400m dashes, as well as the 800m, putting together one of the most impressive performances at the Westminster Regional. His times of 30.76 (200m), 68.48 (400m), and 2:45 (800m) are all new personal bests, putting an exclamation point on his breakout day. If he decides to take the trip, this will be Moten's first trip to the AAU Summer Olympic Games.
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Emerson Koedam, The Sharks - 8 & Under Girls
In her first season on the summer circuit, Emerson Koedam has started to make a name for herself and has qualified for the AAU Junior Olympic Games in three events.
Representing The Sharks, Koedam set personal bests in the 100m, 200m, and 400m dash races at the Westminster Region Qualifier, running 17.46, 36.54, and 83.94 in the three events, respectively. She will be someone you will want to keep on your radar as her career progresses.
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Gabriella Dalton, Colorado Springs Striders - 11 Girls
Gabriella Dalton scored a pair of wins at the AAU Region 20 Qualifier, earning a spot at her first AAU Junior Olympic Games. The 11-year-old won the 100m and 200m dashes, winning both by over a second and picking up her first two wins of the season.
In her two previous summer seasons, Dalton competed on the USATF circuit and competed at the Rocky Mountain State Games, which has prepared her well for what could be a potential trip to Des Moines in August.