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.
League City welcomed athletes from 8 to 18 years of age during the final week of June to compete at the AAU Region 17 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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Darasimi Odelowo, Jacobs Sports Academy - 17/18 Girls
Darasimi Odelowo took home one of the most dominant victories at the AAU Region 17 Qualifier two weeks ago, storming to a nine-second win in the 800m and running a 2:10.66 to qualify for next month's AAU Junior Olympic Games.
The junior is coming off a terrific spring outdoor season, which resulted in a second-place finish in the 800m at the UIL 6A State Championships and helped her qualify for New Balance Outdoor Nationals in Philadelphia.
Odelowo has experience running at the biggest meet of the summer, having finished 5th in the 800m last season and qualifying for the event prior in 2022, which should give her an advantage come raceday. You won't want to miss the 17/18 girls' 800m in August, or you might miss one of the Longhorn state's best middle distance runners.
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Asher Denman, Lightning Force Athletics - 9 Boys
In just his second full season on the AAU circuit, Asher Denman left the summer's biggest AAU event a national champion in three events - the 100m and 200m dashes, and the long jump.
The 9-year-old representing Lightning Force Athletics will be making his third trip to the AAU Junior Olympic Games this August after winning the same three events at the Region 17 Qualifier. Denman has set three new personal bests this summer, going 12.60 (100m), 26.29 (200m), and 16-3.25 (long jump), all amongst the best in his age group.
For a second straight year, Denman will enter the national meet as a top contender in all three events and will be looking to add more hardware to his name as the young star looks to continue his ascension in the world of track & field.
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Amber Bowling, All American Throwers Club - 17/18 Girls
Another one of Texas' best junior girls showed out at this year's regional meet, qualifying for August's summer classic in Iowa in two events and winning six total in the multi-event competition.
Amber Bowling took home gold in the javelin, while finishing second in the 100m hurdles, and will make her fifth straight appearance at the AAU Junior Olympic Games. Last season, the All-American Throwers Club star finished 3rd in the javelin throw, just three years after winning a national title in Greensboro. Altogether, Bowling is a 6x All-American in the event, with more likely to come.
One of the country's most versatile athletes, Bowling is a name you will want to watch throughout the week in Des Moines, as she has been just as electrifying in the multi-events as she has in the javelin.
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Mason Waits, Pearland Track Express - 13 Boys
Perhaps one of the greatest performances of the day came from the 7th-grader representing Pearland Track Express, who scored victories in the 100m, 200m, and 400m dash events.
Mason Waits will be making his fifth consecutive trip to the AAU Junior Olympic Games next month, looking to continue his streak of success, which includes defending the pair of national titles he won last year. Take a look at how he has performed each year since his debut in 2022.
| 100m Dash | 200m Dash | 400m Dash |
| 2022 | 15th | DNR | DNR |
| 2023 | 3rd | DNR | DNR |
| 2024 | 8th | 5th | DNR |
| 2025 | 1st | DNR | 1st |
Waits will be one of many defending national champions making the trip to Des Moines in August, and it would appear as if Waits will be chasing three individual titles in 2026.
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Nyomi Darby, TX - 9 Girls
Nyomi Darby has been nearly untouchable this summer track & field season and is undefeated in the 200m, 400m, and long jump competitions, winning 15 times across the three events.
Dabry qualified for the AAU Junior Olympic Games for the third time in her young career at the Region 17 Qualifier, storming to wins in the 100m and 200m dashes, the long jump and high jump, while also qualifying in the shot put. She will be looking to defend her national title in the long jump, which she earned jumping 14-2.5 in Humble last year. Darby also finished 6th in the 100m.
Looking to cap off an incredible summer season, Darby will be one of the most multi-skilled youth athletes competing in Des Moines and stands a great chance of adding more medals to her mantel in August.