Vista Ridge at AAU

By Butch Hart
AMERICAN-STATESMAN CORRESPONDENT
Thursday, August 14, 2008

Vista Ridge runners Ashley Isham and Zac Ornelas won gold last weekend at the National AAU Junior Olympics, the largest youth multisport festival in the world.

It was the best National Junior Olympics finish ever by the CP Classic Running Club of Cedar Park.

More than 16,000 athletes from all 50 states competed in the Junior Olympics. About 9,800 of those were in the track and field competition.

Isham took the Young Women's national title in the 2,000-meter steeplechase, winning by 19 seconds with a time of 7:25.74. Ornelas won the same event in the Young Men's division, winning by 23 seconds in 6:00.78, a Junior Olympic record.

Oliver Gunther finished fifth in the Youth Boys 3,000-meter run with a time of 9:47.16.