WICHITA, KAN. - Addyson Smith of Central Valley Track Club continued her dominance in the midget girls' throws with a victory in the shot put on day five of the USATF National Junior Olympics Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

Smith's toss of 12.55m/41-2.25 was three feet farther than the second-place finisher. On Thursday, Smith topped the discus competition with her winning mark of 32.32m/106-0.

Hirsch earns first national title
Seth Hirsch of Omaha Racers cruised to victory in the midget boys' 3,000m, clocking a time of 9:55.34. At the Nebraska Association Championships, Hirsch broke the national record for his age group with a winning time of 9:34.82.

"It was hot today, and it was hard coming down the backstretch running into the wind, but I felt good," Hirsch said. "I got the record at state, so I was just trying to get the win today."

Hirsch has only been involved in distance running for a few years and with this victory, earned his first ever national title.

"My sister started cross country in high school, and I just started running with them, and I liked it," he said. "Now I just run a lot."

Looking ahead, Hirsch has lofty goals for his running career, at least at the Junior Olympics level.

"I want to break the national record in the youth when i get there, and win every year," Hirsch said.

Love nearly betters record
Carolina Elite Track and Field Club athlete Bryce Love, who set national records in both the 100m and 200m at the Region 3 meet, opened up the National Junior Olympics successfully with a win in the youth boys' 200m. Love's time of 21.92 fell just short of his recently-set record of 21.81.

"I wanted to lower [my record] a little bit," Love said. "It felt good. I felt like I was going pretty fast towards the end, sped up. I got a bad start though."

Love is not done racing though; Sunday he will compete in the 100m and 400m as well.

"I thought we had to do semis in all of [the sprints[, so I thought I had to race nine times," he said. "So I was trying to conserve, but it turns out we don't have to."

Although Love dabbles in all the sprints, the 200m is his favorite.

"I like how [the 200m] is a mix of the 200m and the 100m," Love said. "You've got to save at some points, and just go all out at others."

Proteau keeps up winning ways
Pan American Championships competitor Rachel Proteau earned another post-season victory with her leap in the intermediate girls' high jump. Proteau of Williamette Striders cleared 1.75m/5-8.75 to claim the win, then took three attempts at a record-setting height of 1.83m/6-0, falling just short.

"My goal was definitely six feet," Proteau said. "I felt good coming in my first couple jumps. Even though I cleared, I could tell my approach was off so I nicked them. But towards the end, I felt like, 'Okay, I'm here. I can do this. I just want to go for it,'"

Entering this year, Proteau's personal best was 1.63m/5-4. Since then, she has had a break-out season, topping out at 1.80m/5-10.75 at USA Junior Outdoor Championships.

"I've been able to practice a lot more this season because the club coach I practice with is an hour and a half from my house, and I just got my license this year," she said. "Also, I've gotten stronger through weight training and volleyball, so I was able to incorporate more speed in my approach."

Proteau's sudden success has made her re-evaluate her track and field goals for the next two years.

"By the end of my senior year, my goal was originally six feet, but now I want to chase Amy Acuff's national record for high school," Proteau said.

Other event winners from today's competition include the following

-Aysha Shaheed, North County Jaguars-sub-bantam girls' long jump (3.72m/12-2.5)
-Mattherw Medill, Lincoln Jets-sub-bantam boys' long jump (3.98m/13-0.75)
-Gyle Becker, Central Valley TC-young men's high jump (2.05m/6-8.75)
-Megan Glasmann, Mercury TC-intermediate girls' javelin throw (44.14m/144-10)
-Kenneth Brinson, Throw1deep Club-youth boys' 1k discus throw (56.06m/183-11)
-Dylan Duvid-intermediate boys' pole vault (4.50m/14-9)
-Julia Bounds, Oak Hill Racing-midget girls' 3,000m (10:38.03)
-Jordyn Colter, Zoom TC-youth girls' 3,000m (10:07.16)
-Thomas Pollard-youth boys' 3,000m (9:28.69)
-Paige Peschel-intermediate girls' 3,000m (10:14.98)
-Maria Hauger-young women's 3,000m (10:09.96)
-Annika Williams, The Wings TC-bantam girls' long jump (4.38m/14-4.5)
-Cynthia Smith, Umoja TC-midget girls' long jump (5.35m/17-6.75)
-Emma Fitzgerald-youth girls' javelin throw (42.28m/138-8)
-Justin Paboojian-bantam boys 6 lb. shot put (11.14m/36-6.75)
-Nolan Vanamen, South Kitsap Track & Field Club-midget boys' 1k discus throw (37.99m/124-8)
-Dynasty Mcclennon, Track Houston-sub-bantam girls' 200m (29.48)
-Nolan Hickman, High Voltage-sub-bantam boys' 200m (27.90)
-Semira Killebrew, Indiana Storm-bantam girls' 200m (27.32)
-Askari Davis, High Voltage-bantam boys' 200m (26.53)
-Lauren Williams, Quiet Fire-midget girls' 200m (24.56)
-Kurtis Cotton, Bellevue Recreation-midget boys' 200m (23.66)
-Cheyanne Carter, Pacesetters TC-youth girls' 200m (24.12)
-Jada Martin, Sprint Athletics-intermediate girls' 200m (23.60)
-Kendal Williams, 1st Coast TC-intermediate boys' 200m (21.15)
-Destinee Gause-young women's 200m (23.50)
-Elijah Hall-Thompson, C1 Athletics-young men's 200m (20.76)
-Denham Patricelli-intermediate boys' javelin throw (58.31m/191-4)
-Courtny Wilmington, The Wings TC-sub-bantam girls' 800m (2:43.61)
-Kyle Watkins, Myrtle Beach Track & Field Club-sub-bantam boys' 800m (2:37.53)
-Taylor Rainey, Umoja TC-bantam girls' 800m (2:26.54)
-Joshua Wilcox, Speed City TC-bantam boys' 800m (2:24.72)
-Gabrielle Wilkinson, United Stars TC-midget girls' 800m (2:19.99)
-Thomas Mosley, Waukegan Invaders TC-midget boys' 800m (2:12.17)
-Amber Gore, Quiet Fire-youth girls' 800m (2:14.79)
-Philip Hall, Fayetteville Flyers-youth boys' 800m (2:00.92)
-Raevyn Rogers, The Wings TC-intermediate girls' 800m (2:12.10)
-Charles Jones, St. Louis Express-intermediate boys' 800m (1:52.62)
-Samantha Levin, Gateway City-young women's 800m (2:08.23)
-Thomas Miller, Sprint Athletics TC-young men's 800m (1:53.60)
-Track Houston-sub-bantam girls 4x100m (1:01.01)
-Glenarden TC-sub-bantam boys 4x100m (58.30)
-Legendary TC-bantam girls' 4x100m (55.46)
-Speed City TC-bantam boys 4x100m (52.17)
-Quiet Fire-midget girls' 4x100m (50.26)
-Track Houston-midget boys' 4x100m (49.60)
-Quiet Fire-youth girls' 4x100m (47.92)
-Carolina Elite Track and Field Club-youth boys' 4x100m (44.56)
-Track Houston-intermediate girls' 4x100m (46.44)
-Desoto Nitro-intermediate boys' 4x100m (41.89)
-Carolina Elite Track and Field Club-young women's 4x100m (45.52)
-C1 Athletics Stars Track-young men's 4x100m (39.97)