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.
Flint welcomed athletes from 8 to 18 years of age during the final week of June to compete at the AAU Region 12 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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Nolan Cullens, Track Life U - 15/16 Boys
Nolan Cullens enters the AAU Junior Olympic Games after another standout performance at the AAU Region 12 Qualifier, winning the 100m dash in a personal best time of 10.46. The Track Life University sprinter also turned in a strong high school season, placing 3rd at the MHSAA Division 2 State Championships against one of Michigan's deepest sprint fields.
Speed on the national stage is nothing new for Cullens as he finished runner-up in the 100m at the 2024 AAU Junior Olympic Games and now heads to Des Moines looking to climb one spot higher after another breakthrough season.
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Savana Wiley, Next Level TC - 12 Girls
Savana Wiley showcased her range at the Region 12 meet, winning the 100m hurdles, 200m hurdles, and the long jump, while also qualifying for the Junior Olympic Games in the 800m.
This summer will mark Wiley's fifth consecutive appearance at the AAU Junior Olympic Games, where she has already collected five top-10 finishes, highlighted by a 4th-place finish in the high jump in 2024. With experience across the hurdles, jumps, and middle distances disciplines, Wiley will once again have several opportunities to add to her Junior Olympic résumé and could be a contender in a future heptathlon.
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De-mani Roberts, Kentwood TC - 15/16 Boys
De-mani Roberts backed up an outstanding high school season with another dominant performance at the AAU Region 12 Qualifier, winning the 200m dash in 21.27 and the 400m dash in 47.52. The Kentwood TC standout also finished runner-up in both events at the MHSAA Division 1 State Championships this spring, ending the season ranked No. 2 in Michigan in each event.
The AAU Junior Olympic Games have been a familiar stop for Roberts, who finished runner-up in the 400m a year ago. Now making his fourth appearance, he'll travel to Des Moines looking to build on one of last summer's top performances.
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Clara Slattery, MI - 17/18 Girls
Clara Slattery was one of the most impressive performers at the AAU Region 12 Qualifier, winning the 100m hurdles, 200m dash, and 400m dash to secure three individual entries into this year's Junior Olympic Games.
The Michigan native claimed Division 4 state titles in all three events this spring track season, putting together one of the state's most successful championship campaigns.
In her first summer on the AAU circuit, Slattery has wasted little time proving she belongs. Before her impressive showing in Flint, she finished runner-up in the 100m hurdles at the Nike Outdoor National meet and finished the spring ranked among the top 15 in Michigan in four different events, making her someone you won't want to miss in action at next month's summer extravaganza.
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Tyson Green, St8 Smokin - 14 Boys
Tyson Green continued his undefeated summer at the AAU Region 12 Qualifier last month, winning both the 800m and 1,500m while setting personal bests of 2:16 and 4:45, respectively.
The AAU Junior Olympic Games has become a second home for Green in the summer, who will make his fifth consecutive appearance at the meet. He finished runner-up in the 800m in 2024 before placing 9th in the 800m and 8th in the 1,500m last summer. The rising sixth-grader will look to turn those national finals appearances into another trip to the podium next month.