Clifford Pointer III shocks sports world, makes history at AAU Junior Olympic Games
An 8-year-old Chicago track athlete is drawing national attention after delivering a record-setting performance at the 2026 AAU Junior Olympic Games held at Drake University in Des Moines, IA.
Clifford Pointer III, a member of Chicago’s Gately Park Athletic Club, captured the 9-year-old boys’ 400-meter championship title at the AAU Junior Olympics in Des Moines, Iowa, running 58.70 seconds and breaking the previous AAU Junior Olympic Games record of 59.25, which had stood for 10 years.
For Gately Park Athletic Club, however, Pointer III’s record is just one part of a much bigger story. Three athletes from the program returned from national competition as champions: Clifford Pointer III, age 8, won the 9u AAU Junior Olympic 400-meter title in a record-breaking 58.70 seconds; Bryce Geiger, age 10, captured the 10u 1,500-meter championship with a time of 4:53; and Kenneth (KJ) Collier Jr., age 10, won the 10u Turbo Javelin title with a throw of 109 feet. In total, 42 young athletes from the program qualified for the AAU and USATF Junior Olympics with nine athletes returning to Chicago as All Americans. The results are putting a spotlight on a Chicago program that is developing some of the city’s most promising young track and field athletes.
“This is bigger than one record or one race,” said Craig Collins, Head Coach and Track and Field Operations Director at Gately Park. “It’s about giving Chicago kids an opportunity to discover what they can do, providing them with the coaching and facilities to develop, and then giving them the chance to compete against the best young athletes in the country.”
This success also continues a growing tradition of national achievement for Gately Park Athletic Club. The club has previously produced national champions and All-American performances at major youth competitions, including the USATF National Youth Indoor Championships.
The program is based at the Dr. Conrad Worrill Track and Field Center at Gately Park, a state-of-the-art facility owned and operated by the Chicago Park District and managed by Legends Global on Chicago’s South Side. The facility opened in 2020 with a vision of providing Chicago youth access to a first-class training and competition environment, a mission reflected in the program’s growing success on the national stage.
Today, Gately Park Athletic Club serves youth athletes ages 6-18 and competes in indoor, outdoor and cross-country seasons. The program welcomes athletes of all experience levels, providing young athletes with opportunities to develop their skills and compete at increasingly higher levels.
Pointer III’s record-breaking run may have been the headline from this year’s national competition, but Gately Park coaches say the larger victory is seeing dozens of Chicago children earn the opportunity to compete on a national stage.
With three national champions, 42 Junior Olympic qualifiers, nine All Americans and a record-breaking performance that captured national attention, Gately Park Athletic Club is making a compelling case that some of the country’s next track and field stars are already training right here in Chicago.