09/10/2026
🏆🇺🇸 12 ATHLETES. ONE YEAR OF WORK. ONE NATIONAL STAGE.🇺🇸🏆
DEL RIO, TEXAS — YOU SHOULD BE PROUD OF THESE SPARTANS.
As the Head Track & Field Coach, it is difficult to put into words just how proud we are of the athletes who represented our program at the AAU Junior Olympics in Des Moines, Iowa.
Twelve of our athletes earned the right to compete on one of the biggest stages in youth track & field.
But their journey did not begin in Des Moines.
It began one year ago.
It began in the gym.
It began on the track.
It began with early mornings, long afternoons, difficult workouts, sore muscles, missed weekends, sacrifices, setbacks, and countless moments when these athletes had to choose between making excuses and getting the work done.
They chose the work.
Throughout the off-season and in-season, our athletes remained committed to training at Code Blue Sports Performance, LLC putting in the time and effort necessary to compete at the highest level.
There are no shortcuts to this level of success.
There is only preparation, discipline, consistency, sacrifice, and belief.
And when the opportunity finally came to compete against the best athletes from across the country...
OUR SPARTANS WERE READY.
🏅 12 JUNIOR OLYMPIC QUALIFIERS
We are incredibly proud of the following athletes who earned their place at the AAU Junior Olympics:
🏃 Jake Whipkey— 800m & 1500m
🏃🏻♀️Brayleigh Whipkey— 1500m
🏃 Javier Dominguez— Long Jump
🏃🏻♂️Brooklyn Fletcher— Long Jump & Triple Jump
🏃 Julian “Juju” Hernandez— 200m & 400m
🏃 Joel Ortiz— 4x400m Relay
🏃 Cameron Stevens— 4x400m Relay & 4x800m Relay Alternate
🏃 Emiliano De Luna — 4x400m Relay & 4x800m Relay
🏃🏻♂️Elijah Ashwander— 4x400m Relay & 4x800m Relay
🏃 Donny Guajardo— 4x800m Relay
🏃🏻♂️Julián Pérez— 4x800m Relay
🏃♀️ Fernanda De Luna Mares— Discus
TWELVE ATHLETES. MULTIPLE EVENTS. ONE INCREDIBLE ACCOMPLISHMENT.
⭐ THEY DIDN'T JUST SHOW UP. THEY COMPETED.
The AAU Junior Olympics bring together some of the most talented youth athletes in the nation.
This is where the best of the best come to compete. Every athlete who steps onto that track or into that field has earned the right to be there.
The level of competition is extraordinary.
And our Spartans stepped onto that national stage and represented Del Rio, Texas with pride.
Even more importantly...
Three of our athletes finished among the TOP EIGHT in the nation and earned AAU ALL-AMERICAN honors.
🥈 BROOKLYN FLETCHER 2nd Place Triple Jump
🇺🇸 AAU ALL-AMERICAN
🏅 JAKE WHIPKEY 5th Place — 1500m Run
🇺🇸 AAU ALL-AMERICAN
🏅 JAVIER DOMINGUEZ 7th Place — Long Jump
🇺🇸 AAU ALL-AMERICAN
THREE ALL-AMERICANS. ONE SPARTAN FAMILY.
Take a moment to understand what that means.
These young athletes traveled from a small community in Southwest Texas and competed against some of the best youth athletes in the entire country.
And they didn't back down. They didn't let the size of the stage intimidate them.
They belonged there.
💙 THIS IS BIGGER THAN TRACK & FIELD.
As coaches, we are proud of the medals. We are proud of the rankings. We are proud of the accomplishments. But most of all, we are proud of the people these athletes are becoming.
Because one day, the races will be over. The medals will be put away. The spikes will hang on the wall. And the results will become memories.
But the lessons they learned along the way will stay with them forever.
Discipline.
Perseverance.
Accountability.
Commitment.
Sacrifice.
Confidence.
Faith.
Those are the things that matter.
🙏 TO OUR PARENTS...
No athlete reaches this level alone.
Behind every one of these young athletes are parents and families who sacrificed their time, energy, finances, weekends, and countless hours to give their children an opportunity.
You drove them to practice. You made sure they showed up. You encouraged them after difficult performances. You celebrated their victories.
You supported them through the losses.
You believed in them when they sometimes struggled to believe in themselves.
This accomplishment belongs to you, too.
Thank you for trusting us with your children and allowing us the privilege of coaching them.
🙏 TO OUR COACHES & SUPPORT SYSTEM...
Coaching is more than drawing up workouts and keeping times. It is investing in young people.
It is teaching them how to work when nobody is watching. It is pushing them beyond what they believe they are capable of. It is celebrating them.
It is challenging them, and sometimes, it is simply reminding them: “Keep going. You've got this.”
We are incredibly grateful for everyone who has poured into these athletes throughout their journey.
🙏 AND ABOVE ALL — THANK YOU, GOD.
We are blessed beyond measure to have the opportunity to pour into the youth of Del Rio, Texas.
God has given us the ability to coach, mentor, encourage, and develop these young athletes, and we do not take that responsibility lightly.
We are thankful for every opportunity, every lesson, every victory, and even every setback that has helped shape these young men and women.
The medal is the reward. The journey is the blessing.
💙To our 12 Junior Olympic qualifiers:
YOU EARNED YOUR PLACE.
💙To our three All-Americans:
YOU HAVE MADE HISTORY FOR YOURSELVES, YOUR FAMILIES, YOUR TEAM, AND YOUR COMMUNITY.
💪🏽And to every Spartan who worked, trained, sacrificed, and believed this season:
WE SEE YOU. WE ARE PROUD OF YOU. AND WE BELIEVE YOUR BEST IS STILL AHEAD.
From the gym…
To the track...
To Des Moines, Iowa…
Our Spartans showed what happens when hard work meets opportunity.
DEL RIO, TEXAS — THIS IS YOUR SPARTAN FAMILY.
💙 12 JUNIOR OLYMPIC QUALIFIERS
🇺🇸 3 AAU ALL-AMERICANS
🏆 ONE SPARTAN STANDARD
WORK. DISCIPLINE. SACRIFICE. EXCELLENCE.
SPARTAN STRONG.💙🔥🏆🇺🇸
