Mission Valley youth sprint toward history
courtesy photo
Donovan McDonald, Wyatt Mad Plume and Paden Alexander pose for a photo just before the Junior Olympic race. All three qualified for the national competition next month.
courtesy photo
Donovan McDonald (third from left) stands in the winners' circle with other runners from around the state. McDonald ran against sophomores and juniors from all over Montana during competition.
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MISSION VALLEY — Track and field has roots dating back to Ancient Greece, the birthplace of the Olympics. From discus throwers to sprinters, the first organized sports competitions in human history carry through to today’s competitive arena in the form of modern Olympic games.
An important and seldom-discussed stepping stone for world-class athletes is the Junior Olympics where the best of the best get their start. Some of these young competitors live right here on the Flathead Reservation.
Arlee sophomore Donovan McDonald, Mission Senior Paden Alexander and Wyatt Mad Plume (formerly of Ronan, presently from Browning) all qualified for the USA Track and Field national junior olympic cross county championships in Albuquerque, N.M. after placing in the regional competition last week in Bozeman.
Alexander ran the course in 17:31.71 and finished second in his age group. Mad Plume finished third in the same bracket with a time of 18:19.28.
McDonald received a letter a few months ago from the AAU inviting him to participate in the USA Track and Field regional competition in Bozeman last week.
“It was kind of a really fast deal for us,” June McDonald, Donovan’s mother said. “He got the letter two weeks before the race and we thought we’d missed the whole thing.”
June said the USATF sent Donovan’s formal invitation letter to his school, and Donovan didn’t receive it for some time — allowing him little opportunity to train for the big race.
Donovan gave it his all and trained as best he could before the competition, but ended up running his worst time all year at the Bozeman meet — an 18:30 through a 3.1 mile course.
“My favorite part of the race was the finish line,” Donovan laughed. “The course was flat and boring, and it seemed really long.”
While not entirely pleased with his time, the 18:30 showing was enough to place him third in his age group, advancing the harrier to the USATF national junior olympic cross country championships in Albuquerque, N.M. Dec. 8.
It was a fellow runner who founded the AAU, giving way to the first Junior Olypmic competitions years later. Starting in 1878, rower and runner William B. Curtis founded the Amateur Athletic Union — the first amateur sport governing body of its kind.
Now one of the largest nonprofit sporting organizations in the world, the multi-sport organization promotes and develops amateur sports and physical fitness programs throughout the nation.
In 1949, the AAU hosted the first-ever youth sports program. This eventually grew into the Junior Olympics, an event geared toward showcasing young athletes’ athletic ability and giving them an arena to compete against and build friendships with like-minded youth. Last year’s competition in New Orleans, La. saw nearly 16,000 competitors in 18 sporting events with more than 2,000 coaches. Former Junior Olympic athletes have gone on to become prominent businessmen, olympians, government officials and respected community members.
“I’m happy that I’m going,” Donovan said. “Running is pretty much everything to me ... it’s my escape. I’ve always been into running, but when I realized I had a talent for it I started running more.”
Donovan said he’s making up for lost time and training more furiously than ever for the national competition. His family will accompany him to the weekend competition.
“My family and I are totally proud of him,” June said. “We can’t even explain how great this running thing is for Donovan.”
June said Donovan has an incredible amount of determination and self-discipline, and that while he’s made quite a few friends and learned a lot from his running, the most important part is that he enjoys it.
“It doesn’t matter if he wins or whatever, as long as he’s having a good time. I love that he loves it,” June said. “If it makes him happy, it makes me happy.”
