Wellesley teen Abby Lothian recently brought home a gold medal from the AAU Region One qualifier meet in Queens, New York. In doing so, she qualified for the AAU National Junior Olympics to be held later this month.
Lothian, a member of the Cambridge Jets track team, competed in the 100-meter dash. Despite heat wave temperatures and strong headwinds, Lothian put down a final time of 13.19 in the finals.
The Wellesley High School incoming 9th grader competed against a field of thirty-plus 14-year-old girls in the multi-day event. AAU Region One draws strong competitors from all over New England, as well as New York City and North Jersey. The top six competitors in each event advance to the national competition in North Carolina.
Earlier this year, Lothian also took first place in the 100 meter dash at the Massachusetts Middle School Track Championships in Clinton, MA. There, she competed as a member of the Wellesley Middle School track team; she has been a member of the team for the last three years. Abby is planning to join the Wellesley High School team when she begins her freshman year in the fall.
Currently, Lothian is stepping up her training and looking forward to competing in the National Junior Olympics in Greensboro N.C. at the end of July.