Pharoahe Zaire, National Champion

A giant of a boy named Pharoahe Zaire became an All-American and National Champion, at the AAU 14-Under Youth National Championship, on the campus of Eastern Michigan University, Saturday, March 7.

"This medal is big," the 11-year-old from Columbus, Ohio said with wonder after the gold was placed around his neck. Pharoahe measures in at six-feet and a half and over 200 pounds. As he entered the competition area for the boys 12-year-old shot put division for warmups, spectators were impressed by his size.

"One parent told me, when they saw my son, that they guess their son would be finishing in second place this year," Gezus Zaire who is Pharoahe's dad and coach said. "That made me laugh, but don't get it twisted, Pharaohe's size alone isn't the only thing that led him to the gold medal. He had to have focus and discipline as well. As an athlete he's maturing when it comes to learning how to not take things for granted and dominating by outworking his opponents both in practice and at events."

Pharoahe took on a field that included Jelani Walker of Detroit's Motor City Track Club. Coming to the event, Walker won shot put national championships at this meet since 2015. "This is the first year I had any competition," Walker said.

Walker stepped up as the second thrower in the competition and had an impressive mark of 34-feet and 11 1/2 inches, which would've been good enough to win any other year. Pharoahe, whose previous best was 29 feet eight and 1/4 inches at last year's AAU Junior Olympic meet, stepped up and threw a personal best of 38-feet four and 3/4 inches on his first throw.

"He hadn't thrown that far in practice, so when I heard that he topped 38 -feet, I was a bit stunned," Gezus said. "He really rose to the occasion and he did it while being a great sport which really made his mom proud."

As he watched each competitor throw, you could see Pharoahe encouraging all of his oppenents and high fiving them for their efforts. "He's a sweet heart deep down inside," Gezus said. "People see the size and think about his strength but he really wants the best for people and he enjoys making new friends."

Pharoahe and Walker finished first and second respectively with their first throws being their best marks. Walker's teammate Jerry Hempfield IV earned the bronze medal with a throw of 28-feet, one and 1/4 inches. Pharoahe participated in the meet as an unattached athlete.

Last season Pharoahe competed with the Ohio Heat Track Club during his first year in the sport. In his first meet, he won the AAU Ohio District #2 championship in the boy's 11-year-old shot put division. He followed that by a third place finish at the AAU Region 4 meet which qualified him for the Junior Olympic meet, where he finished 17th out of 89 competitors.

Some of Pharoahe's old Ohio Heat teammates also represented the Columbus area well. In the preliminary round of the boys 10-year-old 60-meter dash, Tyriq Cunningham had the best qualifying time in the 60-meter dash at 8.64. Edmund McAllister III also qualified at 9.05, placing eighth out of 37 sprinters.

Cunningham also had the top time (29.42) in the 200-meter prelim in his age bracket as well, with McAllister placing third (29.64).

Another McAllister, Stacy showed some promise as he had the best 200-meter dash time in the boys five and six year old division. He had a dominant win at 37.36, ahead of Motor City Track Club's Tristen Waldron (38.50) and the rest of the pack of 11 other runners that finished in 40 seconds or more.

Olivia Pace represented for the Heat young ladies as she was the only sprinter to finish the 14-year-old girls 60-meter dash prelim under eight seconds (7.91). Pace was also second in the 200-meter dash prelim at 26.45.

The athletes continue to compete on Sunday, March 8 to wrap up the two-day event that has over 900 participants.