Team Evolution sending six to Junior Olympic Nationals

Five athletes advance in shot put, one in long jump to USATF championships in Sacramento

By Hasani Grayson • July 12, 2019 6:00 pm
From left: Team Evolution’s Mataya Straka, JaBron Brooks and Tyara Straka pose with their medals at the USATF Region 13 Junior Olympics on July 7. (Submitted photo)
From left: Team Evolution’s Mataya Straka, JaBron Brooks and Tyara Straka pose with their medals at the USATF Region 13 Junior Olympics on July 7. (Submitted photo)

After a strong showing at the USATF Region 13 Junior Olympic Championships in Tacoma on July 7, Aberdeen-based Team Evolution is sending six track and field athletes to nationals in Sacramento.

Evolution continued its legacy of producing strong throwers with Joseph Straka, JaBron Brooks, Mataya Straka and Tyara Straka all qualifying in both the shot put and the discus.

Keith Olson also qualified for the shot put and Thang Tran is the lone Evolution member not participating in a throwing event as he will represent Evolution in the long jump.

Brooks, who stands at 6-foot-4 as an eighth grader, has been particularly impressive and won the shot put and the discus at the regional championships.

The Miller Junior School student won the shot put with a distance of 13.43 meters and beat his personal record to post 40.01 meters to win the discus.

“Brooks is a stud. He PR’d by 25 feet. He is a monster of a boy,” Evolution coach Shaun Straka said. “He’s a legit Division I prospect in multiple sports. I’ve sent eight kids DI so I have a pretty good idea what it takes.”

Tyara Straka was also impressive in the 15-16 age bracket, winning the shot put with a distance of 12.22 meters and taking second in the discus.

Team Evolution’s Tyara Straka competes in the shot put at the USATF Region 13 Junior Olympics on July 7. Straka took first place in her age group with a distance of 12.22 meters. (Submitted photo)

Team Evolution’s Tyara Straka competes in the shot put at the USATF Region 13 Junior Olympics on July 7. Straka took first place in her age group with a distance of 12.22 meters. (Submitted photo)

Younger sister Mataya Straka followed suit and won the shot put with marks of 13.89 meters in the 13-14 age group.

Coach Straka said Mataya’s winning throw reminded him of another thrower he coached who just completed her first season at USC.

“Mataya’s 45-foot throw was Karlee Freeman-esque That’s a bomb for a 13-year-old,” he said.

Coach Straka has been impressed with all his young athletes and also said that, beyond the results at the track, throwing can build character.

“The beautiful thing about throwing is if it was easy then everybody would do it. It’s something that takes time, you have to dedicate yourself,” he said. “I think it teaches kids values in life. You find out through competition that you’re only going to get out of it what you put into it.”

Evolution is hoping its hard work will pay off when they head to Sacramento for USATF National Junior Olympic Championships on July 22. Coach Straka is looking for local businesses to sponsor the trip as he looks to drive his team to Northern California in pursuit of national gold.

Finding funding is just part of the issue for Evolution. The heat of a California summer will be another obstacle for the Harbor athletes that aren’t accustomed to competing in high temperatures.

Coach Straka has had his athletes use a sauna to prepare for the heat, but noted that it’s not really possible to simulate temperatures in the low 100s.

“With the heat in Sacramento, I don’t think there is a good way to prepare for it. We’re going to hydrate the heck out of the kids and keep them indoors as much as possible to keep them out of the heat,” he said. “We have had situations where the heat beat our kids and it’s a tough thing to prepare for that. I haven’t figured out a way to recreate 105 degree temperatures.”

Team Evolution’s Thang Tran competes in the long jump at the USATF Region 13 Junior Olympics on July 7. Tran finished fifth in the event to qualify for nationals. (Submitted photo)

Team Evolution’s Thang Tran competes in the long jump at the USATF Region 13 Junior Olympics on July 7. Tran finished fifth in the event to qualify for nationals. (Submitted photo)

Success at nationals is the short-term goal for the six local athletes, but Coach Straka is already thinking about what his athletes can do in the future.

“I have kids from every school in the Harbor on this team and it’s awesome to see how much of a family it has become,” he said. “With what these kids are doing, when they are seniors in high school in four years, they’ll be steamrolling the state.”