VALRICO - When 11-year-old Ryan Spring began competing in the AAU National Club Championships, he just wanted to do his best.
When the dust settled, the 36 points he scored was the second most of any sub-midget boys team in the United States.
He and the other 21 athletes on the Seffner Track Club finished fifth with 434 points and won 11 individual titles last week at Disney's Wide World of Sports.
"The competition was tough throughout the meet," coach Mike Zelazo said. "Our young women's group won the national championship for its category (ages 17-18), the sub-midget girls (age 11) and the young men (17-18) placed third,and, of course, our sub-midget group, Ryan, placed second as a one-man army."
Beau Burroughs, 17, Jasmyene Black, 11, and Spring each won two gold medals. Danny Nixon, 12, Richard Martin, 8, Chris Chatterton, 16, Lauren Valentine, 18, and Katie Fowke, 18, each got one.
Spring placed in four of his five events, winning the pentathlon and 1,500 meter walk and taking fourth in the 1,500-meter run and 80-meter hurdles.
Burroughs won the discus and javelin, and Black finished first in the pentathlon, winning four-of-five events, and high jump. Martin won the shot put, Nixon the 1,500 walk, Valentine the shot put and Fowke the pole vault.
Although Martin has only been with the club for the summer, was younger than most of his 9- and 10-year-old competitors and had not competed in a meet before, he set a mark for himself and his club.
He placed fifth in the 100-meter run with a time of 14.91 seconds and fifth in the long jump with a leap of 11 feet. His gold-medal shot put toss was 21 feet, 7 inches.
"Normally, I would not allow a youngster his age compete in a meet as big as the AAU Club Nationals with so little experience ... but this little guy is just a super athlete," Zelazo said. "He won't be 9 until a day or so before Christmas, so he will be able to compete in his age group for two more years. He has a great future."
Although many qualified, eight of the athletes will compete in the AAU National Junior Olympics from July 23-31 in Detroit. To qualify, an athlete has to win or place in the top four in the AAU state championships.
Those who will make the trip include Alexis Spring, 11, Mallory White, 9, Ethan White, 12, Candice White, 14, Connie Fleming, 17, James Fleming, 14, Lauren Kolakowski, 17, and Spring.
