Meet The USA Junior Team Heading To Finland For U20s

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Tia Jones will never be completely satisfied with a race, even if she breaks a national record. 

That's just the competitive spirit of the Walton (GA) High School junior, who qualified for her third straight USA Junior team after winning the 100mH in 12.89 seconds at the USATF Junior Championships on Saturday in Bloomington, Indiana. 

But she said she's still searching for her perfect race. 

"There's always room for improvement," she said after earning her first win at a USA Junior national championship with an international qualifier on the line. "Anything is possible."

Jones probably got very close, though.

In the prelims earlier in the day, Jones said she hit hurdle 8 and then experienced an unfortunate side effect. 

"I blacked out," she said. "My vision went black. I don't know how I made it to the tent, but I made it."

But after much needed hydration and recovery, Jones was back on the track and motivated to get after it. 

Lined up against Florida State's Cortney Jones and Southern California's Chanel Brissett, the Georgia prep was nearly step-for-step with her opponents. 

It came down to a lean

And Jones, no stranger to the scenario, relied on her savvy to gut out a win, her first at this level.

To have the top two times in national history now? 

"It means a lot," she said. "I honestly don't try to think about it a lot. I'm very humble." 

In the end, Jones will let it go and move on to the next outing. She says she can always get faster. 

"Today, it wasn't a perfect race," she said, "but I laid it all out on the track and let it on the line."

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Check out qualifiers for the U20 Championships below

* Note: Athletes with asterisks did not meet the qualifying standards for the U20 Championships in Finland -- the next fastest athlete with a standard in the US pool qualifies for the meet. 

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TEAM USA: MEN'S U20 SQUAD

eventnameschool
100Anthony SchwartzHS
Eric HarrisonOhio State
RELAY POOLKhance MeyersUnattached
Micah WilliamsUnattached
110HCorey PooleFlorida
Joseph AndersonOregon
200Eric HarrisonOhio State
Khance MeyersUnattached
400Howard FieldsBaylor
Umajesty WilliamsArizona
RELAY POOLElija GodwinGeorgia
Justin RobinsonUnattached
400HCorey PooleFlorida
Quivell JordanHouston
800Josh HoeyUnattached
Rey RiveraGeorgetown
1500Yared NuguseNotre Dame
Cooper TeareOregon
5KDrew Bosley*Unattached
Cooper TeareOregon
Soren KnudsenUnattached
3KSCJackson Lewis*Arizona State
Clayton Duchatschek*Unattached
10KWill MerrittMt. St. Mary's
Hociel Landa*Rice
John Aho*Michigan
LJJuVaughn BlakeLSU
Rayvon AllenWichita State
TJChristian EdwardsAlabama
Hasani KnightMiami
HJJuVaughn BlakeLSU
Daniel ClaxtonConnecticut
PV Zachary BradfordUnattached
Cole RiddleArizona State
Shot PutAdrian PiperiTexas
Jordan WestTennessee
DiscusGabe OladipoTexas A & M
Elijah MasonWashington
HammerMichael FeldmanUnattached
Steven FeldmanUnattached
JavelinTaran TaylorWichita State
Tzuriel PedigoUnattached
Dec/HepKyle GarlandUnattached
Gabriel Stainback*High Point
10KRWGiovanni Cisneros*Unattached
Eduardo Uria*Unattached


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eventnameschool
100Twanisha TerrySouthern California
Daija LampkinAlabama
RELAY POOLJayla KirklandFlorida State
Tamara ClarkAlabama
100HTia JonesUnattached
Cortney JonesFlorida State
200Lauren WilliamsOregon
Jayla KirklandFlorida State
400Taylor MansonFlorida State
Symone MasonMiami
RELAY POOLArria MinorUnattached
Julia MadubuikeTexas A & M
400HJurnee WoodwardLSU
Brooke JaworskiUnattached
800Sammy WatsonTexas A & M
Caitlin CollierUnattached
1500Rachel McArthurVillanova
Caitlin CollierUnattached
3KCailie Logue (3K)Iowa State
London Culbreath*Unattached
5KCailie Logue*Iowa State
Emily Venters Boise State
Amanda Vestri Iowa State
3KSCKristlin GearFurman
Alice HillMichigan
LJTara DavisGeorgia
Jasmine MooreUnattached
TJJasmine MooreUnattached
Lexi EllisUnattached
HJShelby TylerUnattached
Sanaa BarnesUnattached
PV Rachel BaxterVirginia Tech
Julia FixsenUnattached
Shot PutAlyssa WilsonUCLA
Lindsay BakerAshland
DiscusObiageri AmaechiUnattached
Alyssa WilsonUCLA
HammerAlyssa WilsonUCLA
Jillian ShippeeNorth Carolina
JavelinDana BakerUnattached
Maura FiamonciniBucknell
HeptathlonAnna HallUnattached
Sterling LesterUnattached
10KRWTaylor EwertUnattached
Lauren HarrisMarist