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When the students returned to Union Middle School early last month, they were no doubt sharing stories about what they did during summer vacation.
Well, seventh-grader Manuel Jimenez has a pretty good story to tell—the 12-year-old spent the summer getting to the National Junior Olympics in Miami, Fla., then winning a gold medal in the shot put.
Jimenez, a member of the Union Track Club coached by Jeff Argabright, had shown promise in his first year of track and field competition. Competing as a sixth grader at Union, also for coach Argabright, Jimenez won league titles in the shot put and 400 meters and won silver medals in the 200 meters and the 400 relay. He went on to win gold in the shot and 400 at the Silicon Valley Invitational and also picked up a silver in the 200.
He capped his first year of competition with the best prize of them all, though—a gold medal at the Junior Olympics. His throw of 45-3 3/4 was the best in his age group, though his personal best is 47-3.
Jimenez's throwing coach is Denise Holloway, and his mother, Kelly Carey, teaches at West Valley College.
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