LIMA (WLIO) — The C2K Panthers Track & Field Club will send 22 athletes to the 2026 AAU Junior Olympic Track & Field Championships after qualifying at the AAU Region 4 Championships. The national meet is scheduled for Aug. 1 through Aug. 8 in Des Moines, Iowa.

Founded in 1993, the program has produced numerous AAU All-Americans and national champions. Among its most accomplished alumni is Zion Jackson, a 22-time AAU All-American and five-time national champion who went on to earn NCAA Division III All-America honors at Trine before transferring to Purdue University.

Jackson is spending the summer training at Spartan Stadium alongside the club's latest group of national qualifiers as the C2K Panthers prepare to compete on the national stage.

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