Amateur Athletic Union (AAU)

Beyond the Track: Makeriah Harris, AAU Junior Olympic Games Star, Signs National Letter of Intent with LSU

11/27/2023

Harris will be going to LSU after dominating the hurdles in AAU Track and Field

By Alexander Gagnon

BATON ROGUE, LA (November 27, 2023) -- One of the most prolific AAU Track and Field competitors over the past few years has officially committed to continue their athletic career at Louisiana State. Makeriah Harris, a Louisiana native herself, will be staying close to home when she graduates and begins her NCAA career with LSU -- something she has wanted for a long time.

“Ever since I was little, my vision was to attend and run for LSU. Even though I visited other schools, and they were all great, there’s no place like home. The passion I felt from the coaches, the intensity of the team’s talents, and the morale of the school were amazing,” said Harris.

Few have found more success at the AAU Junior Olympic Games than Harris. She has won 16 medals at the Games: eight gold, four silver, and four bronze. Her specialty is the hurdles. In the past four years, she won a gold or silver medal in every individual event she competed in, including four straight golds in the 100m hurdles for her age group. She was also named the 2022-23 Louisiana Girls Track and Field Gatorade Athlete of the Year.

“AAU has helped me get to this point by allowing me to participate in numerous track meets, providing me with opportunities to compete with athletes not only on the same level as me but higher,” said Harris.

While Harris has been a force at the AAU Junior Olympic Games for several years now, she has been participating in them even longer. She first attended the 2013 Games held in Ypsilanti, Michigan as a member of the 8 and Under division. The following year, she would win her first medals in AAU Junior Olympic Games competition with two bronze medals for podium finishes in the Girls 8U 200m and 400m events.

Competing in the Games every year since 2013, Harris has had the opportunity to travel to several different host locations.

“My favorite part about competing in the AAU Junior Olympic Games over the years was being able to travel to places kids my age weren’t able to go, and the bonds and friendships I have made along the way,” Harris said.

In addition to her AAU achievements, she also won multiple Class 5-A state titles in high school and is looking forward to translating that success to the collegiate level. With her experience, she has plenty of advice for up-and-coming AAU track and field athletes.

“The process isn’t going to be easy. Sometimes you will have a bad practice day or even a bad week, but it’s OK. As long as you try and put forward that day’s 100 percent, you will benefit. Every race isn’t going to be your best or PR. You might even do horrible but don’t let those races define you. Keep your head high and keep going. Go back to the drawing board. Acknowledge what made that race ‘bad’, understand what adjustments need to be made, and work hard to achieve them,” Harris said. “The only limit is you. When having goals, you have to work to get them. The bigger the goals, the harder you have to work!”.

Harris has set new goals for herself now that she’ll be a collegiate athlete.

“Over the next few years my goals are to maintain my drive, grit, and dedication even though I’m [competing] on a higher level, continue to grow and learn [about] myself as a person and athlete, and work my way to becoming a national champion on a collegiate level,” said Harris.

There’s still some time before she joins the LSU roster, but she’ll join a program that has worked with several track and field Olympians. 2020 medalists Aleia Hobbs, Michael Cherry, and Mondo Duplantis, not to mention likely candidates for Paris 2024 like Sha’Carri Richardson, all competed at LSU.

Harris has proven that she is a premier athlete in her age group throughout her time in AAU. Now, she’ll have the chance to prove it at a collegiate level, and potentially on an international stage before long.

You can check out her 100m hurdle gold medal run from this year's AAU Junior Olympic Games here.

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