Joliet West’s Ja’Miiyah Doss qualifies for Jr. Olympics, needs help to make the trip

JOLIET – Ja’Miiyah Doss threw the shot put and discus for Joliet West during the girls track and field season this spring.

When she decided to participate over the summer for Prestige Athletic Club in Joliet, her coach, Nathan Atkinson, asked her if she would like to try an event that is not offered during the high school season.

“Before the season started, I spoke with Coach Atkinson and he asked me if I wanted to try the hammer throw, and I said yes,” Doss said. “He just wanted me to put forth my best effort in the tryouts, and I did pretty good.”

Even though it was her first year of throwing the hammer, she performed well enough to finish fifth at a Junior Olympic qualifying meet July 8 in Champaign. That was good enough to qualify her for a spot in the USATF Junior Olympics in Eugene, Oregon.

The only thing standing in her way now is money. She needs help to pay for the flight, and her great-aunt, Dawn Jones, has set up a GoFundMe account, which can be accessed at https://gofund.me/15327711.

Time is of the essence, as the Junior Olympics begin July 24 at the University of Oregon’s legendary Hayward Field.

Doss is one of several Joliet West athletes who have qualified for the Junior Olympics. Others are Aiden Rodriguez, Morgan Pork, Annamarie Cruz, Jerie McClellan and Keldon Caldwell.

Doss will be a senior at West when school starts this fall, and she will continue to compete in the shot put and discus events. She hopes to use her hammer throwing experience to continue to compete in track and field in college.

“There’s a few colleges that I would rather go to, but I am taking it day-by-day right now,” she said.

“It’s pretty exciting to qualify for the Junior Olympics, and I am looking forward to it.”