MERRILLVILLE | The clapping came before the accomplishment.

As Michael Hollembeak approached the bar, the clapping -- which started out slow and in synch -- reached its crescendo. And when he cleared the mark set at 6 feet, 10 inches, the captivated audience erupted for the biggest applause of the weekend.

"That's my personal best," said Hollembeak, 18, of Olathe, Kan. after winning the Young Men's high jump during the AAU Northern Indoor Track and Field National Championships held Feb. 20-22 at Merrillville High School.

"I won my (high school) state championship last year at 6-6," said Hollembeak, who nearly cleared 7 feet in one of his subsequent three attempts at the mark.

"Seven feet is my goal. I should be able to do it when we have our first high school meet in March."

Austin Jamerson, 14, of the Merrillville Track Club also has high hopes in the high jump.

"I want to get to six feet ... which is about my height," Jamerson said after his leap of 5 feet, 8 inches won him the gold in the Intermediate Boys division.

"I'm ecstatic," Jamerson said after winning his first AAU National gold. "I have developed into a speed jumper. I've been doing this since sixth grade."

The three-day event was hosted by the Hammond Track Club and the South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority. It drew more than 900 athletes from across the nation.

"For us, this is like our preseason," said Shawn Carson, coach of the Lakeshore Jets. "We don't get a chance to do much indoors. It's usually school season and the outdoor summer season."

Carson is also an assistant coach for West Side's track team. And several of his Cougars are also Jets. One of which is Beatrice Turpin, who was part of West Side's state runner-up 1,600 relay last spring.

"It's nice to get to compete again," said Turpin, who took third in the Young Women's high jump, and 10th in the 400 dash.

Turpin's West Side and Jets teammate, Darnecia Suggs, is also glad to lace up the spikes again.

"This (the Indoor Championship) let's me know where I'm at," said Suggs, who was a conference, Sectional and Regional champ in the 100 dash.

"Then at state I had a bad day," said Suggs, who took fourth in the Young Women's 55 dash.

One upcoming star from the Region is Dustin Navejas of Lowell. Recently, Navejas took seventh in his age group at the AAU Cross Country Nationals. At Merrillville, he won three golds in the Sub-Bantam Boys division in the 400, 800 and 1,500

"We're trying him out at different distances," said Calumet Region Junior Striders coach Sue Brown, who not only coaches Navejas and other Striders, but was one of the volunteer organizers at the event.

"So far, he's been doing great."