More than 175 elementary school students from across the region converged at Riverside Park for the second annual Iola Youth Track Meet Saturday.
Iola Middle School coordinates the event with the City of Iola Recreation Department, said Scott Brady, IMS assistant principal and athletic director.
“The high school track team under Coach David Daugharthy ran all of the competitions and the middle school helps out a little bit too. We had kids today across preschool to sixth grade,” said Brady.
As part of the event, the younger athletes participated in many of the same events as do their high school and middle school counterparts. Some events are modified for safety, such as the javelin throw becoming the rubberized turbo-javelin throw.
“It introduces them to a variety of athletic events before they get to middle school or high school,” said Brady, who was delighted in seeing the high school athletes palling around with the younger students and encouraging them before each event. “They did such a great job hyping them up and giving them high-fives. It’s a really good event and the kids do a great job.”
While the Iola Youth Track Meet had a competitive atmosphere, Brady said the most important part of Saturday’s event was making sure the kids had fun.
Brady hopes the annual track meet continues to grow.
Morgan Tholen clears a hurdle while competing at Saturday’s meet.
“Parents really enjoy seeing their kids try something new,” Brady said. “Whether their kid gets first or last didn’t matter. Track and field allows the athletes to compete individually, when most sports involve a team.”
