Future Spartans compete in track meet

For the past three years eighth grade students at Superior Middle School have competed in the eighth grade track-o-rama. The Track-o-rama is a school-wide track meet that gives the eighth graders a taste of what track is like.

They run several of the same events as a high school track meet, such as the 400 meter dash, 200 meter dash, 4x200 meter relay, 4x100 meter relay, mile run, and long jump. The eighth graders are also given the opportunity to try different, non-high school events, like the 50, 75, and 100 meter dashes along with the softball throw and the wing versus wing tug-of-war contest.

“Kids were competing in their event. The drive was there and that’s what impressed me. It’s nice to see them competing and having a good attitude about it,” said race starter and Superior High School track coach Kris Leopold.

Some boys who stood out at the track meet where Ben Erickson who set a Superior Middle School mile record and won the track-o-rama mile race with a 5:22, Erick Tunell who finished second in the mile with a 5:26 and Tony Valentine who won the 100 yard dash running it in 11.4 seconds.

Leah Holmes won the girls’ mile with a time of 6:21, and she also won the girls 400 meter dash, running it in 1:13. Natalie Kintop finished second in the girls mile with a time of 6:24. And Jessica Engstrom won her 75 yard dash in 9.8 seconds.

This year’s tug-of-war champion title went to the red wing, and the overall champions of this years track-o-rama were the blue wing students.