Junior Striders Spring Track - 2009

The Howard County Junior Striders had its biggest turnout for a program ever this spring. A record 220 kids joined the spring track program which started practices on March 23. The season ended with a pizza party and awards celebration on May 18. The day before the party, the team hosted a track meet at Oakland Mills High where the team practices. There were athletes from more than 10 teams and between 400 and 500 youngsters competed during the 6 hour event (thanks volunteers!). This was the 5th meet the team competed in this spring with events including the 100 meter dash, 200, 400, 800, 1500 and 3000. Field events included long jump, shot put, high jump, turbo javelin and discus. Let's not forget the relays 4x100, 4x400 and 4x800! They had a 50 meter dash for kids 6 and under also which is always the highlight event of each meet. The coaching staff grew to 14 to help assist the growing number of youngsters. The Howard County Striders are very lucky to have such a great coaching crew to work with the youth and future of the club (thanks coaches!). The coaches try to provide a place for the experienced and talented kids as well as the beginners. The ages range from kindergarten to 8th grade.

Here are some of the performance highlights at some of the meets the team competed in this spring:

Brunswick - 4/19/09: 9-10 boys-100 meter-2nd-Jelani Dula-14.92, 3rd-Jaden Ealey-15.32, 11-12 boys-100-1st-Benin Dula-13.98, 9-10 boys-400-3rd-Jaden Ealey-1:15, 11-12 boys-400-3rd-Benin Dula-1:08, 13-14 girls-400-3rd-Becky Gessler-1:08, 7-8 boys-800-3rd-Rocco Delpo-3:27, 11-12 girls-800-2nd-Julia Nardone-2:48, 15-18 girls-800-1st-Erin Kroder-2:44, 7-8 boys-1500-2nd-Noah Kim-6:45, 11-12 boys-1500-2nd-Joseph Keating-5:10, 11-12 girls-1500-1st-Brittany Lang-5:29, 2nd-Julia Nardone-5:40, 13-14 boys-1500-1st-Michael Wegner-4:46, 13-14 boys-High Jump-1st-Galen Shi-4'8", 9-10 boys-Long Jump-3rd-Cyrus Bird-Walker-10'5"

Catoctin - 4/26/09: 11-12 boys-100-1st-Benin Dula-13.44, 11-12 girls-100-2nd-Londyn Tyler-13.94, 11-12 boys-200-1st-Benin Dula-29.1, 11-12 girls-200-1st-Tyler James-30.24, 2nd-Londyn Tyler-30.45, 13-14 girls-400-2nd-Becky Gessler-1:08, 7-8 girls-800-2nd-Mary Kate Shouse-3:22, 11-12 girls-800-1st-Brittany Lang-2:47, 13-14 girls-800-2nd-Becky Gessler-2:42, 3rd-Amy Gessler-2:43, 7-8 boys-1500-1st-Noah Kim-6:34, 11-12 girls-1500-1st-Julia Nardone-5:41, 13-14 girls-1500-3rd-Amy Gessler-5:44, 11-12 girls-3000-3rd-Maddie Miller-13:19

Glenarden - 5/9/09: 7-8 boys-1500-1st-Noah Kim-6:31, 11-12 girls-1500-1st-Brittany Lang-5:27, 13-14 girls-4x800-2nd-Oliver, Brand, Gessler, Gessler-10:59

Howard County (Home Meet)-6 and under boys-50-2nd-Logan Kim-10.9, 3rd-Quentin Foster-11.4, 6 and under girls-50-3rd-Lesleigh Hilliard-10.9, 9-10 boys-100-1st-Jelani Dula-14.6, 11-12 boys-100-2nd-Benin Dula-13.8, 11-12 girls-100-2nd-Londyn Tyler-14.2, 7-8 boys-200-2nd-Michael Swann-37.2, 9-10 boys-200-1st-Jelani Dula-31.0, 11-12 boys-200-2nd-Benin Dula-28.3, 9-10 girls-400-3rd-Jordyn Tate-1:21, 7-8 boys-800-2nd-Rocco Delpo-3:16, 7-8 girls-800-1st-Zoe Reading-3:30, 2nd-Mary Kate Shouse-3:31, 11-12 boys-800-3rd-Joseph Keating-2:39, 11-12 girls-800-1st-Julia Nardone-2:41, 13-14 girls-800-2nd-Amy Gessler-2:44, 3rd-Becky Gessler-2:45, 15-18 girls-800-2nd- Erin Kroder-2:50, 8 and under boys-1500-1st-Noah Kim-6:39, 2nd-Rocco Delpo-6:47, 3rd-William Tripp-7:50, 9-10 boys-1500-1st-Nick Kruus-6:12, 2nd-Alexander LaVeck-6:24, 11-12 boys-1500-2nd-Corey Hamilton-5:43, 3rd-Bryce Rosicky-5:47, 11-12 boys-3000-2nd-Joseph Keating-10:54, 3rd-Corey Hamilton-12:08, 11-12 girls-3000-1st-Brittany Lang-11:16, 2nd-Julia Nardone-11:32, 13-14 boys-3000-1st-Michael Wegner-9:51, 9-10 boys-Shot Put-1st-Samuel Alsheimer-17'5â", 3rd-Jayvon Kemp-15'1", 6 and under boys-Long Jump-2nd-Logan Kim-5'8", 3rd-Ian Viaud-5'0", 6 and under girls-Long Jump-3rd-Claudia Shomette-2'4", 9-10 boys-High Jump-1st-Nick Kruus-3'2", 2nd-Sam Alsheimer-3'0"

The track travel team, which includes some high school kids, will compete on June 6 in the first round of the USATF Junior Olympic series. If they finish 6th or better at that meet they will compete again on Fathers Day weekend and if they finish 6th or better there they will compete again the weekend after July 4 and if they finish 3rd or better at that meet they will compete at the USATF Nationals in Greensboro, NC the last week of July. A group of them will also travel to Walt Disney World to compete in the AAU Club Championships the week after July 4.

The Junior Striders will have a cross-country program in the fall beginning around Labor Day so check the web site for the registration form around the beginning of August!

This spring Junior Striders track program ends on Monday May 18. Plan to be there that night so the kids can receive their medal, so we can take a team picture (wear uniforms that night) and so that all can enjoy some pizza and fun.

We do have a home meet the day before our pizza party (meet is at Oakland Mills on Sunday May 17) and we will need help (timers, field event officials, registration, concessions, results and awards). I will have a sign up sheet at the practices leading up to the meet.

All Junior Strider logo attire is in so please plan to pick them up ASAP so we can put that task behind us.

The meet scheduled for Saturday 5/2/09 is at Brunswick High School again. Plan to be there by 9:30am and lets expect it will end around 4pm. NO field events at this meet. Here is the running events schedule: hurdles, 50, 3000, 100, 400, 1500, 200, 800 and 4x100. NO concessions so bring food and drinks!

The Hershey meet on Sunday at Long Reach is an individual meet so you are on your own with getting the awards and anything else they have for you. This meet is ONLY for kids that are turning 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 or 14 this year. Contact the Parks and Rec Department to register and other details.

We have just posted pictures and results from the first two meets so please check them out!

You will need to provide me the entry fee and list of events your kid(s) will compete in at the meet which starts at 8:30am on Saturday May 9 in Price George's County if you are going. They will be having a 4x800 relay pretty earlier in the meet and I would love to have several 4x800 relay teams so if your kid(s) can run an 800, you can be there by 8:15am and your kid(s) wants to be on a relay please let me know ASAP so I can try to pull some teams together. The Striders will pay the relay fee so don't worry about the extra fee.

The uniforms are in! Please pick them up at practice.

We had about 70 athletes compete at the first meet of the year in Brunswick on Sunday April 19. It was great seeing the kids get a chance to compete and give their best effort. Hopefully we will have many more at the coming meets.

The next meet is at Catoctin High School (north of Frederick - about an hour from Columbia) on Sunday April 26. Plan to be there by 12:30 at the latest so you can park, sign up and warm up before the meet starts at 1:05. This meet could last even longer than the first meet did due to there being more events. However many of the extra events are hurdle events and typically there are not many kids doing the hurdles at these ages so who knows. The weather looks like it will be great, the company is excellent and they will have the concessions stand open so bring some chairs and plan to hang out for the afternoon and early evening. Here is the order of running events: 200 hurdles (13-14 year olds), 3000 (11-18), 80 hurdles (11-12), 100 hurdles (13-14), 110 hurdles (15-18), 400 hurdles (15-18), 800 (7-18), 50 (6 and under), 100 (7-18), 1500 (7-18), 200 (7-18), 400 (7-18), 4x100 (9-18) and 4x400 (9-18). They will have the shot put, discus, long jump and high jump as well.

The following weekend gives us a chance to compete at a meet on Saturday (5/2/09) at Brunswick High and/or Sunday (5/3/09) at Long Reach High. The meet on Saturday will start at 10:15 and will only be running events: 80 hurdles (9-12), 100 hurdles (13-14), 50 (6 and under), 3000 (9-14), 100 (7-14), 400 (7-14), 1500 (7-14), 200 (7-14), 800 (7-14) and 4x100 (7-14). The meet on Sunday is the local Hershey track and field meet. The meet is only for 9-14 year old kids. The events are: 50 (9-10), 100 (9-14), 200 (9-14), 400 (9-14), 800 (11-14), 1600 (13-14), standing long jump (9-14) and softball throw (9-14). The Hershey meet is $5 per event if you sign up before the meet or $7 per event if you sign up at the meet. Go to the web site for all the details about the Hershey track and field meet (http://www.hcrpsports.com/Files/fliers/hershey/hersheyflier.pdf).

Now is the time to ask your kids if they like the practice group they are in or if they want to try a different practice group or maybe they are in better shape to try the groups that go for longer runs. These are the groups - sprinter, mid distance and distance. Email me with any changes and they can start with the new practice group starting next week.

Thanks for letting us share this sport with your kids and allowing them to have this experience.

There are meets every weekend for those who can attend. See schedule for more details. Some important tips:

• Track meets are very long, typically 4 hours or more.
• We will be known as Howard County. That is it, just Howard County. There are to many other teams with Striders in their name so just sign up as Howard County and cheer for Howard County, etc.
• ALWAYS make sure your child is wearing their uniform tank top when they are competing!
• Bring food and drink as some meets will have concession stands but some won't. Also bring chairs, hats, jackets, sun tan lotion, books, tents, etc.
• The participants age is determined by how old they are as of 12/31/09. For example if your child is born in 11/1998 and they are currently 10 they will be 11 as of 12/31/09 so they are in the 11-12 or midget age group. Any questions please ask.
• When you get to the meet you will need to sign up, it is typically $5 and it needs to be cash. Stop at the registration table on the way in. Signing up basically means paying and getting stickers. The sticker typically has your child's first and last name, club name, age and event. Write as neatly as possible please so we can get the results correct and get the awards the kids earn.
• If you need help picking the events for your child one of the coaches or myself can help you.
• Typically the kids born in 2003 and after can participate in just 2 events - the long jump and the 50 yard dash. Typically the kids born in 1997-2002 can compete in 3 events and the kids born in 1996 and before can compete in 4. Distance runners please do NOT run all three distance events if they have them (800, 1500 and 3,000).
• After you sign up gather with the rest of the team and hang out together during the meet. Warming up with other kids on the team in the same events helps and of course getting to the bullpen before going to the starting line is easier when with teammates as well. Having that big cheering section is also great.
• You have to listen for when the events are called. If they make a first call for your child's event send them to the bullpen soon. Last call means have them run over there quickly as they will miss the race if they don't get there right away. MAKE SURE THEY HAVE THEIR STICKER.
• Feel free to leave when your kids are done competing or if you have to go because it is getting late.
• Make sure we clean up the area we are hanging out in and take everything you brought with you.

Here's to the kids improving and being rewarded for their hard work!

PS - Remember their participation at practice equals a better chance at improving.

Practices on Thursday April 2 and Monday April 6 will be held on the Field Hockey Field instead of the track due to lacrosse games being held in the stadium. Please enter the Field Hockey Field up by the Baseball Field.