Getting physical

You didn't have to be an athlete to compete in the track and field events Monday at Bulleit Stadium, but you did have to be a fifth-grader in Seymour Community Schools.

Students from Seymour-Redding, Margaret R. Brown, Emerson, Seymour-Jackson and Cortland elementary schools competed in 12 events during Track and Field Day. Each student who competed and placed in an event received a ribbon, but no scores were kept.

"We don't keep score because then we would only put in our best runners and what fun would that be to have a track and field day and not be able to participate?" said Sharon Wood, physical education teacher at Jackson and Cortland.

Track and Field Day is a tradition for students in the city's schools. Wood said elementary schools compete only in sports such as basketball and volleyball, so the track and field events are new to the fifth-graders.

"This is a day to expose them to what middle school or high school track and field would be like," Wood said.

"It's fun for them to all get together," Noel Dehaven, physical education teacher at Brown and Emerson, added.

"Many of the children practice at home and during P.E. time," Wood said. "This day promotes good training habits as well as fitness and cardiovascular exercise."

Bob Wood, physical education teacher at Redding, along with Sharon Wood and Dehaven organized the day's events. They were assisted by parents who volunteered their time to help with each event and pass out ribbons.

Field events were modified for the fifth-graders, including standing long jump, running long jump, basketball throw and softball throw.

Track events included 60-meter, 100-meter, 200-meter and 800-meter runs, as well as 50-meter shuttle, 70-meter shuttle, 100-meter shuttle and 400-meter relay.

Allison Killey, 11, a student at Emerson, came in first during the 100-meter dash.

"It felt good because I wasn't even supposed to be doing it," Killey said after running the race. "I just volunteered to do it right before the event."

Killey also competed in the 800-meter run and 400-meter relay. How did she prepare for the day?

"I didn't run as much as I was supposed to, but I ran around the house a few times," she said.

What was the best part of the day?

"The running, because I love to sprint."

Samantha Silver, 11, a student at Redding, competed in the softball throw and the 800-meter run.

"I like it best because it's long," Silver said of the 800. "You just have to run fast, especially in the last half lap."

She wasn't as confident about the softball throw.

"Softball throwing isn't my thing," she said. "I don't know why they put me in it."

Brown student Zach Lee said his favorite event is the 800-meter run.

"I'm all hyper about doing it, I've had lots of pop today," Lee said before running the race. "I'm going to jog the first lap and then I'm going to sprint."

Lee said he wasn't much of a runner, but he had high hopes.

"I might win, you never know."

Lee didn't win the event, but he did come in fourth place in both the 800-meter run and the basketball throw out of about 20 students.

"We don't get to go on field trips," Lee said of this school year. "This is the best thing we've done all year."