Cherokee Youth Track and Field Meet held

By SCOTT MCKIE B.P.

ONE FEATHER STAFF

 

     Running and jumping is fun.  Staying in shape is fun.  Exercise can be both beneficial and fun.  Those were the main lessons organizers hoped youth would come away with at the Cherokee Youth Track and Field Meet held Friday, July 20 at the Acquoni Expo Center. 

   “It’s our big project of the summer for kids,” said Lynn Taylor, Cherokee Life Wellness Center program supervisor.  “We have something every year for the kids.”

     Taylor said the kids trained for a month for Friday’s event.  “We would work with the kids on the various events.” 

     A total of 75 kids participated in the Meet which was sponsored by the Wellness Center in conjunction with Healthy Cherokee. 

     “Our goal is to keep the kids moving and to know how important it is to be exercising, involved in sports and keeping positive attitudes,” said Taylor.

     Ahli-sha Stephens, Wellness Center exercise physiologist, organized the majority of the Meet.  “The main reason for the Meet is just to get kids active, keep them running and jumping, and this is a way to make it fun for them.  It wasn’t really about competition.  We just want kids to be active because if they can be active when they’re young and hold that habit, they will develop an active lifestyle.”

     Cherokee Food Lion donated fruit for the kids and Crowe’s Sno-Cone was on hand to give out free snow cones to all of the participants. 

     “We have a great staff,” said Taylor, “we couldn’t have done it without them.  The Cherokee Life Wellness staff who made this event a success include: Ahli-sha Stephens, Justin Jumper, Kimsey Taylor, Skye Littledave, Vanessa Lopez, Shaye Ledford, Val Pheasant, Hunter Thomas and Jama Anders.” 

     “The Cherokee Life Wellness staff would like to thank the following volunteers: Micah and Carrah Swimmer, Jennifer W. Martens, Henry McCoy, Dustin Sampson, Nicole Taylor, Shannon Bard, T.W. Saunooke, Ray Stamper, Catuche Tiger, Shawn Crowe, and Radonna Crowe and Manuel Hernandez for helping and donating medals,” she said.  “We would like to send a special thank you to Cherokee Bottled Water for the water donation, to Cherokee Food Lion for donating the fruit and the Cherokee One Feather for the coverage.  Also, a huge thank you to Peanut Crowe for serving over 200 free snow cones.  The children loved and appreciated this!  With such wonderful people, our event was a huge success.” 

Event results

Note: The participants ages 3-6 were given medals based on their participation. 

3-4 year olds

* John Calvin Gloyne – 25M run, softball throw

* Kaden Stephens – 25M run, 50M run, softball throw

* Keedan Drakeford – 25M run, softball throw, egg race

* Samuel Hernandez – 25M run, softball throw, long jump

* Joss Stamper – 25M run, 50M run, softball throw

* Jadence Saunooke – 50M run, long jump, egg race

* Spencer Moore – 25M run, 50M run, softball throw

* Shawnee Kirkland – 25M run, 50M run, long jump

* Tayvin Bark – 25M run, softball throw, long jump

* Talan Crowe – 25M run, softball throw, long jump

* Julian Lanning – 25M run, softball throw, egg race

* Matix Stamper – 50M run, softball throw, egg race

* Zakya Hogner – 50M run, softball throw, egg race

* Lilliana Pheasant – 25M run, softball throw, long jump

* Ogana Swimmer – 25M run, 50M run, softball throw

* Joanna Shipman – 25M run, softball throw, egg race

5-6 year olds

* Jaden Wade – 50M run, 100M run, softball throw

* Kyla Moore – 25M run, 50M run

* Lapita Toineeta – 50M run, egg race, sack race

* Kendra Drakeford – softball throw, egg race, sack race

* Tyce Hogner – 50M run, 100M run, sack race

* Olivia Kirkland – 50M run, egg race, softball throw

* Esiah Postoak – 50M run, softball throw, egg race

* Wakiyan Grant – 50M run, softball throw, sack race

* Trevan Lambert – softball throw, egg race, sack race

* Ezra Washington – 50M run, long jump, egg race

* Korbin Sampson – 50M run, 100M run, long jump

* Taiya Rubio – 50M run, egg race, sack race

* Tahtahyeh Swimmer – 50M run, sack race, long jump

7-8 year olds

50M run boys – Heat 1: 1^st – Keneil Saunooke 8.37; Heat 2: 1^st – Darrin Brown 8.03, 2^nd – Tivan Saunooke 8.46, 3^rd – Dante Taylor 9.13

50M run girls – 1^st – Emma Taylor 8.18, 2^nd – Rachel Maney 8.44, 3^rd – Madison Backwater 8.69

100M run girls – 1^st – Emma Taylor 16.77, 2^nd – Rachel Maney 17.26

1-mile run girls – 1^st – Anna Bigwitch 13:22

Softball Throw boys – 1^st – Tivan Saunooke 70’, 2^nd – Dante Taylor 43’, 3^rd – Darrin Brown 40’

Softball Throw girls – 1^st – Rachel Maney 36’, 2^nd – Emma Taylor 32’, 3^rd – Anna Bigwitch 31’

Long Jump boys – 1^st – Tivan Saunooke 5’9”, 2^nd – Keneil Saunooke 5’7”, 3^rd – Dante Taylor 3’10”

Long Jump girls – 1^st – Emma Taylor 4’7”, 2^nd – Madison Backwater 4’6”  

Spoon and egg race boys – 1^st – Keneil Saunooke, 2^nd – Dante Taylor

Spoon and egg race girls – 1^st – Emma Taylor 10.14, 2^nd – Rachel Maney 12.59

Potato sack race boys – 1^st – Tivan Saunooke 11.21, 2^nd – Darrin Brown 11.61, 3^rd – Keneil Saunooke 13.01

 9-10 year olds

50M run boys – 1^st – Jordan Arkansas 7.19

50M run girls – 1^st – Paula Swayney 7.22, 2^nd – Kristina Lee 9.10, 3^rd – Rayna Ricks 12.03

100M run boys – 1^st – Jordan Arkansas 14.19

100M run girls – 1^st – Raylen Bark 13.19, 2^nd – Rayna Ricks 24.58

200M run girls – 1^st – Raylen Bark 43.76

1-mile run boys – 1^st – Jordan Arkansas 7:30

1-mile run girls – 1^st – Raylen Bark

Softball throw girls – 1^st – Braeleigh Junaluska 56.3’, 2^nd – Rayna Ricks 32.9’

Long Jump girls – 1^st – Raylen Bark, 2^nd – Braeleigh Junaluska

Spoon and egg race girls – 1^st – Braeleigh Junaluska, 2^nd Rayna Ricks

11-12 year olds

100M run boys – 1^st – Donovan Williams 11.43, 2^nd – Garrett McCoy 14.99, 3^rd – Damian Catolster

200M run boys – 1^st – Donovan Williams 27.34, 2^nd – Gideon Little 27.52

400M run boys – 1^st – Robert Rattler 1:33

800M run boys – 1^st – Buster Swayney 3:35

800M run girls – 1^st – Davonna Reed 3:09

4x100M Relay boys – 1^st – Garrett McCoy, Gideon Little, Greyson Cotes, Damian Catolster 1:18

1-mile run boys – 1^st – Buster Swayney 10:35, 2^nd – Greyson Cotes 11:08

1-mile run girls – 1^st – Davonna Reed 7:41  

Long Jump boys – 1^st – Gideon Little, 2^nd – Garrett McCoy, 3^rd – Damian Catolster 11:08

     For more photos of this event, please visit the One Feather photo gallery at:  https://www.theonefeather.com/photo-galleries-2/