No Records Fell at YMCA Track Meet
It is so cool that the results of last Saturday’s Park Cities YMCA Track and Field Meet include the record holders for each grade. Peruse them for a minute, and you’ll see the name of Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford. For 15 years, he’s held the record in third-grade softball throw at 149 feet, 6 inches. That’s 21 feet and 1 inch farther than this year’s winning throw. (That’s also not something you’re going to read in Stafford’s NFL.com bio.)
But what might be even more impressive is that Preston Miller, who will graduate from Highland Park High School tonight, holds five meet records: third-grade long jump (13 feet, 5 inches), third-grade 100 meters (14.31 seconds), fourth-grade long jump (14 feet, 11 inches), fifth-grade long jump (16 feet, 2 inches), and sixth-grade 50 meters (6.47 seconds).
Another record holder in the Class of 2012 is Megan Gittens, who hurled a softball 95 feet, 1 inch as a third-grader in 2003.
The longest-standing records are both in the fifth-grade high jump. In 1980, Armstrong’s John Hopkins cleared 5 feet, 2 inches. That same year, Bradfield’s Kendall Jordan leapt 4 feet, 9 inches.
Read more about this year’s meet, and see plenty of pictures, in the June 1 edition of Park Cities People.
Another 2012 graduate, Tanner Harris, set the 6th grade girls’ high jump record at 4’10” in 2006. She was later the backstroker on Highland Park’s 2009 200 Medley Relay that set a state record.
I like this stat the best…the 5th grade 100M record for the girls is held by Tracy Donoho (in 1984)…the 5th grader who came in 1st place this year in the 100 is her daughter – Claire Kozmetsky!!!
Oops. I overlooked Tanner because the notation of her record didn’t include the year it was set. But you’re right. And her 4-10 jump was a good 2 inches higher than this year’s sixth-grade champion.
@HP fan: That is an awesome stat. I see that Tracey also holds the fourth-grade records for the 100 meters and 200 meters. Tracey, if you’re reading this, call me: 214-523-5272.
Hey Dan…. Who won the Blanket Award yesterday for the Class of 2012?
@HPHS Parent: It was Andrew Barnes and Katie Thompson. The valedictorian is Alex Levine, and the salutatorian is Jessica Yeh.
Amazing photo! (And pretty sure that kid’s got bigger guns than my boyfriend.)
it is no surprise that no records fell this year – the sprints and softball throw were into a strong headwind.
Actually, it looks like both the winner AND runner-up in the 5th grade girls’ 400m broke the old record.
Just sayin’
for pete’s sake,
i competed in this event
in the middle of the 20th century.
they keep records?
who knew?
gotta love those competitive
park citizens!
@MIS dad: You’re right. I wrongly assumed that any new records would be listed as such, so I didn’t bother to compare the established record to the top 2012 result in each event. But I have since, and it appears ESD’s Megan Olomu (1:06.0) and Madelien (Madeline?) Stephens (1:08.0) both broke the 1:08.7 set by University Park’s Jordan McDode (McDade?) in 1997.
Is the track meet over yet? It seemed to be never-ending…