RUNNING ITS COURSE: Local students compete in the Arrowhead track meet for grades 5-6
Mar. 22—Elementary students from Tahlequah and elsewhere, ran, threw, and jumped their hearts out during the Arrowhead Fifth- and Sixth-Grade Track Meet.
Don Ogden, Tahlequah Public Schools volleyball coach and director of track operations, said David Spears, owner of Arrowhead Resort, helped sponsor the track meet. More than 30 schools were registered, not including the local schools.
Ogden said the event began in 2006 and has expanded every year. He said he wants athletes who participated to not only have fun, but to see if they enjoy the sport and continue pursuing it.
"I am tickled that the younger generation gets a look at the sport," said Ogden. "I know some people go [how is it] a sport because track has so many different things. It's still a sport, so they get the opportunity to get in front of this kind of crowd, and hopefully, it's something they would like to pursue as they move to the middle [school] and then to the high school."
Elliott Cornsilk and Hailey Payton, Greenwood Elementary fifth-graders, said they enjoy participating in the relay portion of meets, but were a little nervous to vie in some of their competitions.
Elliott and Hailey said they both love being in track, especially since they get to hang out with their friends during the meets.
Sarah Hawk, Elliott Cornsilk's mother, said she hopes her daughter will continue to participate in track as she gets older. She said track not only helps promote health and fitness in her daughter's life, but confidence as well.
"She's nervous before every race, so I think it helps her get used to that feeling," said Hawk.
Tahlequah hosted a similar track meet on March 7 for seventh- through ninth-grade students, but this is the first meet of the season for the fifth and sixth grade. Ogden said the Arrowhead track meet normally brings out more family members than most of the other competitions.
"This is just what goes with this age. I mean, you're going to go watch your grandkids run. This is the perfect age for more family involvement to come and watch," said Ogden.
Devan Murray, a physical education coach/teacher at Heritage Elementary, brought 27 athletes to compete in the meet. Murray said the school chose its top three students from each event, and the top four participated in the relays.
Murray said the meet allowed students to broaden their horizons by competing against students from other schools whom they may not see again during the season, as they tend to compete against the same schools throughout most of the year.
"You get to see some competition, and hopefully, take your game plan to the next level, and compete a little bit more than, 'Oh, hey. Here's my friend again. I ran against you. I beat you last time.' Here's someone from Tulsa, let's see if we can beat them now," said Murray.
Murray wants his students to participate in track because it can help them to gain a broader perspective of how they are competing in other aspects of their lives.
"We're not just trying to teach them how to run track, but we're trying to teach them how to be the best humans possible," said Murray.
