Area Youngsters Advance to State Competitionby Sandi Fahy
Photo by SANDI FAHY LARGO - Largo High School was the setting for this year's local Hershey's Track & Field Games. On June 12, youngsters ages 9 to 14 from all over Pinellas County turned out to compete in the standing long jump, softball throw and 50-meter, 100-meter, 200-meter, 400-meter, 800-meter and 1600-meter track events. The first and second place winners in each age division (9-10, 11-12-13-14) qualified for advancement to the state competition in Miami. State finalists go on to participate in the southeast regional meet, which brings the first and place winners from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia together. Regional winners from all over the United States and Canada will be invited to take part in the Hershey's North American finals, which will take place in Hershey, Pa. July 31-Aug. 3. Advancing to the state meet in the standing long jump were (boys 9-10) Aaron Johnson, 1st, Brandon Bombei, 2nd; (girls 9-10) Sarah Anthony, 1st, Michaela Rhodes, 2nd; (boys 11-12) Andrew Johnson, 1st, Zachary Faulkner, 2nd; (girls 11-12) Samantha Reeves, 1st, Meghan Reeves, 2nd; (boys 13-14) Conor Schafstall, 1st, Craig Saldanha, 2nd; (girls 13-14) Nadia Torres, 1st, Danielle Castelli, 2nd. The longest jump of the day, 7 feet, 8 3/4 inches, was made by Conor Schafstall. The second longest jump recorded, 6 feet, 11 inches, was attributed to Craig Saldanha in the same age division. Winners in the softball throw were (boys 9-10) Brandon Bombei, 1st, Casey Constant, 2nd; (girls 9-10) Michaela Rhodes, 1st, Sarah Anthony, 2nd; (boys 11-12) Zachary Faulkner, 1st, Craig Swift, 2nd; (girls 11-12) Samantha Reeves, 1st, Meghan Reeves, 2nd; (boys 13-14) LaMorris Cook, 1st, Austin Powell, 2nd; (girls 13-14) Chelsea Schafstall, 1st, Kelly Taylor, 2nd. Those who qualified in their age divisions in one or more of the 50, 100, 200, 400, 800 and 1600-meter events were Casey Constant, Aaron Johnson, Rebecca Field, Sarah Anthony, Deven Murray, Jackson St. Louis, Reilly Stroud, Shelby Tavares, Andrew Johnson, Tobi Jnohope, Meghan Reeves, Jordan Hinson, LaMorris Cook, Conor Schafstall, Emily Tavares, Chelsea Schafstall, Lindsey Kuruk, Michaela Rhodes, Joshua Morris, Maggie Shearer, Parker Lewis, Kenny Anderson, Noah Pliss, Kyle Deschenes, Travis Carden, Jayme Jones, Craig Saldanha, Austin Powell, Kelly Taylor, Julia Mitchell, Tyler Lewis and Daniel Pliss. The Hershey's youth sports program, which was created over 30 years ago to promote youth physical fitness and provide fun learning experiences for children 9-14 years old, is reported to be the largest youth sports program of its kind in the United States and Canada.
Meghan Reeves competes in the standing long jump
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