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HERSHEY TRACK MEET The Lea County Hershey National Track and Field Youth Program will be Saturday, June 21. The event is open to boys and girls six to fourteen years of age. Participants register in the age category they will be in as of December 31, 2008. Thus, five year olds qualify to participate in the six year old age division if they will turn six by December 31, 2008. Fourteen year olds, who turn fifteen by December 31, 2008 do not qualify to participate in the official event. Field events will begin at 8:00 a.m. with the running events beginning at 9:00 a.m. at Watson Memorial Stadium. The gates will open at 7:30 a.m. Staff will not be available to supervise young children dropped off. Parents are encouraged to attend. A food concession stand will be on site at the meet. Registration will take place at the ‘Summer Recess’ locations or at the Parks & Recreation Office located at 200 East Broadway. Deadline for entries is MONDAY, JUNE 16 at 5:00 p.m. Participants may register to compete in a total of 3 events; 2 field events and 1 track event, OR 1 field event and 2 track events. Events will include the 25 meter dash, 50 meter dash, 75 meter dash, 100 meter dash, 200 meter dash, 400 meter dash, 800 meter run, 1600 meter run, standing long jump, and softball throw. Cleated shoes may not be worn for these events. A bonus special event at the local level, not counted as a participant’s track event for the 9-10, 11-12 and 13-14 year old categories will be the relay team. Team participants must be in the same age and gender category. At the state level, participants can only participate in two track events even through they might have qualified for three at the local level, which would include the relay event Those participants age nine through fourteen who placed first or second in an event at the Lea County meet will have the opportunity to advance to the New Mexico State Meet to be held Saturday, June 28 -Site TBA. Additional information about the state meet will be available as it becomes finalized. Those wishing to participate in the state meet must register through the Hobbs Recreation Office by Wednesday, June 25, completing a state meet form and providing a copy of a birth certificate. Overall state meet winners will be eligible for selection to the Southwest Regional Team which will travel to Hershey, Pennsylvania to compete in the National Finals The Hershey Program involves more than 2.5 million youngsters from all 50 states as well as the District of Columbia. It is conducted by the National Recreation and Park Association in cooperation with the National Track and Field Hall of Fame, the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports and Hershey Chocolate Company. The program is designed to encourage physical fitness among youth through emphasis on participation and sportsmanship.
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