By Ritch Braun
Passtrak
Every year the Hershey chocolate company from Hershey, Pennsylvania sponsors grass roots, talent identification track and field meets in communities all across North America.
Athletes that do well at these community meets then advance to their respective Provincial or State Championships. A handful of the top athletes from each State and Provincial Championship are awarded an all expense paid trip to Hershey, Pennsylvania where they participate in the North American Track and Field Championships.
The program involves athletes from the ages of nine to 14 and they are divided by gender into two-year age groups.
Four Passtrak athletes attended a Hershey qualifying meet in Medicine Hat on May 6. They competed in three events, each in the hopes of moving on to the Provincial Championships.
Mosese Ratudradra was in the nine and 10-year-old boys group. He placed 13th in the 50m, 13th in the standing long jump and 9th in the ball throw.
Erin Cnossen was in the 13 and 14-year-old girls division. She placed 10th in the standing long jump, and sixth in both the 100m and 200m races.
Zion Ratudradra competed in the boys 11 and 12-year-old group. He finished in fourth place in the ball throw with a personal best of 27.20m. He then claimed first in both the 200m and 800m races with times of 31.87 seconds and 2:51.78 respectively. He will be moving on to the Provincial meet in all three of his events.
Alisi Ratudradra participated with the 13 and 14-year-old girls. She earned second place in the standing long jump with a personal best and new Passtrak club record of 2.09m. She then finished second in the 100m in 13.68 seconds and first in the 200m in 28.46 seconds. She advances to the Provincial meet in all three events as well.