Closer USATF Hershey Outdoor Championships allow TRA youth athletes to shine on national stage

7/4/16

2016_Hershey_National_Youth_Championship_Logos_Final

 

MILLERSVILLE, Pa. – TRA youth athletes didn’t have to travel too far to attend the 2016 USATF Hershey Youth Outdoor Championships. For many athletes and teams, the trip to Millersville could be accomplished in a reasonable drive. This competition generally attracts athletes from across the country and provides an opportunity for youth athletes to compete on national stage without formal qualification. Instead, the event produces performances standards that provide a guideline for being competitive.  Because this event is contested right after the Association Championships, it can also be used as a good training competition for those preparing for the Region Championships. The competition scores the top 8 athletes in the finals and awards team championships for all 6 age divisions for both boys and girls.

There were nearly 2800 athletes who competed in this year’s competition making it one of the largest USATF Hershey Outdoor Championships (formerly USA Youth Outdoor Championships) the organization has seen in years. 135 total athletes across 11 teams (17 unattached athletes) represented the Association well producing 135 top 8 performances (includes individual multi-event performances) and 6 national champions.

National Champions:

Athlete(s) Team Age Group Event Time/Mark
NyAsia Benton, Faith Holyfield, Elizabeth Blackwell, Makaela Johns Future Stars 11-12 Girls 4×100 53.19
Mark Brown Unattached 15-16 Boys 1500m 4:12.48
Ayden Owen Nadia 15-16 Boys 400m H 54.60
Elias Zajicek Midas 15-16 Boys 2000m SC 6:54.94
Angelo Allen Unattached 11-12 Boys Discus 25.22m
Isaiah Melvin Valley Speedsters 13-14 Boys Pentathlon 2966

Participating Athletes/Teams:

Team # of athletes
Unattached 17
East Allegheny 13
Future Stars 25
Greensburg YMCA 11
Midas Track Club 18
Nadia Track Club 6
Pacer Track Club 2
Penn Hills Eagles 21
South Park Track 9
Steel City Express 7
Valley Speedsters 2
Western PA All Stars 4

You can learn more about the 2016 USATF Hershey Youth Outdoor Championships here.

Complete competition results can be found here.