Thursday, May 01, 2008

Track meet a success

Track and field was the name of the game Saturday, as hundreds came out to cheer on participants in the third annual Sonic Boom Invitational Track Meet at Pullen Field.

Making the trip down from Fort Meade was 13 year-old Aharon Salaam, who competed in the event’s long jump competition. On her second try, Salaam set a mark of 9 ft. 8 inches.

“This is my third year competing and it’s always a lot of fun,” Salaam said while standing on the sidelines between jumps. She’s a member of the installation’s Track and Field Club. “Its great exercise and an opportunity for some good competition. This event always brings out some really good athletes.”

Also competing for the Upper Marlboro Boys and Girls Club was 15 year-old Gregory Perry. His specialty for the day was the shot-put.

“I’ve been practicing and wanted to see how I would do in an actual competition,” Perry said. “I was here last year and I really like the atmosphere. It’s relaxing and a lot of fun. Honestly, that’s all any of us care about.”

Leonard Thomas, a coach for Unity Express out of Frederick, MD, brought his team out for the first time last year and was more than happy to return for an encore. In his group alone, more than 50 boys and girls took part in the event.

“It’s always a good crowd and it makes for a great competition. There are some really good teams here,” Thomas said. “A lot of families come out and cheer on their sons or daughters, too. That makes this even more special. In a lot of ways, it’s a family event.”

Among those pitching up a tent and stashing away food and drinks in a cooler was Michelle Mathis, who drove from Upper Marlboro to see her son and daughter compete.
“I’ve even seen people bring miniature barbeques and things like that. Since it’s an all-day event, why not, right?” she said. “The kids have fun, but the parents also get a blast out of all
this. It’s an opportunity to come together and see old friends.”