By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
Three members of the Striders Track Club traveled to Lawrence Monday to compete in the USATF Junior Olympic Games, while a fourth will compete in the AAU Junior Olympics in Ypsilanti, Michigan, July 29-Aug. 5.
Youth form 5 to 18 from all over the country will be competing in the event.
Makayla Lewallen, 8, of Hays; Lacy Droegemeier, 11, of Hays and Lyndi Zimmerman, 8, of Hays will all compete in Lawrence. Zane Viegra, 9, LaCrosse and Hays, will compete in Michigan.
Droegemeier will compete in the 80 m hurdles, Makayla Lewallen in the 400 and long jump, and Lyndi Zimmerman in the 1500. Viegra will compete in the 800 and 1500.
Lewallen became interested in running because of her sister. She said she likes the long jump best because it feels like you are flying. She said she likes to push herself to do better. This will be her first trip to the Junior Olympics.
Droegemeier, 11, has been with the Striders for four years. Her mother encouraged her to start track because she couldn’t stop her from running around their home. This is her second year to compete at the Junior Olympics.
“I get to meet all new people from different places,” she said.
She said she would love to compete in the international Olympics some day. Her hero is Usain Bolt.
Zimmerman is in her second year with the Striders. She also is a long jumper and says she loves it when she crashes into the sand and she sprays sand everywhere.
Her father also was a Strider when he was younger, and he helps her with her events.
Viegra has spent five years in the Striders with a personal best of 2.48 in the 800 and 5.51 in the 1500.
“I like to run a lot,” he said. “Every year you get to meet new people. It is fun to run with new people.”
Viegra said his hero is Steve Prefontaine, a middle distance runner who competed in the 1972 Olympics. Prefontaine once held seven distance records, but was killed at the age of 24 in a car accident.
Twenty-six athletes from the Hays Striders Track Club were in competition in two regional meets to qualify for the 2017 AAU and USATF Junior Olympics.
Six athletes competed in the AAU Regional Championships on June 24-25 in Joplin, Missouri. All of them qualified for the AAU Junior Olympics in Ypsilanti.
Lance Lang and Viegra were regional champions in their events.
Lang placed first in the 100 m hurdles and 400 m dash, also qualifying in the 200. Viegra placed first in the 800 and also qualified in the 1500.
Also qualifying were Hunter Molthan (800, 1500, 3000), Grace Molthan (800, 1500), Lyndi Zimmerman (800, 1500, long jump), and Emery Zimmerman (1500).
On July 8-9, 19 Hays Striders competed in a Missouri Valley USATF Qualifying meet, also in Joplin.
Droegemeier also competed in the 200 and long jump, Lewallen in the 200, and Zimmerman in the 800 and long jump.
Other athletes in competition were Tacoma Augustine (pentathlon, 80 m hurdles, 3000, high jump), Hunter Molthan (800, 1500, 3000), Carson Moore (100, 200, long jump), Easton Moore (100, 200, long jump), Anthony Ventura (100, 200), Zane Viegra (400, 800, 1500), Connor Winter (shot put and discus), Morgan Armbruster (400, 800) Kinzie Cox (high jump), Brooklyn Lewallen (100 m hurdles, 200 m hurdles, 400, long jump), Sydney Lewallen (long jump), Grace Molthan (800 and 1500), Olivia Rankin (400, long jump, high jump), Katie Rankin (200, 400, long jump), Abby Rueschhoff (200, 400, long jump, triple jump, and Sasha Wasinger (shot put, discus).
“The competition at the USATF Joplin meet was definitely the best competition I have seen in 20 years,” head coach Dave Haberman said in a news release.”We are proud of all of our Striders. Even though some did not qualify to compete in Lawrence, most had their best performances of the year, despite the oppressive heat and humidity of that part of Missouri.”
Haberman said the Striders not only helps the young people develop as athletes, but it helps them become well-rounded people.