Ella's District Elementary School Track Meet

After years of waiting her turn, Ella was finally able to run in her first season of track with her elementary school since only 5tth and 6th graders are allowed to participate.  After practicing once a week on Wednesdays, every week since Spring Break, Ella was able to run in the massive track meet that is held every year during the first week in June with all 22 elementary schools in our district at Sparks Stadium downtown.  Ella was assigned to run the 200 meter race and to run third leg in the 4x100 meter relay.  She was so excited as the coaches only pick the top runners to compete in two races.  

Ella left school today at 10:30 and took the bus with all of the other students on the track team to spend the next 5.5 hours at the stadium in very warm and sunny weather. I came alone first to watch her run in the 200 which was so fun to see as she smoked the other girls in her heat.  After all of the heats were over, they announced over the speaker that Ella had come in 5th in the school district for 5th grade girls which was an awesome accomplishment.  I then left the track meet for about an hour to race home for some water before picking up Emmett at his school and Logan at his school.  We then returned to the stadium where we met up with Ron to watch Ella run in the 4x100.  Since the 5th grade girls are always the last to run out of the four groups, Ella competed in the last group of the last race of this 4.5 hour long track meet.  After waiting for another hour or so, Ella's team ran in their relay and came in first!  It was so fun to watch Ella run past us so far ahead of the other teams' runners.  We learned later that her relay team came in third in the district which is also quite an accomplishment!  I am so glad that Ella's first track meet was such a positive experience!  Ever since she was a little girl, she has always been a super fast sprinter, so I have a hunch that this is the first of many track meets that she participates in throughout the years to come!

Ella approaching me as she rounds the corner while running the 200 meter.

Ella at the head of the pack of her group of runners.

Ella in the lead as she heads into the final 100 meters of her race.

Ella passing by her cheering family while running the third leg of her relay.

An awesome picture that I managed to take of her as she sprints past me.

Ella with the baton.

Ella approaching her teammate, Viviana, who is waiting to receive the baton from her.

Ella and her relay team after their race was over.

From left to right:

Ella, Viviana, Harper, and Meya.

Luckily, Ella's entire group of school friends decided to turn out for the track team this year. Here is a picture I took at the end of the meet with Ella and some of her friends.

From left to right:

Leah, Addy, Gracie, Harper, Ella

Front row:

Elizabeth