Students face off at annual Track and Field Day

Carrying on a tradition that goes back as far as anyone can remember, Tucumcari Elementary School third-grade through fifth-grade students teamed up and faced off Friday for the school's annual Track and Field Day at Tucumcari High's Rattler Stadium.

The recognition consisted mainly of winners knowing they had won.

The students competed in individual events that included the 100-yard dash, shot-put and long jump contests, said their physical education teacher Gary Hittson, who coordinated the day's events.

As teams, they competed in purely athletic events like shuttle relays, in which each team member ran 100-meter distances and 800-meter runs, in which each contestant ran 200-meter legs, Hittson said.

Entire classrooms teamed up in the tug-of-war competition in which each class was assigned the corner of a square frame to which long ropes were attached. The teams competed to pull their corner over a line first to win.

There were also events that combined athletic effort with other objects, like the tire relay in which team members had to roll a tire down the track from one end the field to the other, an obstacle course, and something called the "team walker" event, Hittson said.

In this event, he said, pairs of walkers find a pace they can keep up with one foot each on a board that they hold up between them.

"It's an exercise in teamwork," Hittson said.

The events were interrupted by lunch, and frozen treats and drinks were available throughout the hot, sunny day.

Neither the weather nor the effort required fazed the participants.

"Some of the kids participated in all the events," Hittson said.