Sat, Oct 11 2008
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Published May 10, 2008 06:31 pm - Cloudy skies and inclement weather Saturday couldn’t put a damper on the crowd’s enthusiasm during the 22nd annual Charles Spradling Kids’ Classic at Fred G. Hughes Stadium. Area children run in 22nd annual Kids’ Classic By Seth Putnam
news@joplinglobe.com Cloudy skies and inclement weather Saturday couldn’t put a damper on the crowd’s enthusiasm during the 22nd annual Charles Spradling Kids’ Classic at Fred G. Hughes Stadium. Area children in kindergarten through sixth grade sped around the track amid cheering and applause from the sea of spectators. Darla Armstrong, run coordinator and physical education instructor at Stapleton Elementary School, said that 1,026 children registered early for the races and that about 75 more signed up on Saturday morning. “We were worried about our numbers because we had fewer early entries because of the weather, but we’re on track now,” Armstrong said, though rain and lightening later prevented the kindergarten boys from racing. Armstrong said that Charles Spradling, former principal at Kelsey Norman Elementary School, started the annual race in 1986 with the goal of providing an outlet for children at his school to be active. “With obesity rates so high, our whole goal is to get kids to get off the couch and be active,” she said. All proceeds raised during the event will go to local children’s charities, including Children’s Miracle Network. This year, Armstrong made it a point to encourage environmental responsibility. Green ribbons adorned each medal awarded, symbolizing “going green” and taking care of the environment. Students in her physical-education classes decorated cardboard boxes with drawings and statements encouraging spectators and competitors to recycle their plastic bottles. Saturday’s events were full of good-natured rivalry. In the third-grade race, five boys from Cecil Floyd Elementary School finished in the top six for the third year in a row. Third-graders Jackson Auer, Koltyn Theilen, Spencer Newell, and Trey and Blake Coulter have all placed in different combinations since first grade. Newell was the victor this year and said that his hard work and practice helped him clinch first place. “Every night I run a half mile on the treadmill,” he said. “It feels really good (to win.)” Theilen, who placed fourth, was excited that he was able to edge out some of his competition. 
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