Browse archives: 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997 | 1996 | 1995

Published on 09/01/1999 All articles from this issue

Bittersweet success for Plank at Hershey National

printer friendly version

Special to the Town Crier

Even from the beginning, it was apparent this was going to be a two-girl race for the Hershey National Championship.

Mountain View resident McKayla Plank was in hot pursuit of last year's national champion Chantelle Dron of Candia, N.H. As they circled the track in the 800 meters for Group II (11- and 12-year olds), the distance between them was never more than the length of a few Hershey chocolate bars.

Plank put on a final surge at the end, but fell just two-tenths of a second short of victory.

Plank's time of 2 minutes, 26.14 seconds was not bad for an 11-year old who's entering seventh grade at St. Simon School in Los Altos this fall.

"I'm a little disappointed," Plank said after the race, held Aug. 14 in Hershey, Penn. "I thought I could catch her at the end but it turned out she was just a little bit faster."

Plant seemed to feel better after her coach, Jim Bordoni of the St. Simon Track Club, reminded her that she took a full five seconds off her previous best time.

"That's a time that would win a few high school meets," Bordoni said. "What's impressive is that she did it under very hot and sticky conditions - muggy weather that she's not used to. Girls with less determination might have eased up, but not McKayla."

The Hershey Youth Track and Field program is conducted annually in the United States and Canada in an effort to introduce youngsters to physical fitness through basic track and field events. More than 400,000 kids ages 9-14 participated in hundreds of local meets throughout the country in May and June. Top finishers in each event advanced to the state meet level.

Based on her winning time at the Nor-Cal State Meet June 26 at San Jose City College, Plank was chosen to represent her region (California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona and Hawaii) at the 22nd Annual Hershey North American Track & Field Final.

While in the Hershey area, Plank and the other competitors went on a tour of the Hershey manufacturing plant and also spent some time at the HersheyPark amusement complex. They also received an array of gifts from the meet sponsors.