Fourth and fifth graders compete in mile meet

The top five fourth and fifth grade runners from all six elementary schools in the Maricopa Unified School District gathered at the high school to compete in the third annual mile meet last week.

The meet was part of the Presidential Fitness Program, which started at the beginning of the school year and is designed to increase students’ physical activity.

Shannon Coutré from Pima Butte posted the top time in the fourth grade girls’ race with a time of 7 minutes, 33 seconds, two seconds faster than Alayja Reynolds from Maricopa (7:35). Joy Breul of Saddleback finished fourth in 7 minutes, 59 seconds between two runners from Santa Rosa, Avery Lara (7:43) and Keely Catron (8:01).

Runners from Pima Butte swept the top four in the fourth grade boys’ race with Tommy Fitzgerald finishing in a time of 6 minutes, 26 seconds. Asa Miller finished second (6:36), followed by Damian Sellers (6:45) and Taylor Tomanek rounded out the top five.

Katelynn Carmona led the Butterfield sweep of the top four spots in the fifth grade girls’ heat, completing the mile in 6 minutes, 55 seconds, in her socks.

“It feels good, but my throat hurts,” Carmona said after the race.

Hannah Goodman (7:12) finished second, ahead of teammate Kamryn Fisher (7:30) and Shannon Peters (7:48). Pima Butte’s Natalie Baber rounded out the top five with a time of 7 minutes, 51 seconds.

Santa Rosa’s Joshuwan Johnson took the fifth grade boys race in a time of 6 minutes, 11 seconds. Butterfield’s Joseph Oliverez finished second in a time of 6 minutes, 48 seconds. Saddleback’s Nate Ramirez finished third (6:51), and Pima Butte’s Ryan Cook (6:54) and DeAngelo Piasecki (6:57) finished fourth and fifth respectively.

Photo by Shannon Williams