HASLETT - Youth from Meridian Township laced up on for the local Hershey Track and Field meet.

The meet, held at Haslett high school, offered sprints and distance races for children between the ages of 9 and 14. Participants also tested their athleticism in the standing long jump and softball throw.

One female athlete threw the softball more than 140 feet, which is one of the longest throws that Meridian Township Parks and Recreation Specialist Greg Grothous has recorded in his eight years of volunteering at the local Hershey meet.

“There’s a lot of great opportunity to just kind of find out how good you are when it comes to track, and whether you want to pursue track and field as something when you get into middle school or high school,” Grothous said of the Hershey meet.

Winners from the Haslett Hershey meet qualified for the state meet at Holt High School on June 28th. From there, top-placing athletes could advance to the National Competition in Hershey, Penn.