Bobcat Relays a success

PHOTO BY: Meredith Downing

The eighth annual USATF-sanctioned Bobcat Relays was held Saturday March 7 at Shadow Mountain High School in Phoenix, Arizona. This Youth, Open, Masters (YOM) relay event was hosted by Phoenix Bobcats Track and Field Club and sponsored by PetSmart. The Bobcat Relays attracted seven regional teams and more than 275 athletes aged from 6 to 73.

USATF clubs in attendance were the host team, Northwest Xpress Track Club (NW Phoenix/Peoria), Miles Per Hour (MPH) (Laveen), Mustangs Track Club (Avondale), Arizona Rising Suns (Peoria), Arizona Speed (Surprise) and the Arizona Flames (Chandler), a youth and master club. The Phoenix Bobcats and the Arizona Flames are inclusive-all ages clubs.

Bronze, silver and gold medals were awarded for individual placings and trophies for relay events. Young and old gave their best with more than 80 event records being broken: Sub-Bantam Girls (4), Boys (2); Bantam Girls (2), Boys (7); Midget Girls (7), Boys (8); Youth Girls (1), Boys (7); Intermediate Girls (8); Boys (6); Open Men (5); Sub-Masters Men (3) and Masters Women (3), Men (19).

Highlight of the game were many including the annual event of Parents/Athletes race.

It is estimated that more than 50 Bobcats volunteers and coaches supported this annual event with hundreds of hours of volunteer time before, during and after the Relays with fund-raising concessions. relay meet officials and registration guides. For 2010, March 10 is the tentative date for the ninth annual Bobcat Relays.

Prior to the beginning of the Relays, AZTECH Racing Club sponsored a Youth and Adult Racewalking Mini-Clinic, providing instruction, training as well as motivation for this 7 AM event.

PHOTO BY: Meredith Downing