45th annual event to be held Saturday

Sprinters in last year’s Junior Olympics lunge past the finish line.

On Saturday, some 1,300 fourth-, fifth- and sixth-graders in the Los Altos School District will take to the field to participate in the 45th Junior Olympics.

This year’s event is set to begin at 8:15 a.m. with a 1,320-yard run on the fields at Los Altos High School.

“The whole day is based on personal best, sportsmanship and school spirit,” said Springer School parent Pat James.

James is one of two chairpersons from Springer on a 20-member organizing committee representing each district school.

The committee oversees numerous jobs for the massive event, from coordinating custodial service and police and firefighter involvement, to manning the refreshments.

James said approximately 200 volunteers help to make the event happen each year.

Students will compete in nine Junior Olympics events: the 1,320-yard run, relays, 75-yard dash, 60-yard hurdles, softball toss, basketball free throws, chin-ups, long jump and jump rope.

Each school competes in 400-meter relays. Students can choose to participate in three of the remaining eight events.

James said students will be wearing “personal best” bracelets to remind them that Junior Olympics is about having fun and doing your best - not winning or beating someone else.

The event officially gets under way at 9 a.m. with opening ceremonies. Students will file onto the track while the sixth-grade band plays the Olympic theme.

All the training for the Junior Olympics is done by physical education staff, paid for by funds from the Los Altos Educational Foundation.

James said approximately 95 percent of the student body participates in the annual Junior Olympics.

“We have 98 percent (participation) in my school, Santa Rita,” said Mary MacLellan, a chairperson-in-training who has had three boys participate in Junior Olympics. “It’s such a great community event.”