Salt Lake County youngsters test skills, stamina at Bingham High meet

SOUTH JORDAN — Ammon Barker had a simple goal in mind when he joined with other kids participating in the all-county track and field meet. He was looking to get into shape for little league football, mainly so he would have enough stamina to take him through four quarters.

After taking first place in three events — the 80-meter hurdles, the 100-meter dash and the long jump — during the final day of the meet, Barker discovered he might just have to make room for another sport.

"It's really fun," the 12-year-old Draper resident said. "You get to meet a whole bunch of new kids. You get to learn how to do the events, so when you get into high school you'll know how to do all the stuff. It's a good experience."

Barker was one of nearly 800 youth, ranging in age from 6 to 18, who turned out last weekend for the two-day meet at Bingham High School. Competitors were drawn from a dozen track and field clubs throughout Salt Lake County.

The meet itself was put together by the Salt Lake County Parks and Recreation Department, something it has done annually since 1982 to encourage children to create a healthier lifestyle.

"Part of our main goal, in parks and rec, is to improve these kids' lives," said Martin Jensen, the department's public relations manager. "Get them outside. Give them a chance to compete and get away from the TV."

Originally, the all-county meet was devised as a way for local high school cross country athletes to compete against one another during the summer. But their lukewarm reception to the idea caused a shift to a track and field event that included children from grades one through 12.

Longtime Bingham track coach Jeff Arbogast, who has helped with the track meet every year since its inception, said it has been a great means of developing a love of track and field for kids throughout Salt Lake County.

Many past participants, he said, have later continued on with the sport and joined the track teams at their respective high schools.

"A lot of times they'll move from club to club and try different experiences and then we see those names when they're 17 and 18 down at the state meet — which is really cool," Arbogast said.

High school track coaches throughout Salt Lake County have lent their support to local youth track programs and the annual all-county meet.

Coaches in many of the local rec clubs come from the staffs of high school programs.