Colton Hudson, 10, recently took first place in the softball throw at the Hershey’s Track & Field state competition in Fort Collins.
“I went to track first in Woodland Park and got first,” he said, excitedly. “If you get first you go to state.”
Hudson, who attends Summit Elementary School, took first locally in the 200 meter, the 400 meter and the softball and went on to compete in all of those events at the state meet.
“It was a little scary at first with so many kids there,” he said, adding that he took sixth in both the 200 and 400 meter events, while taking top honors in softball throw. “It felt great ’cause I was the best in the state for throwing the farthest softball.”
Hudson practiced throwing in Woodland Park and also played softball with his younger brothers.
“Well in the first place, I already knew I was a good runner and always knew I had a good arm from playing baseball,” he said. “Two years ago I got first place in softball throw so I thought to myself ‘why not try again?’”
Polly Bruins sports coordinator at Woodland Park Parks and Recreation, said Hudson was one of 54 children who participated in Hershey’s Track and Field Day this past summer. “That’s a big event up here,” she said. “We usually have about 50-60 kids participating and we send a lot of them to the state competition. … It is a great event to makes sure kids exercise and get going. It also introduces them to field events before they enter middles school.”
Also heading to the state competition, along with young Colton Hudson was Gabriel Abbott (100 and 50 Meter, Long Jump), Gregory Pappadakis (Long Jump, 100 and 200 Meter), Mylea Harangozo (400 and 200 Meter, Softball Throw), Greta Bachura (50 and 100 Meter, Long Jump), Collin Lang (Long Jump, 100 Meter, Softball Throw), Lannan Abbott (100 and 200 Meter, Long Jump), Hanna Chaja (200 and 400 Meter, Long Jump), Lexie Rees (200 and 400 Meter, Long Jump), Rebekah Crampton (Long Jump, 400 and 800 Meter), Maia Pappadakis (Softball Throw, 400 and 200 Meter) and Breanna Truscelli (Long Jump, 100 Meter, Softball Throw).
Hudson and Bruins can be heard talking about the Track & Field Day as well as other Woodland Park Parks and Recreation programs on the Nov. 3 Teller Life show on TellerNetcast.com.