(above) North Plainfield High School Interact Club members and advisors who assisted officiating at the Rotary Track and Field Meet.
92nd Rotary Track and Field Meet Awards Medals
The 92nd Rotary Track and Field Meet was held on June 5, 2019, a partly sunny day with threatened rain and thunderstorms holding off until well after events concluded.
Three area schools participated with 103 student athletes registered for the Meet’s high jump, long jump and shot put in field events and the 55 and 100 meter run, 800 meter run, and 4×100 meter relay events.
The annual community youth service event is hosted by the Rotary Club of the Plainfields, with help from club members, their friends, and the North Plainfield Interact Club all serving as officials and assistants for the events.
The Meet has been held at the Hub Stine Athletic Complex on Randolph Road in Plainfield almost since its inception in 1924. The Rotary Club’s meet has been held annually, with the exception of three years during World War 2 and for cancellations due to weather. What started as an organized meet for elementary school students, the meet shifted to the high school level to provide a friendly competition for area students. Later, when high schools began competing through a statewide system of athletic events, the Rotary meet shifted to the middle school grades.
“This year we have students from North Plainfield Middle School, Valley View School in Watchung, and Maxson Middle School of Plainfield,” said Meet Director Michael Townley. “We thank all of these area school districts for allowing their student athletes the opportunity to participate and to earn individual honors. We especially thank the Plainfield School District for allowing us free use of the beautiful Hub Stine Athletic Complex.”
“Our members enjoy their opportunity to participate in a project that allows young student athletes to participate and compete for our custom-made medals,” said Mr. Townley. “Any interested student athlete has the opportunity to compete against their peers, sometimes for the very first time. I have been doing this for over twenty-eight years, and one of the joys of that long history is meeting men and women who tell me that they competed in our Meets when they were in high school or middle school. Even in their thirties and forties and older, their smiles are just as big as the day they competed at the Rotary Track and Field Meet.”
“We are so grateful to our family members and friends and our Interact Club members who come out to help us with this youth service project,” said Roberta Smith, president of the club. “There are so many positions to fill that we could not do it without their help. And our Interact Club members and their adviser, Alexandra Pereira are just wonderful! We sincerely appreciate the support of the North Plainfield School District in allowing these students to participate in so many of our club’s events.”
Medals were awarded to first, second and third place finishers in all events except the relays, where ribbons were awarded to second and third place finishers. All participating schools took home medals or ribbons, with North Plainfield Middle School dominating with forty-eight total awards.
Maxson Middle School – 15 first, 23 second, and 3 third place awards;
North Plainfield Middle School – 35 first, 9 second, 7 third place awards;
Watchung’s Valley View – 2 first, 5 second, 3 third place awards.
The Track and Field Meet was held at the Hub Stine Athletic Complex in Plainfield through the cooperation of the Plainfield Board of Education. “The groundskeepers at Hub Stine are just terrific,” said Brian Townley, a “Friend of Rotary” and the Clerk of Course for the running events. “They have the fields and track and tip-top shape every year, with tables and tents all set up and ready for us when we arrive. They help us bring our materials down to the Awards Tent area and help us pack up at the end. We truly appreciate their hard work.” The Hub Stine Athletic Complex is named for a longtime member and secretary of the Rotary Club.
The local Rotary club expects to offer the 93rd Annual Track and Field Meet next year at the Plainfield site on June 3, 2020. The Meet is always held on the first Wednesday of June. The public is welcome and encouraged to attend and support the young athletes.
Interested in serving others? The Rotary Club of Plainfield-North Plainfield welcomes visitors to any weekly meeting, visit www.RotaryPNP.org.
Submitted by Michael Townley
(above) Rotary Club of the Plainfields’ Track Meet officials confer before races begin.
(above) Jumping to a medal at the Rotary Club of the Plainfields’ Track Meet.
(above) Rotary Club of the Plainfields’ Track Meet winner of the 55 meter event proudly wears his medal.
(above) Rotary Club of the Plainfields’ Track Meet winners of a track event get their awards slips to claim their medals.
(above) Rotary Club of the Plainfields’ Track Meet timers and judges give results to the Recording Official.
