Future pioneers run in Conestoga Relays

Editor’s note: Click here to view a photo gallery of the relays.

By Yuge Xiao, Online Contributor

On May 22, hundreds of elementary school students came together on the ‘Stoga track for the annual Conestoga Relays. Students from the five Tredyffrin/Easttown elementary schools—Beaumont, New Eagle, Valley Forge, Hillside and Devon—were buzzing with excitement and energy as they warmed up before the races. Each of the races consisted of a team of four from each school.

Freshman Jimmy Cooper, who helped lead runners to their positions, commented on his own time as a runner in the Conestoga Relays.

“This event showed me how track was organized and sparked in me an interest in running,” Cooper said. “Now I am running a 4:50 mile.”

After the first shot of the day was fired, the entire field came alive with deafening cheers.

In the midst of all the hubbub, Melissa Mcconaghy, a gym teacher at Beaumont, stood calmly on the field organizing teams and preparing them for their special moment.

The Conestoga Relays are “great,” Mcconaghy said. “It encourages kids to get out and exercise, and every year, they love it. I love seeing the kids smile as they cross the finish line.”

Don Martin, an aide at Hillside Elementary, said he enjoyed the “soulful energy” of the runners. Martin, whose two daughters are Conestoga graduates, has been assisting the relays for more than 10 years.

One by one, students dashed across the finish and were congratulated by their peers and parents.

“I felt relaxed after the race, and accomplished,” said Allison Yuan, anchor for her Beaumont team, as she walked off the track. “I was really excited to run.”

Next year, these students will be moving up to middle school, where their talents will continue to grow and flourish.