By By ADAM FISHER / Niles Daily Star
Sarah Tyler and Nathan Allison are possibly the busiest eighth-graders in Michigan.
Both are consumed year-round by athletics. So much so that they were named the girls' and boys' seventh-grade athletes of the year at Ring Lardner Middle School last school year.
Tyler plays basketball and volleyball and runs track at Ring Lardner. She is also involved in basketball and soccer leagues outside of school.
Allison wrestles, runs track and plays football and basketball at school and also plays in independent basketball and soccer leagues.
Yet each found time this summer, in the heart of league basketball season, to devote extra time to practicing for the nationally-held Hershey Track and Field Meet.
The meet is a national event open to all children ages 9-14, sponsored by the Hershey Foods Corporation. The event pits the fastest kids in the nation against each other in Hershey, Pa. in July.
To qualify for the national meet, though, runners must have the best regional time. Regional meets are held throughout the United States, including Holt, Mich., where Tyler and Allison competed.
They were two of four Ring Lardner students who practiced for the meet since May, well after the school's track season ended.
Tyler placed the highest of the four in any event, taking second place in the 800-meter run. While her time wasn't fast enough to qualify for the national meet, she said it felt good to know she was one of the fast runners in Michigan.
Though she didn't win, her time of 2:43 was a personal best.
Allison also had a personal best at the meet. He placed sixth in the mile with his personal best and placed ninth in the 800-meter.
While Allison is an all-around, five-sport athlete, this was his first year running track. He said he was proud to have done so well against state-wide competition in just his first season.
Both Tyler and Allison said running against the best in Michigan was a challenging and fun experience. According to Hershey, there were a little less than 1,000 kids at the meet.