Mars Centennial holds field day as school year draws to a close
ADAMS TWP — There are only a few school days left on the calendar, and Mars Centennial School marked the occasion with its annual field day Friday, May 17.
Fifth- and sixth-graders competed in 10 events that took place all over the school building, including the gymnasium, the hallways and underneath the entrance. The events included a jump rope contest, a soccer penalty kick shootout, a three-legged race, a shuttle run and a basketball dribble contest.
“Each kid dribbles for 30 seconds and we count how many times they dribble,” said Emily Wiley, of the Mars PTO, about the basketball dribble event. “The highest we’ve gotten is 140, so far.”
The school intended to hold its field day outdoors, at the Mars Athletic Complex near the high school. However, due to the threat of rain Friday morning, the events were moved inside the school and changed some of the sports around.
Instead of a sack race, the school held a “golf ball carry,” where students were challenged to race back and forth while carrying a golf ball on a spoon.
“(The students) have to go as fast as they can from one cone to the next,” said fifth-grade teacher Sara Ahlgren. “There is not (a penalty for dropping a ball). They’ve just got to pick it up as fast as they can and get back to the finish line.”
Another event was the “beach ball squeeze,” which is similar to a three-legged race or sack race.
“The kids have to pair up with a partner,” said Elizabeth Bair from the Mars PTO. “They have to put the ball between a part of their body. They’re not allowed to use their hands. And they have to run 20 yards, and they are timed. They can’t drop (the ball), because that adds more time.”
