Barbara Lawlor, Nederland.  The bar has been raised.

At the end of each school year, Nederland Elementary School fifth grade students are challenged by fifth graders from the past. Can this new bunch of young athletes break their predecessors' records?

The kids are hosted by Nederland Middle Senior High School where they can compete on a real track, can run and jump and throw and participate in a three-legged race with spectators sitting in the bleachers watching them.

A week ago Friday, May 5, 2017, the students, with the help of many NMSHS volunteers and under the guidance of NES physical education teacher Mary Joyce, threw themselves into the competition.

Record breakers in the Running Long Jump were Trinity LeBlanc who tied the standing female record of 11' 8" by Gillian Nasty in 2008. The boys' record made by Anders Holmgren in 2013 of 12'10 inches was broken by Loic Masters that with a 14'6" jump.

The 50-yard Jump Rope Race record, held by Alix Anthony who had a time of 8.28 in 2012, was broken by Ben Harvey who had a time of 7.50.

The 50-meter Hurdles record held by Nico Dow in 2016 of 9.36 was broken by Loic Master who finished the race with a time of 9.31. Aliyah Boogaard had a time of 11.06.

Top 2017 results:

High Jump: Trinity LeBlanc, 4'4"; Lane Willis, 4'6"; AJ Merz, 4'6"

Football Throw: Opal Kinnikin, 150 points; Jakob Osborne, 250 points.

Frisbee Throw: Taylor Johnson, 22 yards; Hayden Hardt-Zeman, 60 yards

Foxtail Throw: Harmony Jacobs, 24 yards; Lane Willis 35 yards

Softball Throw: Taylor Johnson, 44 yards; Ricky Fortunato, 46 yards

Basketball Hot Shot: Leah Beaudin, 12 points; Loic Masters, 20 points

50-yard 3-legged Race: Taylor Johnson/Opal Kinnikin, 12.08; Gavin Dillon/Jakob Osborne, 15.12

50-yard Jump Rope Race: Kylie McLaughlin, 9.85

50-Meter Dash: Harmony Jacobs, 8.46; Aiden Cleveland, 7.34

100-Meter Dash: Echo Siglin, 1:44.60; Loic Mastes, 1:21.58

400-Meter Relay: Mirabelle Holmgren, Lauren Dirr, Evelyn Gustafson and Mary Jean Jarril, 1:19.ll. This record was set back in 2011 by Sophie Anderson, Savannah Lindenberger, Sara Davidson and Hattie Bakke, with a 1:12.38 time.

The 400-Yard Relay Mixed Teams: Loic Masters, Itzela Amaya-Maldonado, Jack Roszell and Jordan Galindo with a time of 1:13.84. The standing record was set in 2012 by Alix Anthony, Grace Von Metternhaim, Adler Mueller and Talus Lantz with a time of 1:08.43.

The big event, the all fifth-grade mile run with a mass start was won by Trinity LeBlanc with a time of 8.13 and Loic Masters with a time of 7.00. The standing record for the girls, 7.32, was made by Megan Feeley in 2012 and for the boys, Talus Lantz, 6.30.

(Originally published in the May 18, 2017 print edition of The Mountain-Ear.)