Lake Orion’s Madison Eaton was one of five runners selected from Michigan to compete in the North American Finals for the Hershey’s Track and Field Games.
After the 200-meter sprint she was up on the podium in third place.
‘First of all she’s going against seven other regions and every province of Canada, all 50 states and Puerto Rico. All were represented at the meet. She ended up taking third place. She just did awesome,? Ben Gerdeman said, Enrichment Supervisor for Lake Orion Community Schools.
‘I’ve seen her compete every year since she was a nine years old. She’s 12 now, so the last four years. Amazingly she gets better and better every year,? he said.
This wasn’t her first competition at Hershey’s North American Finals. She placed second in the hundred meter dash a couple years ago in the 9-10 age group.
Madison ran a 27.79 second sprint, 1.08 seconds behind the fastest time. She holds three records for the local Hershey’s Track and Field meets,
The meets are part of the GAP, guided after school program, for LOCS.
If you win first place in one of the local meets, you automatically qualify for state competition.
All of the times of the state champions are compared to other states in the Great Lakes region, and if they do exceptionally well, they are selected for nationals.
‘We are proud of her to see where all of her hard work gets her,? said her mother Rita Eaton. ‘Because so many parents say to us, ‘wow she is so naturally talented?, and she is naturally talented, but she puts in a ton of hard work.?
In first grade class at Carpenter Elementary with Mr. Collison, Madison wrote in her ‘About Me? assignment that her dream was to make it to the Olympics.
‘I remember him saying, there is no doubt she will get there. He was the first to say Madison was the fastest kid in the school. I’m convinced (she can do it),? Rita Eaton said.