Fun, memories and competition: Bouchard finishes fifth in nationals

By Gloria Austin  
Staff Writer
    It’s another memory to add to what can turn out to be a lengthy athletic scrapbook.
    Kolleen Bouchard, daughter of Karen and Marty Bouchard of Houlton, competed and placed fifth in the 33rd annual North American Finals of the Hershey Youth Track and Field Program.
    “It was very fun,” said Bouchard.
    Aside from the competition, Bouchard liked Hershey Park, especially the water park, and meeting the former Olympians Rafer Johnson, Carl Lewis and Sanya Richards-Ross.
    “That was really cool,” she said. “I have some pictures with them and I got their autographs. I was really excited because Rafer Johnson walked over when I was practicing throwing and he told me I had really good form. They were really busy, so I didn’t get a chance to talk to them.”
    Competing in the 9-10-year-old age bracket, Bouchard went against the top athletes in the softball throw.
    “It was unbelievable,” she said. “Oh my gosh, it was athletic all the way through.”
    Five hundred boys and girls ages 9-14 came together in Hershey, Pa. and one member of the Maine team James Petersen of Hermon captured first place in the 9-10 boys 400-meter event.
    “No one from Maine had ever come in first before,” Bouchard said. “Last year, James was 9 and came in fifth. This year, he won, and one of our chaperones said if someone came in first or broke a record, then he would shave his goatee. He shaved.”
HERSHEY COMPETITORS – Six Maine youngsters traveled to the North American Finals of the Hershey Youth Track and Field Program in Hershey, Pa., held Aug. 5-8. In this photograph, they posed with Olympic great Carl Lewis, in back, and showed off their hardware.From left are Seraphina Provenzano of Holden, who finished eighth in the 13-14 girls 800-meter dash; Molly Anthony of Bridgewater, seventh in the 11-12 girls 100-meter dash; Tia Jackson, fourth in the 13-14 girls 100-meter dash; Kolleen Bouchard of Houlton, fifth in the 9-10 girls softball throw; James Petersen of Hermon, first in the 9-10 boys 400-meter run; and Brandon Theriault of Fort Kent, seventh in the 11-12 boys 100-meter dash.
    Before her event, Bouchard and her father had set a goal for fifth or higher. She met her goal despite the fact she wasn’t satisfied with her throw.
    “I didn’t throw as good as I could,” she said. “I really don’t know what happened.”
    Next year, Bouchard will be able to compete in Hershey Track and Field again. She will have to pick two running events and a field event to compete in.
    “I’m trying to do the long jump,” she said, instead of the softball throw. “I will have to figure out which field event I want to do. My two running events are the relay and the 100 [meter dash] because I have more leg strength.”
    Bouchard hopes she is lucky enough to make the Maine team next year and she’s already thinking about where she would like to finish.
    “I think I am going to try to do better than fifth,” she said.