Mercer Island fourth grader competes at Junior Olympic track championships

Mercer Island fourth grader Anika Hammerstrom, a student at West Mercer Elementary, recently competed in the USATF National Junior Olympic Track and Field championships in North Carolina.

By Megan Managan • August 30, 2013 1:20 pm
Mercer Island fourth grader Anika Hammerstrom recently competed in the National Junior Olympics championships in North Carolina.
Mercer Island fourth grader Anika Hammerstrom recently competed in the National Junior Olympics championships in North Carolina.

Mercer Island fourth grader Anika Hammerstrom, a student at West Mercer Elementary, recently competed in the USATF National Junior Olympic Track and Field championships in North Carolina.

The event took place at the end of July in Greensboro, N.C., where Hammerstrom ran the first leg of the 4×400 meter relay in the girls 9-10 year old division.

Hammerstrom joined the Bellevue Speed Unlimited track team this spring, her first season on a competitive team.

The team had 35 members qualify for individual events at the Junior Olympics meet, with eight relays also earning a spot. Seven members of the team earned nine regional titles, and six relay teams won titles.