AREA ROUNDUP: Opelika youth takes 2nd at Hershey’s track & field meet

Ashley Thomas, a 12-year-old from Opelika, won second place in the long jump at the Hershey’s Track & Field Games North American Final in Hershey, Pa., Saturday.

Thomas’ jump of 7 feet, 5.75 inches was good enough for the silver medal in the 11-12-year-old girls’ division. She was the only athlete from
Opelika competing in the event.

Thomas also won first place in the 400-meter dash in the Alabama state track and field meet earlier this summer.

The Hershey’s Track & Field Games North American Final is sponsored by The Hershey Company and features over 500 of the best young track and field athletes in North America.

It was the 32nd year of the event, which had provided 9-14 year-old boys and girls the opportunity to learn and develop the skills required to participate in basic track and field events.