Four years ago, when Chloe Stanfield was a sophomore at Downingtown’s STEM Academy, she started a non-profit organization called Chester County Track Stars, a summer track program for youths ages 3 to 14.
“There are opportunities for high school athletes to compete in track, and sometimes there are even opportunities in middle school, but I wanted to start a program that focused on getting kids moving during summer time and was open to youths under 8 years old,” said Stanfield. “I also wanted something that was low cost and more recreational than [other programs]. This also is a good program for athletes in other sports who want to run in the summer to get a little faster.”
Currently, Chester County Track Stars has grown to more than 300 members and will be hosting its first (and hopefully annual) Chester County Youth Track Festival July 16 at Downingtown West High School.
The Chester County Youth Track Festival is for ages 8-14 and will include hurdles, 100-meter run, 400-mter run, 800-meter run, mile run, long jump and shot put. The headline event is the Middle School Mile, for ages 11-14 or anyone going or just leaving middle school.
Stanfield, who is a heptathlete as a rising senior at Robert Morris University, competed in the hurdles for Downingtown West, winning the 100 hurdles at the Ches-Mont Championships in 2018 and the 300 hurdles at Ches-Monts in 2019. She has recruited several local track standouts for the event. Bishop Shanahan alum Josh Hoey, who competed for Team USA in the U20 championships, will be serving as a pacer in the Middle School Mile.
Division I college runners who will be in attendance include West Chester Henderson alum Michaela Schiele, who competes in the mile run for the University of Pittsburgh; Oxford High School alum Gavin Fitzgerald, a long-distance runner for Robert Morris University; and Downingtown East alum Ethan Robinson, a runner for Robert Morris.
“We’re going to have a meet-and-greet at 6:30 p.m. after the races [which begin at 4 p.m.] where the kids can ask questions of the runners,” said Stanfield. “We’ll also have a photo booth, games and food.”
The registration fee is $20 for unlimited entries in events. A trophy will be awarded to both the fastest boy and girl in the Middle School Mile Run. Medals will be awarded for all other events. For more information about the Chester County Track Festival, visit https://pa.milesplit.com/meets/485887-chester-county-youth-track-festival-2022
“Interest in track has really spiked recently, with the Olympics and national news focusing on track athletes, and I’d really like to get the local community involved in this event, and in Chester County Track Stars,” said Stanfield.
