New Date Announced For West Hartford Elementary School Track Meet

WEST HARTFORD, CT — The 20th Annual Duquette Inter-El Track Meet has been postponed until Thursday due to yesterday’s rain. The event, which includes students from all 11 West Hartford elementary schools, will take place from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursday, June 7 at Conard High School.

The meet, which features 220 fifth-grade students, is named for Mona Duquette, a longtime physical education teacher in West Hartford. She taught at Charter Oak School for 40 years from 1957-1997.

Students are invited/chosen based on performance, but also for demonstrating great ‘sportsmanship.’ Schools award a fifth-grader the Sportsmanship Award and those students join the team. Ribbons are awarded to the top six finishers in each event.

“This is not about placing or winning, it's about students experiencing a fun, athletic meet and perhaps instilling a dream or goal to continue to pursue track and field beyond elementary school," said Mario Lopez, physical education teacher at Bugbee Elementary School.

Lopez is a director of the event, along with Rob DeVeau of Duffy Elementary School.

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