Fairfax Station Girl Places Third in National Track & Field Event

An 11-year-old Fairfax Station girl earned third place this weekend in the long distance softball throw event at the 2012 Hershey Track & Field North American Final.

Emma Yates threw her career best of 140 feet at the national event, which is now in its 35^th year. It draws over 400 promising track and field athletes to Hershey, PA, according to a press release issued by the Hershey Company, which sponsors the event. The athletes are between 9 and 14 years old.

Yates is a rising sixth grade student at Silverbook Elementary School. She plays catcher, shortstop and pitcher for the Southwestern Youth Association Xplosion 12 and under travel team fastpitch softball program.

"When she is behind the plate, no one runs on her," said Yate's head coach Jay Booth. "The kid has a cannon."