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Photos + article Darrell WheelerThe MLK Blasters Youth Track & Field Club hosted their annual track & field competition last Saturday at Samuel Finley Breese Morse High School. The Martin Luther King Blasters Track & Field program has been around for 31 years inspiring young San Diego athletes to be the best they can be. The talented Blasters show no signs of slowing down anytime soon as their athletes continue to produce top performances as the team continues to shine and grow.
Head Coach LaSalle Mitchell has been leading the Mighty-Blasters team since 2012. “My mission is to focus on the fundamentals of track and field, and establish good habits that will not only serve them well in sports, but in life,” Coach Mitchell shared.
“We have a young team, but they’re hungry to compete, and most importantly, excited about consistently improving their results. This year, we placed a strong focus on parent involvement, and that has served us well, and now we have a full coaching staff, the kids get a lot more one on one attention, and the parents have a better understanding of the sport, ” Coach Mitchell added.
MLK’s six-and-under division continues to show great promise for the future, as they consistently have shown favorable results throughout the season.
“Our only six-and-under boy, Quentin Williams, placed 1st in all three of his events this past weekend, all resulting with respectable times,” Coach Mitchell shared.
The 11-12 girls team have shown promise with two returners providing excellent results, and two rookies having first place results in their respectable events. Blaster Anisa Bowen-Fontenot is a legit-force in the 11-12 girls division, long jumping her way to 4.21m, running a time of 14.36 in the 80m hurdles, and coasting to a 1:04.73 in the 400m.
The MLK Blasters are the longest operating youth track & field club in America’s Finest City. The Blasters, along with the rest of San Diego Youth Track and Field Association, will be competing in the Regional Championship Meet held in Las Vegas June 21-23. Top 5 qualifiers in each event will compete at the Junior Olympic Championship held in late July.
