By John RittenhouseA Luverne athlete received the opportunity to compete at a continental level during the Hershey’s Track and Field Youth Program North American Final staged in Hershey, Penn., Saturday.Lexi Hetkamp, a member of the Luverne High School track and cross country programs, raced in the girls’ division of the 800-meter run for 13- and 14-year olds at the 26th version of the meet.One of eight girls competing in the event, Heitkamp turned in a strong showing by placing fifth with a time of 2:25.Her effort was one second off the personal best time 2:24 she recorded during the Southwest Conference Track and Field Championships last spring.Saturday’s winning time of 2:21 came from a girl representing the state of Kansas.With the exception of the traveling nightmare of the Heitkamps trying to get to Pennsylvania (Lexi was joined by her parents, Steve and Cindy, her older sister, Ashley, and younger brother, Devin), the experience was a positive one.The Heitkamps were scheduled to leave the Sioux Falls Municipal Airport early Thursday (Aug. 7) morning, but a four-hour delay led to a missed connecting flight in Cleveland later that day. When another flight from Cleveland to Pennsylvania was delayed due to a plane’s engine troubles, a trip that was scheduled to conclude at 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time was complete at 9:30 p.m.Lexi missed all the special activities planned for the athletes Thursday, but she did get to tour the Hershey’s Chocolate Factory and experience the thrills of the Hershey’s Amusement Park on Friday.Heitkamp ran at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, narrowly missing a rainstorm that soaked the athletes and fans after the event.The meet was completed as scheduled, and the Heitkamps returned home (without delays) Sunday afternoon.
