Students of Oakdale Junior High School will be among some of the young athletes representing 26 local junior high and middle schools competing at the 71st Annual Harold Pope Junior Relays on Saturday, May 5. Competition runs from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Modesto Junior College Track and Field complex. Sponsored by the Stanislaus County Office of Education (SCOE), the Education Foundation of Stanislaus County and Sutter Health, the public is invited to attend. Admission and parking are free.

The annual Harold Pope Junior Relays is dedicated to the memory of Harold Pope (Oct. 24, 1932 – Oct. 31, 2016). The Junior Relays became the Harold Pope Junior Relays in 2000 in honor of his 47 years of coaching, mentoring, and teaching youth in Stanislaus County. Pope was a principal, superintendent, coach, bus driver, motivator, and teacher in Valley Home.

The Junior Relays include a variety of track and field events. Schools participating this year include: Big Valley Christian, Blaker-Kinser, Cesar Chavez, Creekside, Denair, Dutcher, Glick, Hart-Ransom, Hickman, La Loma, Mae Hensley, Mountain View, Oakdale, Our Lady of Fatima, Paradise, Prescott, Roosevelt, Ross, Savage, Shiloh, Somerset, Turlock, Ustach, Walnut Grove, Waterford and Yolo.

The following track and field events are slated for the competition: Track Events - Hurdles, 400 Meter Relay, 1600 Meter Run,             400 Meter Dash, 100 Meter Dash, 800 Meter Run, 200 Meter Dash and 1600 Meter Relay; Field Events - Discus, Running Long Jump, Running High Jump, Triple Jump and Shot Put.