CARL JUNCTION, Mo. — Some local elementary school students spend the day running and competing for the title of the fastest kid in school.

“We’ve got a few kids even diving at the finish line from time to time,” said Austin Rhodes, P.E. and Health Teacher at Carl Junction.

If you ask most athletes, they’ll probably tell you that their love of competition started at a young age…racing friends at recess, jumping rope on the sidewalk, and making long-lasting memories in the process.

That’s what was on display Thursday morning, at the Carl Junction Primary Second and Third Grade School, for their annual Track and Field Day.

“The kids take it extremely serious, some of them, and it’s a great opportunity for community outreach. We’ve got a ton of parents and grandparents here,” he said.

The kids had the opportunity to participate in activities like a jump-roping competition, basket tosses, and various races designed to showcase each student’s competitive spirit. And according to teachers,the stakes are high.

“There’s some competitions within some classrooms, teachers, and I don’t know if they’ve got some lunch wagered on it, or what’s going on, but there is definitely some hype with some classroom teachers,” said Rhodes.

Despite tensions being raised in the face of competition, Rhodes says the event is all about making sure the kids, have fun.

“The main thing is we want these kids out here and active, enjoying those finals moments with each other, final moments at the end of the school year, and just having the great opportunity to be with us is fantastic. Some kids love to compete more than others, but we just like to remind them, it’s about the fun,” he said.

And the memories.

“It’s all about the memories, and it’s all about the relationships. At the end of the day, these kids aren’t going to remember, even though they love to compete and win, they are not going to remember who won and lost but they are going to remember how they treated each other, they are all just doing a fantastic job,” he added.

This was just part of the fun, as kids continue to celebrate their last full week of school with a beach day on Friday.