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Michele
Hardee Novice Skater in the Classic Ladies Division ___________________________________________________ Reprinted from The Weekly, June 18, 2009
Inline speedskater, Michele Hardee, 33, of Alvord, will head for Colorado next week to skate in the annual USA Roller Sports (USARS) Outdoor National Championship on the 200-meter banked track at the Olympic Training Center facility in Colorado Springs, where skaters vie for a spot on the National and World teams. Then in July, Hardee will be in Peoria, Il. to compete in the USARS Indoor National Championships. Hardee qualified to go to that meet by finishing first overall in the Novice Classic Lady Division at the annual South Central Regional Championships in Waco last month. Hardee qualified in two relay races as well. First she partnered with DFW Speed team mate Mary Ann Martin of Garland and they finished first in the 2-lady relay. Then she partnered with DFW Speed team mate, Mike Johnston of Saginaw and they finished first in the 2-person mixed relay. In April, Hardee skated in the Texas Road Rash, an outdoor speedskating marathon in Round Rock where she completed the 14.3 mile half marathon in 53 minutes and 41 seconds, placing second in her age group and third overall. This was Hardee’s first marathon, so she just entered the half marathon and polished it off with energy to spare. “I could have done the whole thing,” she said with a hint of remorse as she came off the course. The “whole thing” was 28.6 miles. So she got back on the course and took another lap (a lap was more than four miles) as she skated alongside and encouraged a young DFW Speed team mate who was struggling. August will find Hardee in three outdoor speedskating marathons: two in Minnesota and the other a local marathon, the 26-mile Showdown “N” Cowtown, hosted by her team, DFW Speed, at the Texas Motor Speedway, August 23. Members of DFW Speed train at the Holiday Skatium in Haltom City, and the Arlington Skatium in Arlington. The team is coached by Ricky Brock of Haltom City, Todd Hackney of Arlington and Gary Hilliard of Grapevine. Races are sanctioned by USA Roller Sports. For more information about the team, visit DFWSpeed.com. * |
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