Johnson at Hershey meet

Advertiser Staff

Former Olympic decathlon gold medalist Rafer Johnson will help the Hershey Youth Program for Hawai'i celebrate its 20th anniversary today at Kaiser High School.

Finalists can qualify for selection to the Pacific Southwest Regional team. The national competition is scheduled for Aug. 9 at Hershey, Pa.

This year's state meet will open at 8 a.m. with a parade of participants, led by Johnson, a charter member of the National Track and Field Hall of Fame. He won the gold medal in the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome.

Joining Johnson will be University of Hawai'i athletic director Herman Frazier, and Tommy Kono, Olympic weightlifter.

About 400 youngsters — ages 9 to 14 — will compete.

Among those competing will be Sanoe Aina, who finished fourth nationally in the softball throw. Aina also competed in the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa., with the Waipi'o team.