Goessel girls finish 2nd despite winning relays
Staff writer
Goessel’s girls nearly pulled off another Wheat State League championship last week but came up seven points short of a small Herington squad that demonstrated how to score points with only a few girls.
Herington girls won eight individual events and placed second in two other events.
Goessel was able to win two relays, setting season-best times in both.
Lauren Rymill, Maddy Meier, Julia Nightengale, and Brittney Hiebert circled the track eight times in the 4 x 800 meter relay in 11:23.74, winning by 14 seconds.
In the 4 x 400 relay, Katherine Manis and Stephany Meyer stayed close to Railer sprinters in the first two laps.
Lauren Rymill took the baton in the third lap and began closing in the last 50 meters, making a good hand-off to Hiebert, giving her a 5-meter lead.
Hiebert extended the lead, and the Bluebirds finished in 4:26.65, four seconds ahead of the Railers.
Goessel’s second-place finishers included Manis in the 300 hurdles, Hiebert in the 800 run, Rymill in the 1600 run, and Meyer in long jump.
Meyer placed third in triple jump and the 200. Kara Burkholder placed third in javelin, Olivia Duerksen third in long jump, Hiebert third in the 400, Manis third in the 100 hurdles, Nightengale third in the 3,200, and Rymill third in the 800.
The girl’s team will travel Friday in Burlington for 1A regional competition. The top four in each event will advance to state May 26 in Wichita.
Only 1 boy medals
Senior Josh Schmidt was the only Bluebird boy to take home a gold, winning the 200-meter dash on his home track Thursday at the Wheat State League’s annual meet.
“The 200 is probably the event I have the best chance winning, since I don’t have the sprinter speed needed in the 100 and I don’t have the endurance needed in the 400,” Schmidt said after the race.
Schmidt ran the half-lap in 24.25 seconds. Four of the five runners finished within 1.05 seconds of him.
Schmidt rounded out his performance by placing fourth in long jump and fifth in the 100- and 400-meter dashes.
Mathias Salmen finished third in high jump. Zach Guerro finished fourth in the 110 hurdles; Jacob Hagewood was fifth. Jerah Schmidt earned a point in the 3200, and Jordan Griffin scored a point in javelin.
The boys finished seventh in the 11-team meet. The Bluebirds hope to score better at regionals, competing against only 1A schools, Friday at Burlington.