Trojan girls win nine events to take Rocket Relays

EDDYVILLE ? Fairfield head coach Ron Hunerdosse needed just one word to describe the performance of the Fairfield girls? track team Thursday.

??Courage? was the word tonight,? the longtime coach said.

The word seemed to fit nicely as the Trojans bounced back from a sixth-place finish at Tuesday?s Pen City Relays in Fort Madison to win Eddyville-Blakesburg?s Rocket Relays Thursday. In all, Fairfield won nine events and tallied 160 points to best second-place Washington by 27 points. The host Rockets finished a distant third at 97.

?This was a big night for our kids after getting beat by Washington in their own meet just one week ago,? Hunerdosse added.

The coach said no one displayed more courage than Jessica Lamb, who was once again the team?s workhorse with wins in both the 3,000 (11:40) and 1,500 (5:21). She also finished third in the 400-dash and helped the 4x400 to bronze to cap the stellar evening.

The return of Sydney Howard provided the Trojans with a predictably huge boost in the sprints. The junior had a major hand in 30 of Fairfield?s points, which was the difference between beating the Demons and finishing in second. Howard made up for lost time with wins in the 100-meter dash (12.96), 200-meter dash (26.82) and anchored the 4x100 relay to first (53.52).

?We were a lot stronger team getting Howard back,? said Hunerdosse.

Two runners a team doesn?t make, however, and the Trojans received solid contributions up and down the lineup.

Other Fairfield victories came from Sidney Baumann in the discus (117? 4?), the 4x800 (10:44) and sprint medley (2:03).

?There are the girls you count on to be consistent, and they were,? said Hunerdosse. ?Marisa Repp, Erin Thompson, McKenzie McClure and Sidney Baumann are girls that deliver night in and night out.?

Baumann was 2 inches away from her season best throw at 117-feet, 4-inches to win the discus.

Thompson had a major hand in several top relays Thursday, including the first-place 4x800, runner-up 4x200 and third-place 4x400 relay. McClure provided a crucial spark on the first-place 4x100 and sprint medley as well as the runner-up 4x200. Marisa Repp finished second in the 100-meter hurdles (17.11) and 400-meter hurdles (74.30). The sophomore also was fourth in the high jump clearing the bar at 4-feet, 10-inches.

Running not far behind Lamb, fellow harrier Hannah Sobaski gave Fairfield a 1-3 finish in both the 1,500 and 3,000. The junior opened the day finishing the 3,000 in 11:53 and ran the 1,500 in 5:33.

Fairfield?s success wouldn?t have been possible without a few unsung heroes helping the team to top finishes, added Hunerdosse, especially with Lamb and Sobaski in the open events.

The first-place 4x800 relay was a perfect example of young Trojans rising to the occasion. Freshman Whitney Engle, sophomore Sesali Martin and junior Brianna Redmann combined with Thompson to win the race by nearly seven seconds. Redmann ran a personal best as anchor of the relay.

Martin and Engle doubled up to medal in the open-800. Martin was third in 2:40.93 and Engle finished fourth at 2:44.85.

Cierra Bielinski ran four quality races, as well. Bielinski was a part of the champion sprint medley, runner-up 4x200, third-place shuttle hurdle and 4x400 relays. Huma Liptak had her best night of the season, Hunerdosse added, and showed that ?courage? trademark in the anchor leg of the sprint medley.

Fairfield will be at the Don Newell Relays in Ottumwa Tuesday.

Fairfield Individual Results

Discus ? 1. Sidney Baumann (117? 4?), 10. Madison Robert (84? 6?)

Shot Put ? 8. Madison Aplara (28? 11.5?), 14. Miranda Metcalf (27? 8?)

High Jump ? 4. Marisa Repp (4? 10?)

3,000-run ? 1. Jessica Lamb (11:40.58), 3. Hannah Sobaski (11:53.03)

4x800-relay ? 1. Fairfield (Thompson, Martin, Engle, Redmann, 10:44.33)

Shuttle Hurdle-relay ? 3. Fairfield (Garrison, Ring, Smith, Bielinski, 76.34)

100-dash ? 1. Sydney Howard (12.96), 7. Huma Liptak (14.32)

Distance Medley-relay ? 4. Fairfield (Fitch, Cook, Kerr, Richmond, 5:15.13)

400-dash ? 3. Jessica Lamb (65.70), 10. Danielle Garrison (73.51)

4x200-relay ? 2. Fairfield (McClure, Liptak, Bielinski, Thompson, 1:54.17)

100-hurdles ? 2. Marisa Repp (17.11), 4. Alexis Ring (17.57)

800-run ? 3. Sesali Martin (2:40.93), 4. Whitney Engle (2:44.85)

200-dash ? 1. Sydney Howard (26.82), 11. Hannah Morgan (32.30)

Sprint Medley-relay ?­ 1. Fairfield (Smith, Bielinski, McClure, Liptak, 2:03.13)

1500-run ? 1. Jessica Lamb (5:21.79), 3. Hannah Sobaski (5:33.96)

400-hurdles ? 2. Marisa Repp (74.30), 5. Alexis Ring (78.10)

4x100-relay ? 1. Fairfield (McClure, Liptak, Repp, Howard, 53.52)

4x400-relay ? 3. Fairfield (Thompson, Martin, Lamb, Bielinski, 4:27.15)

Team Standings

1. Fairfield 160, 2. Washington 133, 3. Eddyville-Blakesburg 97, 4. Centerville 60, 5. North Mahaska 58, 6. WACO 36, 7. Chariton 23, 8. Wayne 22