Area teams run at Central Indoor

PELLA — It’s almost time for the area high school track and field teams to get inside, as the indoor season will begin later this week. First, however, a few area athletes had to make their way to the indoor track in Pella for the Central College Invite this past weekend.

On Friday, the Mt. Pleasant, New London and Hillcrest Academy boys all brought home Top-5 finishes. Mt. Pleasant led the way with three winners on the day.

Will Davidson won two events for the Panthers, speeding past a talented group in the 60-meter hurdles, where he won in 8.31 seconds, and the 200-meter hurdles, in which he crossed the line in 22.65 seconds.

Davidson could have been a three-time winner, if it weren’t for teammate Avin Truong. Truong bested Davdison in the long jump, winning the competition with a leap of 21 feet, 6 inches. Davidson jumped 21-00.50.

The Mt. Pleasant boys had one more individual Top-5, as Isaac Jerrel threw the shot put 49 feet, 1 inch, for fourth.

The top relay of the meet for Mt. Pleasant was the 4X800 squad of Gabe Feldmann, Ben Carthey, Isaac Rynders and Jacob Richtman. They crossed the tape in 9:15.01.

New London had two wins on the day, including one from Kade Benjamin in the high jump. Benjamin cleared the bar at 6 feet, 6 inches to breeze to victory. His biggest area challenger was Hillcrest Academy’s Owen Scott, who leapt 6-00 for fourth.

The Tigers had another win in the 800-meter run. Rylan Martin crossed first, in 2:03.29. Among those close behind was Mt. Pleasant’s Ben Carthey, who took sixth, in 2:11.13.

The 4X400 team of Reean Seberg, Cade Westerbeck, Benjamin and Martin took third. They crossed the line in 3:49.52.

Hillcrest had one more Top-5 finisher in the field events. Scott took fourth in the long jump, leaping 19-03.5.

The girls took to the Central track on Saturday, as Mt. Pleasant, Fairfield and Hillcrest Academy all competed.

The Mt. Pleasant girls had a handful of Top-10 finishes, including five individually, four of which came in the field.

Josie Gilmore took third in the high jump, leaping 4-10. In the long jump, Kynlee white finished seventh, with a leap of 15-03.50. Elsie Lange was right behind her in eight, with a jump of 15-00.

Two Panthers were Top-10 in the shot put. Ella Ensmigner finished seventh, with a throw of 33-03. Savannah Slobodnik took 10th, at 31-11.50

The best non-field individual finish for the Panthers belonged to Gilmore, who finished 10th in the 60-meter hurdles, with a time of 10.47 seconds. Andi Scott took 11th in the 60-meter dash, in 8.59 seconds.

Mt. Pleasant had a great night in the relays, led by a second-place finish in the 4X100.

The Panthers’ 4X100 squad of Bailey Jalas, Tristian Shull, white and Scott took second, in 1:55.03. The Panther ‘B’ squad of Rellana Van Dueren, Courtney Raub, Mica Carter and Josie Gilmore was sixth, in 1:58.31.

Right behind the Panther ‘B’ squad in the 4X100 was Fairfield’s quartet of Maya Lane, Lilly Bergren, Hayley Reinier and Lauren Martin, which placed seventh, in 2:00.25.

Mt. Pleasant’s 4X800 squad of Emma Welcher, Alexis Wagner, Aliya Graber and Abby Carthey was sixth, in 10:53.34. Fairfield’s group of Addison Ferrel, Makenzie Kraemer, Bailey Belzer and Grace Lyon scooped up a Top-10 as well, with a 10th-place 11:45.63.

The Panthers’ 4X400 team of Natalie Freeman, Lucy West, Olivia McCormick and Allie Westercamp took home eighth, in 4:46.08.

Fairfield’s Bergren had a Top-10 finish in the 60-meter hurdles. Bergren crossed the line just ahead of Mt. Pleasant’s Gilmore, taking ninth place, in 10.46 seconds.

The Trojans had a handful of other Top-25 finishers. Malena Bloomquist took 14th in the 1500, just ahead of Mt. Pleasant’s Isabelle Meador, who finished 16th.

Makenzie Kraemer and Caroline Van Pelt were 20th and 21st in the 800, just ahead of Mt. Pleasant’s Jayden Housh, who took 22nd. Maya Lane was 25th in the 200-meter dash, finishing one spot ahead of Bergren.

Hillcrest Academy’s best finish on the girls side went to Delaney Shaw in the long jump. Shaw lept 13-07.75, for 15th.