Pekin comes up roses at Tulip Time Relays

PELLA ? Without some of the usual suspects, the Pekin girls? track team once again showcased some of its depth and overall talent with a win Thursday at the Tulip Time Relays in Pella.

The Panthers scored 186 points and ended the night with a win in the 4x400 relay as Erin Mosinski, Annie Jones, Kayla Chandler and Kaitlin Spilman took the baton around in 4:16.77 to ward off their only real competition in Eddyville-Blakesburg, who scored 151.

?It was a great night for our girls. We ran without a couple key varsity runners and had some of our younger athletes step in and compete for us,? said head coach Sarah Wright. ?I?m very proud of their efforts and I am impressed with their focus on the team.?

Jennifer Clubb is certainly not a newcomer and her performance in the throwing events wasn?t anything new either, but Clubb threw her way to wins in both the shot put (29? 10?) and the discus (111? 3.5?). Jessi Martin followed Clubb?s lead and made it three field event victories for Pekin with a long jump of 15-feet, 0.5-inches to take first place.

On the track, Brenna Conger in the 3,000 as well as the 4x800 relay team of Emma Nelson, Annie Jones, Celsey Conger and Kaitlin Spilman, continued Pekin?s strong start with first-place finishes in both events. Conger ran the 3,000 in 11:22.74, and the 4x800 finished in 10:27.31.

For complete story, read the Friday, May 1, 2009 Fairfield Ledger.