Taylor, Haffarnan take podium

The Mt. Pleasant girls? track and field team put two athletes on the podium with fifth and sixth place finishes at the State Indoor meet, hosted by the IGHSAU at UNI on Tuesday night.

Leslie Taylor took fifth place in the 60-meter hurdles, finishing the race in a time of 9.47 seconds.

Hannah Becker finished ninth in 9.65.

?These two really ran well under pressure,? Coach Dave Hutchcroft said. ?Leslie was the top 3A placewinner, and Hannah was third (among 3A competition).?

Chloe Haffarnan joined Taylor in claiming a spot on the podium when she placed sixth in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:24.83.

?Chloe ran a very smart race, going out under control but yet staying in contact with the lead pack,? Hutchcroft said. ?She was able to pass four girls in the last 100 meters with a strong finishing kick.?

Also placing in the top 10 was the 4x800-meter relay team of Natalie Ita, Taryne Shull, Natalie Myers and Haffarnan, which took 10th place. The girls took seven seconds off their season-best time to finish in 10:16.16.

Next week, the team will begin outdoor competition.

The Panthers open the outdoor season at the City High Invitational on Tuesday in Iowa City, and then they host the Mt. Pleasant Co-Ed meet on Thursday.