March 28, 2024

Cardinal thinclads start outdoor season strong

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TAMA — Finally, Newton’s track athletes were able to compete outdoors for the first time in 2014. The Cardinals — girls and boys — had a good solid start to the outdoor season Tuesday at the South Tama Early Bird Invitational.

Newton’s track teams hadn’t been in competition since middle March, when they finished the indoor season.

The Cardinal girls won seven events, and had two second-place finishes and four third-place finishes. The Cardinal boys claimed the gold medals in two events then had four second-place performances and two third-place finishes.

Technical difficulties experienced during the meet prevented team scores to be announced.

“I am very pleased with the performances of the girls (Tuesday),” NHS girls’ head coach Rachel Tomas said. “We were competitive and placed well in several events. Girls have continued to step up and showcase their talents. This meet gave us more options to look at for post-season and Drake (Relays) qualifying.”

Newton boys’ head coach Tom Bartello was also pleased with his team in its first outdoor meet. The Newton teams were slated to open the season last Thursday at Southeast Polk, but inclement weather cancelled the meet.

“Overall, the boys ran and competed well (Tuesday),” Bartello said.  We are looking forward to showing continued improvement and better weather (Thursday) at Des Moines Lincoln.”

Field events got the Cardinal girls off to a good start at South Tam. Sarah Kalkhoff won the discus event with a throw of 130 feet, 7 inches, with teammate Michaela Bleeker taking third at 101’2”. Bleeker and Kalkhoff went 1-2 in the shot put as Bleeker had a winning throw of 37’10” and Kalkhoff putted the shot 35’8”.

Madison Bagnall was ninth in the discus with a distance of 80 feet followed by Sydney Bergman in 10th at 79’2” and Kelly Klingensmith in 25th at 57’7”. Bergman placed 10th in the shot put at 28’11”. Bagnall tied for 17th at 23’3 1/2” and Klingensmith was 24th at 19’9”.

On the track, Grace Coen was a double gold-medal winner for Newton. Coen won the 3,000-meter race in 10 minutes, 37.43 seconds then posted a winning time of 2:24 in the 800 meters.

Mari Anna Ulrey was 11th in the 3,000 meters in 14:18 and Halie Doland was 12th in 14:40. In the 800, Autumn Hunt placed 12th in 3:02 with Ulrey in 22nd at 3:11 and Doland in 23rd at 3:19.

Sydney Jenkins earned three gold medals. Jenkins won the 200-meter dash in 27.28 seconds with teammates Alex Hutchinson in third at 27.88 seconds and Fran Lucas in 16th at 30.99. Jenkins and Hutchinson teamed up with Leela Spencer and Amber Karsten to win the 4x200-meter relay in 1:49. Newton’s junior varsity relay team of Emma Meyer, Hannah Yeager, Brooke Henning and Molly Davros ran 11th in 2:08.

Jenkins anchored the Cardinal girls’ 4x800-meter relay to a winning time of 10:38.70. Hailey Coy led off the relay, passed the baton to Amber Karsten, who handed it off to Anna Barr for the third leg of the race.

Kacy Cazett, Hutchinson, Spencer and Coy combined to take second in the 800-meter sprint medley relay in 2:02. In the 4x100-meter relay race, the foursome of Cazett, Spencer, Karsten and Jenkins posted a third-place time of 54.66 seconds. Newton’s junior varsity relay team of Lucas, Taylor Graff, Bailey Zaruba and Elise Axtell was seventh in 58.17 seconds.

Zaruba finished third in the 100-meter high hurdles in 17.26 seconds. Graff was 14th in 19.50 and Kaelee Knoll placed 22nd in 22.20 seconds. Newton’s 4x100-meter shuttle hurdle relay team of Barr, Graff, Zaruba and Lucas finished fifth in 1:16.

Barr finished fourth in the 400-meter hurdles in 1:13.83. In the 1,500-meter race, Brooklyn Maddison placed 13th in 6:26 followed by Sarah Prendergast in 16th at 6:32 and Annie Hurt in 17th at 6:32.58.

Hurt, Prendergast, Meyer and Yeager teamed up for the distance medley relay race and placed fourth in 5:21.40. The 4x400-meter relay team of Knoll, Hunt, Henning and Hurt finished seventh in 5:14.

NEWTON'S JAROM Williams didn't miss a step moving from indoor to outdoor in the long jump event. Williams claimed first Tuesday at South Tama with a leap of 19'11 1/4".

The Cardinal boys found a winning combination of J.T. Thongvanh, Levi Michener, Jake Bennett and Deonne Harris for the 4x110-meter shuttle hurdle relay. They posted a first-place time of 1:03.

Thongvanh tied for second in the 100-meter dash in 11.4 seconds while Michener finished 13th in 12.30 and Jason Wu was 18th in 12.50. Harris took second in the 110-meter high hurdles in 14.91 seconds. Bennett tied for fifth in the 400-meter hurdles in 1:04.

The Cardinals’ 4x100-meter relay team of Thongvanh, Jacob Walker and Harris finished second in 45.54 seconds.

Distance races went well for the Cardinal boys also. Christian Laube ran second in the 3,200-meter race in 11:53. Jacob Thomas placed second in the 1,600-meter run in 4:47 with Laube in sixth at 4:57. Zach Theis was 16th at 5:37 in the 1,600 while Noah Kimmel placed 23rd in 6:03 and Devon Wolf in 24th in 8:07.

Thomas finished fourth in the 800-meter run in 2:11 and Sean Cook was seventh in 2:15. Theis placed 15th in 2:30 followed by N. Kimmel in 24th at 3:48 and Wolf in 25th at 4:25.

Walker and Williams finished third and fourth in the 400-meter dash in 54.50 seconds and 55.90 seconds, respectively. Earl Kimmel was 13th in 58.40. Wu was 15th in 200-meter dash in 26.66 and Collin Jacobsen placed 23rd in 31.23 seconds.

Newton’s 4x400-meter relay team of Theis, Cook, Laube and Thomas posted a third-place time of 4:00. Harris, Walker, Williams and Bennett combined for fifth in 4:07.

The 1,600-meter sprint medley relay team of Wu, Michener, E. Kimmel and Cook was fourth in 4:00.

Newton’s boys and girls compete at Oskaloosa Saturday. On April 17, Newton hosts a coed invitational track meet at H.A. Lynn Stadium.