January 04, 2025

PCM girls start track season with runner-up finish at home

Chipps wins twice in Mustangs’ season opener

By Troy Hyde

PCM senior Celeste Wagaman, left, takes the baton from freshman Ryan Bennett during the 4x200 relay at the PCM Girls Track Classic on Tuesday. The Mustangs were second in the event and finished second in the team race. (Troy Hyde/Newton News)

MONROE — Margo Chipps won twice in hurdle events, Celeste Wagaman set a new personal-record in the high jump and PCM’s girls track and field placed second in its first home meet of the spring on Tuesday.

Chipps was victorious in the 100-meter and 400 hurdles as the Mustangs scored 99.5 points in the PCM Girls Track Classic. Davis County won the meet with 191.5 points.

The eight-team field also included Chariton (61), Centerville (57), Pleasantville (51), Collins-Maxwell (50), Pella Christian (46) and Albia (30).

Chipps, a Northern Iowa recruit, won the 400 hurdles with a time of 1 minute, 13.84 seconds. She won the 100 hurdles in 17.32 seconds. Chelsea Bird was third in that event in 18.7.

Wagaman won the high jump with a personal-best leap of 5 feet, 0 inches. Claire Wilson was sixth with a jump of 4-6.

Bird was third in the long jump with a leap of 15-0 1/2. In the shot put, Vi Humpal placed sixth with a toss of 27-6.

PCM sophomore Paige Steenhoek, center, and freshman Tiffani Koonce, right, run in the 1,500-meter run at the PCM Girls Track Classic on Tuesday. Steenhoek was second and Koonce finished fourth in the event. (Troy Hyde/Newton News)

The Mustangs tripled up in the 1,500. A strong final push by Paige Steenhoek netted her a second-place finish with a time of 5:47.9.

Tiffani Koonce was fourth in the 1,500 with a time of 5:58.33. Riley DeVore finished sixth in 6:25.61.

Steenhoek, Koonce and DeVore also teamed up with Sophia Steenhoek to win the 4x800 relay. That foursome won the race in 11:27.

The 4x200 and sprint medley relays were both second.

The 4x200 relay team of Ryan Bennett, Wagaman, Bri Kalar and Sophia Steenhoek placed second in 2:05. The sprint medley relay team of Chipps, Bird, Kalar and Delaney Baird were second in 2:07.

The shuttle hurdle, distance medley and 4x400 relays were all third.

The shuttle hurdle relay team of Belle Hudnut, Avery Houser, Eliana Buswell and Kate McClellan finished third in 1:22.

Taryn Steenhoek, Elle Davis, Lilli Baird and Lily Bowen were third in the distance medley relay. They finished the race in 5:24.

The 4x400 relay team of Delaney Baird, Lilli Baird, Bowen and Sophia Steenhoek took third in 4:46.29.

PCM returns to action for the school’s coed meet at 4:30 p.m. on April 6 in Monroe.

PCM senior Lilli Baird runs in a relay on Tuesday at the PCM Girls Track Classic. (Troy Hyde/Newton News)