March 29, 2024

‘Much needed’ team win

Panther girls go to smaller Chariton meet and shine

CHARITON — Running on a quick surface as the biggest school at Chariton’s meet Monday, the Creston girls track and field team put its talents on full display, winning the Class AA division with 172 team points.

Davis County was second as a team with 150 points, while others like Knoxville, Clarke and Interstate 35 lingered behind in third, fourth and sixth place.

“We had a ton of season bests and PR’s,” Creston coach Clay Arnold said. “The competition was not like what we’ve been seeing.”

Tuesday was just another night for the Panthers’ relay squads to thrive.

“The most amazing thing of the whole meet was the 4x200,” Arnold said.

The Panthers shaved two and a half seconds off their season best.

Creston also shaved off a gaudy 14 seconds of its 4x800 time. Jesse Vicker, Emma Hanson, Rachel Shepherd and Brielle Baker smoked the field in the race.

“We were completely untouched,” Arnold said. “Our last three legs didn’t see any competition.”

The cousin duo of Vicker and MaKenna Hudson earned second and third in the open 800, flipping finishing positions between the two of them from the last time out.

Season bests came from a number of individuals, as well as the sprint medley and easily in the shuttle hurdle in the young group’s second time running the event.

Stephanie Hemsworth continues to regain health, and earned fourth in the 400 meter dash. She was joined by Brielle Baker’s third-place finish.

Baker ran a season-best 5:17.06 in the 1,500 to win by more than 15 seconds. Both her 400 and 1,500 times were season bests.

Kesia Stewart set personal records in her third leg of the 4x200 and in the 100 meter dash by more than a fifth of a second in 13.79 to take second place. Stewart was also fourth in the 200, closely followed by Cayla Maitlen in fifth. Maitlen had an admirable night in her relay legs per coach Arnold.

Other high finishes included Creston earning tops in the 4x400, distance medley, second in the sprint medley, third in the 4x100, and Rachel Shepherd taking second in the 400 hurdles,

Hannah Hood threw her second-best toss this season in the shot put, 42-feet, 1 inch, and grabbed second in the discus.

Wilson added a fourth-place spot in the shot and sixth in the discus.

Breanna Wallace was second in the high jump, closely followed by Saige Rice in third.

Where the Panthers have found success among many of the team’s younger runners, Arnold saw the potential laid out long ago.

“We had some opportunities that we missed throughout the season where we could have been doing those things earlier,” Arnold said.

While the team win was “much needed” in Arnold’s words, the Panthers have already reached the point where many of the relays need to be to be competitive for state qualifying and the final Hawkeye 10 meet.

UP NEXT — The Panthers will travel to Carlisle Thursday for one more meet this week.

Team results girls varsity Class AA — 1. Creston 172, 2. Davis County 150, 3. Knoxville 104, 4. Clarke 72, 5. Interstate 35, 6. Centerville 61, 7. EDF 59, 8. Chariton 45.

Discus — 1. Cassidy Pearson, Knox, 14-9; 2. Hannah Hood, Crest, 103-7.5.

High Jump — 1. Africa Brandon, DC, 4-9; 2. Breanna Wallace, Crest, 4-8; 3. Saige Rice, Crest, 4-6.

Long Jump — 1. Jaylynn Sharp, DC, 16-4.5; 3. Danielle Castillo, Crest, 14-6; 6. MaKenna Hudson, Crest, 14-6.

Shot put — 1. Hannah Hood, Crest, 42-1; 4. Faith Wilson, Crest, 30-6.25.

800 sprint medley — Davis County, 1:54.72; 2. Creston, (Kiersten Latham, Stephanie Hemsworth, Cayla Maitlen, MaKenna Hudson), 1:57.09.

3,000 meter run — 1. Katie Keitges, Knox, 11:10.29.

4x800 — 1. Creston, (Jesse Vicker, Emma Hanson, Rachel Shepherd, Brielle Baker), 10:20.30.

Shuttle hurdle relay — 1. Clarke, 1:12.16; 6. Creston, (Danielle Castillo, Brittany Linch, Allivea Skarda, Aubrianna Woody), 1:23.59.

100 meter dash — 1. Augusta Hamaker, DC, 13.34; 2. Kesia Stewart, Crest, 13.79; 5. Kiersten Latham, Crest, 13.90.

1600 distance medley —1. Creston (Jesse Vicker, Sydney Pantini, Breanna Wallace, Emma Hanson), 4:42.84.

400 meter dash — 1. Katie Keitges, Knox, 1:01.07; 3. Brielle Baker, Crest, 1:03.06; 4. Stephanie Hemsworth, Crest, 1:05.07.

4x200 meter relay — 1. Creston, (Kiersten Latham, Rachel Shepherd, Kesia Stewart, Cayla Maitlen), 1:51.11.

100 meter hurdles — 1. Bailey Zimmerman, Clarke, 16.27; 8. Danielle Castillo, Crest, 18.01; 16. Aubrianna Woody, Crest, 23.22.

800 meter run — 1. Emily Lewis, Cent, 2:33.46; 2. Jesse Vicker, Crest, 2:36.71; 3. MaKenna Hudson, Crest, 2:37.18.

200 meter dash — 1. Alyssa Shirkey, DC, 27.31; 4. Kesia Stewart, Crest, 28.73; 5. Cayla Maitlen, Crest, 28.81.

400 meter hurdles — 1. Luci Swathout, Char, 1:11.50; 2. Rachel Shepherd, Crest, 1:12.15; 8. Brittany Linch, Crest, 1:21.52.

1500 meter run — 1. Brielle Baker, Crest, 5:17.06.

4x100 relay — 1. Davis County, 51.91; 3. Crest, (Rachel Shepherd, Stephanie Hemsworth, Kesia Stewart, Kiersten Latham), 53.62.

4x400 relay — 1. Creston, (Kiersten Latham, Rachel Shepherd, Kesia Stewart, Cayla Maitlen), 1:51.11.