July 27, 2024

BOYS TRACK: Young Bulldogs peak at the right time

By Ryan Stonebraker
O-M volleyball

O-M volleyball

The Orient-Macksburg boy’s track team sent competitors to the Class 1A state qualifying meet in Earlham last Thursday with state bids on the line. There, freshmen Mason Payne and Andreas Pierce turned in a handful of season-best performances. Though neither would qualify for the 2024 state meet in Des Moines this week, they put themselves in a good position for next year.

“They have shown up to every meet and we are very proud of them,” said O-M coach Becca Ross. “As freshmen, they had tremendous seasons this year. They came improving each week and that was outstanding in them getting their best times at the meet.”

Payne came into the state qualifying meet as the Bluegrass Conference 200-meter dash champion. At that meet, Payne won in a time of 25.60 after being seeded fourth, a full second behind the top seed from Ankeny Christian. Payne won a close race as Lucas Weathers from Ankeny Christian was second in 25.62. At the state qualifying meet, Payne placed 18th in a time of 26.38. The 11th-place finisher had a time of 25.39, nearly a second faster than Payne’s time.

Payne tied for the top finish for O-M at the meet in the 100-meter dash, placing 12th in a season best time of 12.66. Payne was third in the 100-meter dash at the Bluegrass Conference meet. Payne also placed 22nd in the discus.

Andreas Pierce had a good meet, getting PRs in both running events and also capturing a season-best distance in the long jump. Pierce had a season best jump in the long jump at 16-feet, 4 inches. Pierce had a season best time in the 400-meter dash in a season-best time of 58.37 to tie Payne with the highest O-M finish, 12th. Pierce also added a 19th-place finish in the 200-meter dash in 26.45, another season-best time. Pierce also placed 15th in the 100-meter dash.

There were 14 scoring teams at the meet. Adair-Casey/Guthrie Center won the meet with a team score of 161, almost 40 points ahead of runner-up Earlham with 121.5 points. Panorama was third with 68 points.Other Bluegrass Conference schools at the meet were Ankeny Christian, Twin Cedars, and Melcher-Dallas.