Marion earns 9 medals at state

Kristen Herzet turned in Marion’s highest finish at the state track and field championship last week. Herzet’s throw of 125 feet, 2 inches, earned her the silver medal in the Class 3A discus. She also placed 11th in the shot put (34-7) to cap her senior campaign.Of Marion’s 11 state-qualifying events in Class 3A, nine brought home a medal from the state track and field championship last weekend.

After weather delayed competition Friday, a bulk of the event was completed Saturday.

Kristen Herzet capped her senior campaign by winning the silver medal in the discus with a throw of 125 feet, 2 inches, which she achieved on her last attempt.

“(Kristen) only lost three discus competitions this year, and all three of them were to the eventual state-champion,” coach Grant Thierolf said. “She is not built like a typical discus thrower. She’s short, compact. She doesn’t have the long levers that a girl that’s 6-foot tall does, but she makes up for it in strength and technique and a lot of hard work and repetition.”

Herzet also placed 11th in the shot put (34-7).

Junior Marissa Jacobson earned two individual medals: placing fourth in the long jump (16-13⁄4) and fifth in the triple jump (35-31⁄4).

“Marissa has a wonderful opportunity to get back on top of the medal stand next year with a lot of hard work,” Thierolf said. “She is extremely talented. She’s got all the skills in the world. It’s just a matter of getting stronger and faster.”

Jacobson, and teammates Samantha Richmond, Samantha Kelsey and Marshelle Conley, finished fifth in the 4×400 relay (4:14.24).

“From where the girls were two or three weeks ago, not even knowing how we’re going to run it or if we’re going to run the 4×4, to having them be on the awards stand, was very rewarding for all four of them,” Thierolf said.

Senior McKenzee Remmers placed 14th in the 3200 (13:03.82).

“She’s worked so hard to get (to state), and we just appreciate what a great leader she’s been,” Thierolf said. “She’s been a great example for our younger girls.”

As a team, the girls finished 11th of 40 with 21 points. Beloit won with 711⁄2.

Marion sophomore Tyler Palic shows the form that led to a third-place finish in the discus with a personal-best 148-6.Meanwhile, sophomore Tyler Palic was the boys’ highest finisher. He claimed the third-place medal in the discus on his final attempt of the day. His throw of 148-6—a personal-best—was less than 3 feet from second place and 7 inches ahead of fourth place.

“I think Tyler and Kristen both showed good poise by being able to make the throw that they needed to make on the last attempt,” Thierolf said. “Any time kids do that, then you know that they’ve been well-schooled in the fundamentals and they have something there that they can fall back on.”Marion sophomore Jack Schneider turned in two fourth-place finishes in the Class 3A sprints, recording times of 11.26 seconds in the 100 and 23.03 in the 200.<p>

Sophomore Jack Schneider placed fourth in both the 100 (11.26) and the 200 (23.03).

“It’s been 43 years since we’ve had a sprinter in the finals, I believe,” Thierolf said. “Jack has really progressed. He’s kind of stepped up into the state stage this season, and as he continues to work, continues to get stronger, he will get better and better and better.”

Marion sophomore Colin Williams earned the fifth-place medal in the Class 3A 1600 Saturday with a personal-best time of 4:46.52. He was seeded 15th in the event.Sophomore Colin Williams earned the fifth-place medal in the 1600 with a personal-best performance. Seeded 15th, Williams covered the final 400 meters in 1:07.08, to finish with a time of 4:46.52.

“(Colin) took advantage of what he could do well, which is finish, and he just ran really smart,” Thierolf said. “He kept where he needed to be during the first couple of laps, and then the last 600 meters, he just really poured it on and kept moving up and used the work that he’d done all year long to pay off at the state meet.”

Junior Bryce Shults placed sixth in the pole vault (12-6).

“In the last three weeks, (Bryce has) finally gotten a little healthy,” Thierolf said. “He’s had some leg problems, and he’s gained his strength back from wrestling season and sharpened his technique and just worked hard at it. I think the experience he had in wrestling where he knew he had to perform at a certain time in order to keep going probably payed off for him. He had his best vaults when he needed to make them in a competition.”

As a team, the boys finished 10th of 47 with 23 points.

Norton Community and Scott Community tied for first with 48 each.

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