Seven gold medals led the Marion boys’ track and field team to capture the Heart of America league championship Friday at Sterling for the fourth time in the last five years.
The Warriors tallied 126 points, edging second-place Bennington (77) by 49 points.
Jack Schneider contributed 30 points to the cause by sweeping his individual events. He won the 100 (11.03 seconds), the 200 (22.87) and the 400 (52.53).
Tyler Palic scored 22 points, winning the discus with a meet-record throw of 178 feet, 6 inches, more than 40 feet ahead of second place. Palic finished second in the javelin (149-11) and fourth in the shot put (46-2).
Tyler Arocha also scored 22 points, winning the long jump (19-4), placing second in the 400 (53.14) and finishing fourth in the 100 (11.81).
Completing Marion’s gold medal performances, Colin Williams won the 1,600 (4:50.21), and Bryce Shults won the pole vault (13).
Noah Dalrymple finished third in the high jump (5-8), while Zachary Stuchlik was third in the long jump (19); and fifth in both the triple jump (39) and the high jump (5-6).
Williams, Stuchlik, Shults and Schneider placed fourth in the 4×400 (3:39.52), while Austin Neufeld was fourth in the pole vault (12).
These athletes placed fifth: Cade Harms in the shot put (42-9); and Shults in the 300 hurdles (44.36).
Colton Mercer was sixth in the 1,600 (5:07.12), while Kolton Brewer, Aaron Riggs, Neufeld and Shults were sixth in the 4×100 (47.93).
Meanwhile, the Warrior girls finished sixth of 10 with 491⁄3 points. Berean Academy won with 1111⁄3.
Marissa Jacobson scored 24 points and earned Marion’s only gold medal. She won the long jump (17); was second in the triple jump (35-2); and placed third in the 300 hurdles (47.78).
Emily Hutchinson, Sam Richmond, Maria Stuchlik and Emmy Hess placed second in the 4×100 (53.96), while Richmond was third in the 400 (1:03.92).
Hess finished fourth in the long jump (15-8) and fifth in the triple jump (31-81⁄2).
Michaela Regnier placed fifth in the pole vault (7-6)
These athletes placed sixth: Jazmin Lewis, Emily Hutchinson, Maria Stuchlik and Sam Richmond in the 4×400 (4:48.87); Lewis, with a tie in the high jump (4-4); Drew Helmer in the discus (87-6); and Jessi Lewman in the javelin (88-7).
Coming—Marion will compete in the Class 3A regional meet at Russell Friday. Field events are scheduled to begin at 3 p.m., preliminary races at 4:30 p.m. and finals at 6 p.m. Teams in the field in addition to the Warriors and the host school are Beloit, Ellsworth, Southeast of Saline, Thomas More Prep, Hesston, Hoisington, Hutchinson Trinity, Lyons, Marysville, Minneapolis, Norton Community, Phillipsburg, Riley County and Sterling.
