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Elliot Hett edges ahead of Hesston?s Michael Janzen with two strides to go in the 110-meter hurdles at the MCAA track meet. |
The Marion High School boys track and field team won Friday?s MCAA league championship meet going away, totaling 120 points?14 more than Hesston (106), 40 more than third place Hillsboro (80).
?We were obviously very happy for the boys team,? coach Grant Thierolf said. ?Our seniors deserve to go out with a league championship and they really performed like champions.?
The Warriors long jumpers placed 1-2-3: Tylor Neil (20-93⁄4) edged Elliot Hett (20-91⁄2) for first place, and Drew Maddox took third (20-2). Thierolf said all three set new personal records.
?The long jump competition was huge for us as we scored 24 points in that one event,? he said. ?It was a blast to watch.?
Neil also placed second in the triple jump (40-73⁄4), and the 18 point he score boosted Marion?s total to 70 before the Warriors set foot on the track.
Brad Klenda opened the scoring and set a personal record (13-6) with a second place finish in the pole vault Thursday night. Colton Johnson placed fifth in the event.
Friday open with Luke Gordon?s winning high jump (6-4), which matched his personal best.
?He had two really good attempts at 6-7 and hopefully will get it in the next two weeks,? Thierolf said.
Nick Klenda?s wind-cutting discus throw (145-2) took first place. In the javelin, Mitchell Leppke took second with a personal record (170-9).
Led by Hett, who won both the hurdles events, the Warriors runners made sure their lead would not disappear on the track.
Hett edged M. Janzen of Hesston by one-hundredth of a second in the 110 hurdles (15.33) and beat Janzen by more than three-tenths in the 300 hurdles (41.97).
Adam Regnier placed second in the 800 (2:09.19), Leppke placed fourth in the 100 (11.48) and anchored the 4×100 relay to third place (46.25). Ryan Jones placed fourth in the 1,600 (4:55.83).
?It was just a very good day, one in which teammates picked one another up and helped each other get the job done,? Thierolf said. ?I could not be more proud of these seniors.?
The Marion girls (82 points) finished ahead of Collegiate (72) but placed second to Hesston (89),
Julia Zeiner placed first in four individual events: the 300 meter hurdles (48.52), the 200 meter dash (26.29), the long jump (17-8) and the triple jump (39-0).
?Nothing she does surprises us any more,? Thierolf said. ?She has proven she can compete in the big meets and we just look forward to her performing in the next couple of weeks. Her triple jump was huge.?
According to the Wichita Eagle, Zeiner?s triple jump gives her a place in the statewide top three, behind only 6A athletes Jamillah Bonner (39-9) of Wichita Southeast and Courtney Reinke (39-3) of Olathe East.
The Eagle also indicates that the long jump of 18-61⁄4 Zeiner recorded earlier this month is the top 3A distance reported in that event this season.
Marion?s seniors also made strong contributions, Thierolf said.
?Camille Christensen ran very well in the 1,600 and 3,200 and will conclude a stellar career for us in the next couple of weeks.?
Christensen placed fourth in the 1,600 (5:54.51) and second in the 3,200 (12:53.29).
?Amanda Richmond ran a great race in the open 800, doing all she could do to score points,? Thierolf said. ?Roxann Ross ran a solid leg for us in the 4 x 800 relay and fought through some shin splint problems to help us place third in that event. I was really proud of our three senior girls.?
Coming?Marion hosts one of the four 3A regional competitions Friday. The visiting teams are: Northern Heights, Burlington, Council Grove, Southeast of Saline, Halstead, Herington, Hillsboro, Hutchinson-Trinity, Mound City-Jayhawk Linn, Osage City, Pomona-West Franklin, Richmond-Central Heights, Sedgwick, Wellsville and Remington.
?We hope that all come out to see one of the best track meets of the season,? Thierolf said.
