James Thomas invite also on tap
Sports editor
Most of the Marion Warriors track and field team will be in Beloit Friday for the annual Beloit Relays.
Others, especially those in field events, will compete in the James Thomas invitational at Hillsboro.
Coming off two strong performances this past week, MHS Head Coach Grant Thierolf looks forward to the competition Beloit brings to the table.
“We like going to this meet because we see some different teams than we normally see,” he said. “The competition is very good and the quality of performance is outstanding.”
Julia Zeiner, Tylor Neil, Nick Klenda, and Elliot Hett continue to lead both Warrior squads with strong performances.
This past week at the Halstead Invitational Zeiner earned gold in the triple jump, long jump, and 200-meter dash.
The 4x100-meter squad that includes Zeiner, Kayley Heerey, Kristen Steinborn, and Danae Edwards, did not run because Steinborn is nursing a strained hamstring.
Hett was first in the 300m hurdles and second in the 110 hurdles.
Neil won the triple jump and Klenda earned silver in the discus.
The Conrad Nightengale Invitational at Halstead continually brings strong athletes to the area, with 14 teams competing on the Dragon’s famous “blue track.”
The Warrior boys took third and the girls fourth.
“We see this as a big week for us because we start to get ready for league, regional, and state during this week,” Thierolf said. “We tweak our training program at this time and our athletes really start focusing on the end of the year.”
Thierolf said he is especially excited to watch his distance runners improve the final weeks of the season.
“They are right about where they should be at this time and they will really improve in the next few weeks,” he said. “Adam Regnier, Camille Christensen, and Amanda Richmond will do a great job leading them and I really look forward to a great deal of improvement.”
Beloit should be a good test for them, Thierolf said, but Hillsboro could be for some of his younger athletes as well.
The Trojans’ biggest meet of the season brings in top talent in the area. It will be held at Bethel College because Hillsboro’s new track is currently under construction.
“We will send a number of athletes, especially in the field events, to the meet at Bethel this week,” Thierolf said. “We are looking for season-best performances out of our athletes and looking for the depth that will help us at the league track meet.”