MHS track team soars as records fall
Sports reporter
School records and personal bests were broken this past week as the Marion High School track team competed in Halstead and Lawrence.
Most of the girls' team left for Lawrence Friday to attend the KU Relays, but the ones who stayed behind fared well at the Conrad Nightengale Invitation at Halstead.
Kalaya Jackson set a personal record by jumping 34 feet, 6.25 inches in the triple jump. It was good enough for third place.
"That is a great improvement and one to work to improve as the season winds down," head coach Grant Thierolf said.
Kimber Hardey was the other placer on the girls' team, finishing fifth in the shot put with a throw of 33-0.5.
The boys' team finished tied for seventh in the 13-team field.
Kyle Hett was third in the long jump, and Daniel Goentzel placed the same in the 3200m run.
Sheldon Boone who was fifth in the javelin, and Nick Klenda sixth in the discus, both added nearly 12 feet to their personal records.
"We have a very strong throwing crew that is very young and getting better by the week," Thierolf said.
KU Relays
In front of a crowd in the thousands at the University of Kansas' Memorial Stadium this past weekend, MHS broke four school records.
The 4x100-meter relay team of Kayley Heerey, Kristen Steinborn, Julia Zeiner, and Erin Carr entered the record books with a time of 50.72 seconds.
"They looked really fast," Thierolf said.
The time was good enough for fourth place out of 40 Kansas schools, and 12th overall.
"With sharper handoffs these girls should be able to get that time down even further by the end of the year," Thierolf said.
The same quarter broke the school record in the 4x200m relay as well, with a time of one minute, 49.7 seconds.
The third and final relay team broke another school record. The distance medley team of Camille Christensen, Zeiner, Amanda Richmond, and Danielle Cope turned heads with a time of 13:43.70.
Zeiner had the fourth school record by finishing third in the long jump at 17-6.25.
"She has a tremendous future ahead of her in track and field," Thierolf said. "To place third in this field as a freshman is a testament to her athletic and coaching ability."
