Editor’s Note: Nola Quinn is a Features Editor for 42Fifty and competed in this conference. She was not involved in the writing, reporting, or editing of this article.
On Friday, March 17, and Saturday, March 18, Oswego High School’s girls track team placed fifth place and boys track teams placed ninth at the Southwest Prairie Conference indoor tournament at Lewis University.
“We have a lot of potential with both the boys and the girls programs,” Jeffery Edwards, the head coach of both track teams, said.
Finishing up the indoor track season, many athletes performed to their highest abilities, and it showed through their awards.
For the boys, starting with the 200-meter, junior Owen Fitzgerald finished seventh with a new personal record of 23.84 seconds.
Senior Luke Barry and senior Will Manke both performed in the 400. Barry placed No. 11 with 54.81 seconds, and Manke finished No. 13 with 55.19 seconds, a new personal record for him.
In the 800-meter, senior Jett Breed finished third place with a time of 2:44.00, and senior Stephen Lundy finished No. 14 with 2:08.98.
Senior Matt Padilla and senior Brady Nelson both ran in the 1600-meter. Padilla finished fifth with a 4:34.26, a new personal record for him. Nelson went ahead and finished tenth with a 4:38.22, a personal record for him as well.
In the 3200, senior Brodey Skipworth finished 9th place with a new personal record of 10:01.71.
The boys track team also participated in a few relays. In the 4×200-meters, the boys placed fourth with Fitzgerald, junior Matthew Whitfield, sophomore Jeremiah Cain, and sophomore Michael Kelly running a 1:34.87. In the 4×400-meter relay, Kelly, Lundy, Barry, and Breed finished sixth by running 3:38.91. Finally, in the 4×800-meters, the boys finished out fifth by running 8:48.06. The boys running were junior Mitchell Bucher, freshman Jeremiah Houston, sophomore Max Bonesz, and sophomore Andrew Shroba.
Over on the girls team, senior Chaleica Booker was a highly awarded athlete this week. She finished fifth place in the 55-meter dash with 7.57 seconds. She then went on to finish in second place for the 200-meter dash with a time of 26.30. She also ran the 400-meter, finishing seventh with 1:02.54.
Junior Lauren Broome was also a high scorer at conference. She was the champion, placing first in the 55-meter hurdles with an 8.93, a personal record for her. She also ran the 400, placing sixth place with a 1:02.54.
Senior Audra Soderlind really showed up to this tournament. She was the champion in the 3200-meter with a 11:23.05. She also ran the 1600, placing second with 5:15.68.
Junior Madison Chandler ran an 8.15 in the 55-meter dash. Sophomore Samantha Phillip also participated in the 200, running 28.91, a personal record for her. In the 800, sophomore Addison Richter ran 2:35.58. In the 1600, junior Kelly Wong ran 5:32.75. Finally, in the 3200, sophomore Samantha Ventura ran a 12:46.75.
Girls also performed well in the relays. Within the 4×200-meters, the team placed fourth place by running 1:49.09, a new personal record for the team. The girls who participated were Chandler, Samantha Phillip, senior Kylie Phillip, and senior Grace Beilfuss. In the 4×400-meters, the team finished tenth with 4:50.62. The girls running were freshman Wyn Williams, Richter, sophomore Nola Quinn, and junior Kate Soderlind. Finally, in the 4×800-meters, they placed fifth place by running 10:43.73. The girls who ran were Richter, Wong, senior Ryan Jednachowski, and Kate Soderlind.
Coming up, the track team will be heading into the outdoor season to continue competitions and show OHS pride.
“Obviously when you go from indoor to outdoor, some of the events change a little bit…You add in the 4×100-meter relay and the 300-meter hurdles, and I think we are good in those two events so that helps us,” Edwards said.
OHS is excited to see what it can continue to do as the season progresses.
Hi, I'm Rhiannon Reynolds! This is my first year on staff, and I am a sophomore in highschool. I am involed in many things including bowling, and girl scouts. I really enjoy reading, photography, sports, and spending time with friends and family. I am really excited for this year of journalism!
