Track: Warriors do battle at Hesston Invitational
The Marion boys' and girls' track team took sixth and eighth place respectively at the Hesston Invitational track meet Thursday. Eleven teams competed in the event.
The boys' team tallied 48 points in the sixth-place performance. The Hillsboro boys took home the crown with 113 points total.
"It was really the same group of athletes who led the charge for us today," head coach Grant Thierolf said.
Zac Ewert headlined the boys' team finishing second in 3200-meter run and fourth in the 1600-meter run. Ewert finished the 3200-meter run in a time of 10:48.68 and the mile in 4:57.76. James Davis had another strong performance in the pole vault with a vault of 13'0". Gavin Moore finished fourth behind Ewert in the 3200-meter run with a time of 10:48.92 and fifth in the mile run in a time of 4:59.11.
Hurdlelers Joel Versch and Calvin Riggs scored points in the 110-meter hurdles and in the 300-meter hurdles. Versch finished third in the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 14.96 seconds, and fourth in the 300-meter hurdles in 43.46 seconds. Riggs finished fifth in both races in times of 16.33 and 43.76 seconds.
"Joel posted a great time in the 110 hurdles," Thierolf said. "That was the fastest time we have had (in Marion) in the last 15 years."
Steven Boone spearheaded the throwing events finishing sixth in the discus and in the javelin. Boone tossed the discus 145"9 1/2" while throwing the javelin 139'11".
The Marion 4x800-meter relay team added a fourth-place finish with a time of 9:35.16.
Although no points were awarded, Torey Hett lowered his 3200-meter time, shaving nine seconds off his best time and establishing a school best time in the race.
On the girls' side, the Warriors recorded 25 points in an eighth-place finish. Garden Plain won the meet with 176 points.
Megan Moore's throw of 121' in the javelin wasn't quite enough to grab first place in the event. Moore finished second despite being within a foot or two of the Marion school record.
Moore and teammates Leann Thomas and Amber Richmond did double duty on Thursday, getting their three throws in early before heading over the hill at Hesston to do battle against the Hesston softball team.
Shawna Hett recorded a 9'0" vault in the pole vault to claim a third-place finish.
"Shawna vaulted really well," Thierolf said. "She is right back to where she was two years ago."
Sarah Regier and Jessica Deforest nabbed fourth place finishes in the discus and 3200-meter run respectively.
Regier threw the discus 122'11 1/2" in the fourth-place finish and Deforest finished her race in 14:24.96.
Toni Gordon added a sixth-place finish in the girls' triple jump event with a leap of 31'2" to round out the remaining notables.
"We are looking forward to hosting the league track meet next week and the regional track meet on Friday, May 23," Thierolf said.
