Warriors leave opening track meet with plenty of hardware
Sports reporter
If the first track meet of the year April 3 is any indication of rest of the season, Marion High School has a lot to look forward to.
The boys' team with 133 points and girls' team with 131, both took first place at the Herington quint at MHS.
"I think the kids were ready to go and they were excited about competing," head coach Grant Thierolf said.
On a cool and breezy day at the MHS track, senior Erin Carr and freshman Julia Zeiner were as hot as they could be, each earning four gold medals.
"That's pretty impressive no matter what time of year it is," Thierolf said.
Thierolf and his staff use the first couple of meets to feel out the younger athletes, and see where the older ones are as well.
As far as the young Zeiner and veteran Carr go, they seem to be doing just fine.
Carr won the 100-meter dash, triple jump, 200m dash, and was a part of the first-place 4x100m relay team along with Zeiner.
Zeiner took top honors in long jump, 110m hurdles, and high jump.
Although impressive, they weren't the only Warrior girls making headlines — 15 other athletes placed at the meet.
Kimber Hardey (shot put), Amanda Richmond (800m run), Camille Christensen (1600m run), Erin Richmond (javelin), and Danielle Cope (3200m run), all took home individual gold medals.
Kayley Heerey and Kristen Steinborn took first in the 4x100m relay, and Amanda Richmond, Christensen, Cope, and Danae Edwards were first in the 4x800m relay.
The boys' team had plenty to brag about as well, finishing 31 points ahead of second place Peabody.
Twenty-three individuals placed, the 4x400m relay team took first, and the 4x800m relay team finished second.
Five individual gold medals were won on the boys' side. Senior Kyle Hett turned heads with a 200m dash time of 23.56 seconds.
"That was a wow," Thierolf said. "Pretty impressive."
Hett also was second in the long jump.
Ben Leppke was first in the triple jump, Jake Czarnowsky first in the 300m hurdles, Brett Billings won the 400m dash, and Daniel Goentzel was the 3200m run champ.
Jason Hett, Levi Carpenter, and Justin Heidebrecht teamed with Billings for first place in the 4x400m relay.
Thierolf said he hoped all the athletes will get better as the season progresses, and knows when crunch times comes, it will only get harder. Still, it was hard to argue with the outcome.
"The kids went out and did what we asked them to do," Thierolf said. "I was pretty pleased with how well they did."
