Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
H-M-S girls improve on team finish at qualifying meet
Kynlee Dolphin takes the baton from Madi Lauer to begin a leg of the 4x200 relay.
Hannah Tessum finished ninth in the shot put at the state qualifying meet.
Jessica Diaz clears a hurdle during the 100-meter hurdle race at the state qualifying meet.
Having finished last and scoring just one point at the Class 2A state qualifying meet in 2023, a top priority for the Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn girls' track and field team this spring was to improve on both results.
Competing at the Class 1A state qualifying meet at Armstrong on May 6, the Hawks did just that. They scored 22 points and finished 10th among the 13 competing teams.
Recording fourth-place finishes were Lexi Croatt in the 3000-meter run (12:46.94), Alexis Grover in the shot put (28'6-3/4") and Eliza Tewes in the discus (93"5"). Croatt also placed sixth in the 1500-meter run (5:56.10), Jocelyn Abonce came in sixth in the 400 meter dash (1:12.78) and Payton Diehm finished eighth in the long jump (11'9-3/4").
Other individuals who competed were: 100 – Pamela Mutombo, 10th, :14.51; Evelyn Steffen, 15th, :14.96. 200 – Mutombo, ninth, :29.96; Kynlee Dolphin, 25th, :33.85. 400 – Steffen, 10th, 1:16.73. 800 – Abonce, 12th, 3:06.44. 100 meter hurdles – Jessica Diaz, 14th, :23.45. High jump – Megan Otto, ninth, 4'4". Long jump – Madi Lauer, ninth, 11'6-3/4". Shot put – Hannah Tessum, ninth, 25'1-3/4". Discus – Tessum, 11th, 78'2".
Relay results were: 4x100 – Diehm, Steffen, Otto, Mutombo, ninth, :57.98. 4x200 – Diehm, Otto, Lauer, Dolphin, 13th, 2:14.44. Sprint medley – Diehm, Steffen, Mutombo, Abonce, ninth, 2:13.35.
Team rankings were: West Bend-Mallard 129, Alta-Aurelia 127, Bishop Garrigan 102, North Union 83, Newell-Fonda 67, South O'Brien 56, Harris-Lake Park 36.5, MMCRU 31, George-Little Rock 30, H-M-S 22, Sibley-Ocheyedan 17.5, Storm Lake St. Mary's and GTRA 15.
The improved results at the state qualifying meet mirrored the progress made by the Hawks throughout the season.
"I was happy to see our team contribute more as an entire track and field team. We had field events and track events score points for us at meets," Hawk coach Kirsten Taylor said. "We are taking steps in the right direction. I am proud of this group and everything we have accomplished."
Ending their high school careers are seniors Jocelyn Abonce, Lexi Croatt and Alexis Grover.
