The Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn girls track & field team continued its string of early-season meets by competing at the MOC-Floyd Valley Dutch Relays on April 6 and the Cherokee Tomahawk Relays on April 9.
At the Dutch Relays, junior Madison Otto led the squad with a double-win in the 3,000-meter run and the 1,500-meter run.
“This was a great meet for Madison,” Coach Nicole Dorhout said. “It’s fabulous to win one event, much less two. We’re really proud of her. She’s been working really hard.”
Also joining Otto in placing in the 3,000-meter run was sophomore Ashleigh VerMeer, who finished fourth. “This was Ashleigh’s first time competing in a 3,000-meter race, and she did a great job,” Dorhout said.
Also finishing as a runner-up was junior Jasmine Lux in the 400-meter dash. Lux also anchored the sprint medley relay that finished second, the 4×100 relay that finished second, and she finished fifth in the 800-meter run.
Dorhout said Lux is running really well. “Not only is she competing well, but she has been very coachable, she works hard, and she is a team player. We have been very happy with her progress.”
The other members of the sprint-medley team were freshman Emily Mutombo, junior Emily Otto, and freshman Abigail Otto. The other members of the 4×100 team were Abigail Otto, Emily Otto, and junior Lydia Harders.
Dorhout said the sprint-medley relay is showing some promise. “We’ve had different people rotating in and out of that relay, but it’s consistently placed in the top two this year.”
Unexpected points came from junior Anna VanderVeen, who finished third in the 400-meter hurdles. “Anna had never run hurdles before, so that was a great result,” Dorhout said. “We’re looking forward to more good things from her.”
In addition to her relays, Mutombo finished third in the 100-meter dash and 200-meter dash. The 4×200 team of Mutumbo, Emily Otto, VanderVeen, and Harders also finished third.
The 4×800 team of VanderVeen, senior Taya Mason, freshman Lexi Croatt, and Harders finished fourth. In sixth was the 4×400 team of Croatt, freshman Kya Christopherson, junior Juliana Pasillas, and Harders.
At the Tomahawk Relays in Cherokee, Madison Otto and Croatt led things off with second- and fourth-place finishes in the 3,000-meter run. Dorhout said Croatt made tremendous improvement from her previous race. “Lexi took almost a minute off her time, which was fantastic, and she gave us some team points. Madison also ran a season-best time and continues to improve.”
Lux once again was the runner-up in the 400-meter dash, running a season-best time. She also anchored the sprint-medley team to a third-place finish, along with Emily Mutombo, Emily Otto, and Abigail Otto.
VanderVeen placed fifth in the 400-meter hurdles, and Mutombo was sixth in the 100-meter dash. The 4×200 team of Mutombo, Emily Otto, VanderVeen, and Harders was fifth, and the 4×100 team of Mutombo, Abigail Otto, Emily Otto, and Lux was also fifth.
The 4×800 team of Harders, VandeVeen, freshman Jocelyn Abonce, and Mason finished sixth.
Dorhout said the team members are making improvements every meet and that the lineup is slowly coming together. “After two years of no track meets, it’s taking some time to get things clicking again but I see good things happening.