Lady Eagles Track And Field Team Takes Runner-Up Trophy At District Meet

The Holden girls track and field team placed second to earn the district runner-up trophy among 12 teams at the Class 3, District 7 Meet at Odessa High School on Saturday, May 13.

Lady Eagle athletes Kia Harmon, Lilee Keller, and Adalyn Campbell won district titles in individual events as seven total Lady Eagle athletes in individual events, and two Holden girls relay teams finished with top-four placings to qualify to move onto the sectional round of the state championships.

As a team, the Lady Eagles totaled 94 points to finish between Eldon in first place with 110 points, and Summit Christian Academy in third place with 90 points.

“Our girls track team had a great district track meet,” said Holden track and field coach David Diener. “I think many of our athletes stepped up, and competed at a high level in very high-pressure situations. The girls have worked really hard this season, so for them to have the success they did was outstanding.”

Harmon’s district title was earned in the long jump. The sophomore finished the district meet with an additional top-four sectional qualifying finish in the high jump, and top-eight point-scoring finishes in both the 100m dash and the triple jump.
Harmon turned in a long jump mark of 17’-07.5” in her title finish as a height of 5’-1” placed her second in the high jump after competing in both events at the state meet last year. In the 100m dash, Harmon timed out at 13.28 seconds to place fifth, and in the triple jump, she went for 33’-07.25” to place fifth.

“Kia chose a great time to have her best long jumping performance,” said coach Diener. “Long jump is one of those events you can jump good, but then it all comes together and you put some big PRs (personal records) together. She did that on Saturday, and I am very proud of her work and success she was able to put together the entire day. Kia had big days in triple jump getting fifth, high jump qualifying by getting second, and then scoring points in the 100m, as well. We anticipate her to have a great sectional meet in these two jumping events as she hopes to qualify for state in both these events again.”

Keller’s district title was taken in the 100m hurdles after entering the district meet on the top-four bubble in pre-race rankings. The sophomore turned in a preliminary time of 17.83 seconds to enter the finals with the third fastest prelim time.

In the finals race, Keller clocked out at 17.15 seconds.

“Lilee ran outstanding in her finals race on Saturday,” said coach Diener. “She has been working on improving her steps between hurdles this year. She hit that finals race ready, and ran her cleanest and fastest trip at the right time. She had some tough hurdles competitors there, so it was great to see her compete and be successful in the 100m.”

Campbell found her district title in the 400m dash with a PR time of 1:00.69. The freshman also qualified for the sectional meet as a member of two top-four relay teams, and added an individual district points finish in the 200m dash by placing sixth.

“Adalyn has had a great season, and ran her best 400 race of the year on Saturday,” said coach Diener. “She will need to keep putting great races together here these next couple of weeks, and she is only going to keep getting stronger in this race these next few years.”

The Lady Eagles 4x200m relay team of Campbell, junior Clara Hernan, junior Rachel Wamsley, and senior Gracie Carver placed second at the district meet with a time of 1:51.35 to advance to sectionals.

“Our 4×200 has done a great job all year, and they had one of their better runs this year,” said coach Diener. “I was very proud of their success on Saturday. That group has shuffled around all year, but is consistent with great times. To be able to have more than four fast girls that can run that race is a huge advantage that we have been able to use for our girls team success all year.”

Carver and Campbell joined freshman K’Lea Westover, and senior Marah Klover on Holden’s 4x400m relay in a fourth-place finish to qualify for the sectional meet. That squad of two freshmen and two seniors timed out at 4:19.38 in the relay on Saturday.

“These girls have been running well all year,” said coach Diener. “It was great to see them get through this first round, and qualify for sectionals. I know that they will be strong competitors moving forward.”

In addition to the 4x400m relay, Klover will also compete in the high jump at the sectional meet after placing third in the event with a height of 5’-01” after a tie breaker with Harmon.

For Klover this will be her third sectional meet appearance. She qualified for the state meet while hampered with an injury her sophomore season, and just missed a second return trip to the state meet with a fifth-place sectional finish in her junior season.

“Marah had a great day in her high jump,” said coach Diener. “She has put so much time into this event. I was very proud to see her go, and get a qualifying mark to push her to sectionals. Both her and Kia have a great chance to place top four again to qualify for state.”

Freshman Jazzy Brown will make her first sectional meet appearance after turning in a third-place district finish in the 200m dash. Brown timed out at 26.72 seconds in the prelims to enter the finals with the third fastest time, and held her spot by placing third in the finals with a second sub-27 second time of 26.94 seconds.

“Jazzy Brown has really started to show up big for us late in the season,” said coach Diener. “She is an athlete that will keep running faster in the warmer temperatures, and she is setting herself up for a qualifying run here at sectionals. Both of her times broke 27 seconds which are her best two times of the year.”

A pole vault duo will represent the girls team at the sectional meet.

after freshman Addilyn Wooster placed third at the district meet, and sophomore Izzy Guinn placed fourth. Both vaulters cleared 9’-07.25” in their all-district finishes with Wooster winning the tie breaker.

“Addy Wooster and Izzy Guinn have competed so well all year,” said coach Diener. “It was great to see them both make it to the sectional meet. Pole vault has so many factors, but they have been consistent all year and are hitting big marks.”

Lady Eagles scoring top-eight finishes in individual events at the district meet on Saturday included Malea Brewington in the 3200m run at eighth place, Clara Ferguson in the discus at seventh place, and Olivia Wooster in the javelin at fifth place. The Lady Eagles 4x800m relay team of Alli Iles, Abby Miller, K’Lea Westover, and Lilly Carver placed sixth.

The Class 3, Sectional 4 Track and Field Meet is scheduled for this Saturday, May 20, at Warrensburg High School. Field events begin at 9:30 a.m. with Wooster and Guinn opening field events for the girls team in the pole vault. Running events begin at 11:00 a.m. The first running event for Holden begins at 12 p.m. with Keller in the girls 100m hurdles.