DARLINGTON - The Darlington girls track team used a combination of veteran and young runners to run to the championship at the Redbird Invitational Monday.
Darlington racked up 127 total points to outpace runner-up Cuba City (95.5) for the team title. Benton-Scales Mound-Shullsburg (92) took third and Monroe was fourth (91) in the 11-team invite. Albany finished fifth (79.75), Black Hawk took ninth (30) and Pecatonica-Argyle was last (20.5).
"Our top performers really did what they are supposed to do," Darlington coach Pat Reichling said. "We have had several personal-best times. It's what you want to see as a coach at this time of year. Everyone is starting to rise to the top."
Monroe junior Faith Koester won the high jump after clearing a lifetime-best 5 feet, which was just ahead of second-place Addisyn Noble, a Pecatonica-Argyle sophomore (4-10).
"It's my PR," Koester said. "Today was just icing on the cake. It's a good time to get my PR with conference coming up. I like how technical it is and how much thought you have to put into it. Sometimes it's not the strongest athletes it's the smartest ones. I feel like for conference 5-2 would be wonderful. I want to keep moving up and growing each year."
Darlington junior Ilse Mendez won the 1,600-meter run with a time of 5 minutes, 38.53 seconds. Albany senior Emma Guenther finished second in the 1,600 (5:57.27). Darlington's 3,200 relay team of freshmen Morgan Black and Brooke Douglas, and seniors Miriam Lindqvist and Erin Wolf won the race with a time of 10:57.54. Albany finished second (11:05.13).
The Redbirds' 400 relay team of sophomores Maddie Crist, Natty Soper, Lizzie Schwartz and junior McKenna Leuchtenmacher won the race with a time of 53.88 seconds, which was 0.4 seconds ahead of second-place Albany.
"We were able to put some of our older runners together with some of our younger runners," Reichling said. "Part of it is to use the weapons you have and bring the younger kids along."
The Redbirds' 400 throwers relay team of sophomore Claire Leahy, sophomore Marissa Gould, junior Hannah McCarthy and senior Kennedy Rankin won the race with a time of 1:00.11, which was about three seconds ahead of runner-up Southwestern.
Darlington senior Hunter Weber won the pole vault (9-0). Monroe senior Payton Sigafus took second (8-0) and sophomore teammate Lily Frehner placed third (8-0).
Monroe sophomore Chloe Bunker won the shot put with a PR throw of 37-5, which was about two-feet further than Potosi senior Grace Morgan, who took second (35-6). Rankin won the discus (120-2) and Albany junior Libby Beck finished second (115-9).
Monroe sophomore Cassi Gersbach took second in the 100 hurdles (16.58), which was 0.22 seconds behind Cassville sophomore Ashley Williams. In the 200, Monroe senior Mya Waterman took second (28.24) and Albany junior Kaitlyn Trow was third (28.43).
Koester and Gersbach teamed with senior Sydney Mathiason and freshman Jaclyn Hayes to take second in the 1,600 relay (4:29.29), which was 0.8 seconds behind champion Potosi.
Black Hawk senior Haley Gertsch finished second in the 400 (1:01.95) and second in the 800 (2:37.19).
Albany sophomore Haley Knauf took second in the 3,200 (14:09.9). Senior teammate Maddie Halverson finished second in the triple jump (30-10) and Darlington senior Meghan Douglas placed third (29-10 ½).
Darlington junior Kathleen Mathias took third in the 100 (13.51).
Darlington racked up 127 total points to outpace runner-up Cuba City (95.5) for the team title. Benton-Scales Mound-Shullsburg (92) took third and Monroe was fourth (91) in the 11-team invite. Albany finished fifth (79.75), Black Hawk took ninth (30) and Pecatonica-Argyle was last (20.5).
"Our top performers really did what they are supposed to do," Darlington coach Pat Reichling said. "We have had several personal-best times. It's what you want to see as a coach at this time of year. Everyone is starting to rise to the top."
Monroe junior Faith Koester won the high jump after clearing a lifetime-best 5 feet, which was just ahead of second-place Addisyn Noble, a Pecatonica-Argyle sophomore (4-10).
"It's my PR," Koester said. "Today was just icing on the cake. It's a good time to get my PR with conference coming up. I like how technical it is and how much thought you have to put into it. Sometimes it's not the strongest athletes it's the smartest ones. I feel like for conference 5-2 would be wonderful. I want to keep moving up and growing each year."
Darlington junior Ilse Mendez won the 1,600-meter run with a time of 5 minutes, 38.53 seconds. Albany senior Emma Guenther finished second in the 1,600 (5:57.27). Darlington's 3,200 relay team of freshmen Morgan Black and Brooke Douglas, and seniors Miriam Lindqvist and Erin Wolf won the race with a time of 10:57.54. Albany finished second (11:05.13).
The Redbirds' 400 relay team of sophomores Maddie Crist, Natty Soper, Lizzie Schwartz and junior McKenna Leuchtenmacher won the race with a time of 53.88 seconds, which was 0.4 seconds ahead of second-place Albany.
"We were able to put some of our older runners together with some of our younger runners," Reichling said. "Part of it is to use the weapons you have and bring the younger kids along."
The Redbirds' 400 throwers relay team of sophomore Claire Leahy, sophomore Marissa Gould, junior Hannah McCarthy and senior Kennedy Rankin won the race with a time of 1:00.11, which was about three seconds ahead of runner-up Southwestern.
Darlington senior Hunter Weber won the pole vault (9-0). Monroe senior Payton Sigafus took second (8-0) and sophomore teammate Lily Frehner placed third (8-0).
Monroe sophomore Chloe Bunker won the shot put with a PR throw of 37-5, which was about two-feet further than Potosi senior Grace Morgan, who took second (35-6). Rankin won the discus (120-2) and Albany junior Libby Beck finished second (115-9).
Monroe sophomore Cassi Gersbach took second in the 100 hurdles (16.58), which was 0.22 seconds behind Cassville sophomore Ashley Williams. In the 200, Monroe senior Mya Waterman took second (28.24) and Albany junior Kaitlyn Trow was third (28.43).
Koester and Gersbach teamed with senior Sydney Mathiason and freshman Jaclyn Hayes to take second in the 1,600 relay (4:29.29), which was 0.8 seconds behind champion Potosi.
Black Hawk senior Haley Gertsch finished second in the 400 (1:01.95) and second in the 800 (2:37.19).
Albany sophomore Haley Knauf took second in the 3,200 (14:09.9). Senior teammate Maddie Halverson finished second in the triple jump (30-10) and Darlington senior Meghan Douglas placed third (29-10 ½).
Darlington junior Kathleen Mathias took third in the 100 (13.51).
