By Fred Kroner
Madalyn Marx broke a 21-year-old eighth-grade girls’ school record and anchored a Mahomet-Seymour relay to victory on Saturday (May 9) in the Clinton Junior High Track and Field Challenge.
Marx shattered the 400-meter mark held since 2001 by Amanda Warner by covering the one-lap distance in 1 minute, 2.23 seconds. Warner’s previous mark was hand-timed and was converted to 1:02.24. Marx ran under a fully-automated timing system at Clinton.
In the 1,600-meter relay, the M-S foursome of Paislee Welge, Hadley Grotelueschen, Ella Walk and Marx cruised to victory in 4:20.81. They won by 1.92 seconds.
The eighth-graders finished fifth in the 13-school meet with 42 points. Meet champion Normal Chiddix amassed 105 ½ points and runner-up Tri-Valley ended with 46 ½ points.
The Bulldogs positioned two teammates among the top-10 finishes in four of the individual events.
In the 100-meter hurdles, Camryn Nelson (fifth in 18.71 seconds) and Walk (sixth in 18.90) finished in back-to-back positions.
Nelson (fifth at 13 feet, 6 ¾ inches) and Haley Reed (10th at 12 feet) were double placers in the long jump.
In the pole vault, Mollie Schifo was fourth (6 feet) and Lainey Howard was seventh (5 feet, 6 inches).
Walk ranked sixth in the high jump (4 feet, 3 inches) and Lily Markley (4 feet, 1 inch) ended ninth.
Nelson ran fourth in the 200 meters (29.41 seconds) and teammate Kimberly Schoonover took sixth in the 100 meters (14.51 seconds).
Two other M-S relays fared well, including the runner-up 800-meter quartet of Hannah Creel, Welge, Nelson and Marx. Their combined time was 1:54.33.
The 400-meter grouping of Reed, Howard, Brooklyn Tuttle and Schoonover finished sixth in 58.79 seconds.
In the girls’ seventh-grade portion of the Clinton Challenge, the Bulldogs produced a win in the same relay as the eighth-graders. The 1,600-meter unit of Emma Busch, Anniston Huff, Hannah Martin and Ayla Finfrock were dominant, running away from the field by 6.89 seconds.
Their time was 4:29.37.
M-S secured two top-10 placers in four running events.
In the 400 meters, Busch was second (1:08.94) and Cora Ummel was fourth (1:10.07).
In the 1,600 meters, Taylor Mills was the runner-up (5:50.57) and Huff was fifth (5:57.71).
Finfrock placed fifth in the 200 meters (29.31 seconds) and teammate Evelyn Hillard was ninth (29.96 seconds).
Martin ended fifth in the 800 meters (2:42.48) and Jaci Kellenberger ran 10th (2:47.10).
The Bulldogs also wound up with two top-10 performers in two of the field events.
Martin tied for fourth place in the high jump (4 feet, 4 inches) and Cassia Sperry was eighth (4 feet, 2 inches).
In the pole vault, Claire Waggoner captured third (5 feet, 6 inches) and Lily Carlson was fifth (also 5 feet, 6 inches).
The other M-S individual placers were 100-meter hurdler Annaleise Ruzich (third in 19.02 seconds) and discus-thrower Mackenzie Bonham (eighth at 53 feet, 1 inch).
The Bulldogs’ 800-meter relay foursome of Ruzich, Nyla Patterson, Hillard and Finfrock were timed in 1:57.82.
M-S’ other points were secured by the 400-meter relay unit of Olivia Cox, Erika Johnson, Selma Tilton and Jaycee Fancher. Their collective time was 58.59 seconds.
The seventh-grade girls placed third in the team standings with 60 ¾ points. Normal Kingsley took top honors with 71 ¾ points and runner-up Normal Chiddix totaled 63 ½ points.
Both M-S girls’ teams return to action on Saturday (May 14) in the 13-school Mount Zion Class 4A Sectional.
