Marx, Finfrok and Martin win events at Mount Zion

By Fred Kroner

One eighth-grader and two seventh-graders won individual events for the Mahomet-Seymour girls’ track and field team on Saturday (April 30) at Mount Zion.

Madalyn Marx was dominant in the eighth-grade 400 meters, winning by 1.79 seconds. Her time was 1 minute, 3.46 seconds.

Seventh-graders who won events were Ayla Finfrock and Hannah Martin.

Finfrock prevailed in the 200-meter dash with a time of 28.44 seconds. Martin was triumphant in the 800 meters with a time of 2:44.1 seconds.

Martin also anchored the winning 1,600-meter relay. She teamed up with Emma Busch, Cora Ummel and Anniston Huff for a composite time of 4:40.51.

Martin placed fourth in the high jump (4 feet, 4 inches) and Finfrock ended sixth in the long jump (12 feet, 8 inches).

Finfrock also anchored the fifth-place 800-meter relay. Joining her in the two-lap race were Annaleise Ruzich, Abi King and Nyla Patterson. Their time was 2:08.58.

In the team standings in the 11-school meet, the M- seventh-graders finished in second place with 75 points. Team champion Mount Zion had 114 points.

In the eighth-grade division, M-S was third with 65 points, trailing Mount Zion (145 points) and Tolono Unity (112 points).

Eighth-graders Camryn Nelson and Ella Walk each captured top-10 finishes in two individual events.

Nelson was second in the 200 meters (29.00 seconds) and was also the runner-up in the long jump (14 feet, 2 ½ inches). She also took third in the 100-meter hurdles (18.63 seconds).

Walk was third in both the 800 meters (2:43.70) and the high jump (4 feet, 6 inches). She captured a sixth-place finish in the 100 hurdles (19.51 seconds).

Other top-10 individuals for the Bulldogs were: Lainey Howard (fourth in the pole vault at 5 feet, 6 inches), Mollie Schifo (sixth in the pole vault at 5 feet, 6 inches), Hadley Grotelueschen (sixth in the 400 meters in 1:12.22), Kimberly Schoonover (seventh in the 100 meters in 14.22 seconds), Kennedy Ashby (seventh in the 1,600 meters in 6:25.82), Brooklyn Tuttle (seventh in the high jump at 3 feet, 10 inches), Haley Reed (seventh in the long jump at 12 feet, 6 inches) and Grace Bednar (10^th in the 800 meters in 3:00.44).

Two M-S relays achieved success for the eighth-graders, including the third-place 1,600-meter foursome of Paislee Welge, Grotelueschen, Walk and Marx. Their cumulative time was 4:29.79.

The 400-meter grouping of Reed, Howard, Tuttle and Schoonover ended fifth in 59.64 seconds.

Among the seventh-grade competitors, Ruzich and Erika Johnson both secured top-10 placements in two individual events.

Ruzich was the 100-meter hurdles runner-up (18.91 seconds) and took eighth in the 200 meters (30.38 seconds).

Johnson was sixth in the 100 meters (14.84 seconds) and eighth in the long jump (11 feet, 9 inches).

Other top-10 placers for the seventh-grade girls in individual events were: Taylor Mills (second in the 1,600 meters in 5:56.64), Huff (fourth in the 1,600 meters in 5;56.78), Lily Carlson (fourth in the pole vault at 6 feet, 6 inches), Busch (fifth in the 400 meters in 1:11.25), Jaci Kellenberger (sixth in 800 meters in 2:50.04), Penelope Bird (sixth in the shot out at 20 feet, 4 inches), Ummel (seventh in the 400 meters in 1:11.79), Mackenzie Bonham (ninth in the shot put at 18 feet, 9 ½ inches) and Patterson (10^th in the high jump at 3 feet, 6 inches).

The school’s 400-meter relay captured fourth place. Sharing the baton were Olivia Cox, Madi Bain, Caroline Mercer and Johnson. Their combined time was 1:00.85.

On Monday (May 2), the Bulldogs competed in a three-school meet at Tolono Unity.

The seventh-grade girls totaled 40 points and trailed Mount Zion (69), but were ahead of Unity (27).

The eighth-grade girls were third. Mount Zion collected 74 points, Mount Zion had 43 and M-S ended with 28.

Martin, Mills and the 800-meter and 1,600-meter relay units all captured first-place finishes for the seventh-graders.

Martin won the 800 meters (2:45.55) and Mills won the 1,600 meters (5:44.43).

The 800-meter relay featured Ruzich, King, Patterson and Finfrock. They completed the race in 2:00.87.

The 1,600-meter relay included Finfrock, Kellenberger, Johnson and Mills. Their time was 4:40.90.

Second-place finishers for M-S were: Ruzich (100-meter hurdles in 18.21), Busch (400 meters in 1:04.72), Kellenberger (800 meters in 2:48.15) and Martin (high jump at 4 feet, 4 inches).

The 400-meter relay foursome of Cox, Johnson, Mercer and Jaycee Fancher finished as the runner-up in 58.96 seconds.

Capturing third-place for the Bulldogs were Huff (1,600 meters in 5:59.14) and Patterson (high jump at 4 feet, 2 inches).

Placing fourth were Claire Waggoner (100-meter hurdles in 20.20), Cassia Sperry (400 meters in 1:11.96 and high jump at 4 feet, 2 inches), Carlson (200 meters in 30.02), Schifo (pole vault at 5 feet, 6 inches), Finfrock (long jump at 3 feet, 5 inches) and Bonham (discus at 56 feet, 3 inches).

Bird was fifth in the shot put (8 feet, 4 inches) and Fancher took fifth in the 800 meters (2:58.40).

Taking home sixth-place finishes were King (100-meter hurdles in 20.54 seconds), Norah Allen (800 meters in 3:00.14) and Waggoner (pole vault at 5 feet, 6 inches).

The eighth-grade leaders for the M-S girls were Marx and Walk.

Marx took top honors in the 200 meters (27.34 seconds) in a time that is just shy of the school record (27.18 seconds).

Walk won the 800 meters (2:45.65) as well as the 100-meter hurdles (17.91 seconds).

In the hurdles, Walk outstepped teammate Nelson, who was second in 18.34.

Also taking second was the 1,600-meter relay foursome of Welge, Grotelueschen, Walk and Marx. They teamed up for a time of 4;34.81.

Walk was third in the high jump (4 feet, 4 inches). Other third-place finishers for the Bulldogs were: Bednar (400 meters in 1:13.81) and Nelson (long jump at 13 feet, 3 inches).

Two other relays also came in third.

The 800-meter grouping of Groteueschen, Welge, Nelson and Marx was third in 1:56.02.

The 400-meter unit of Reed, Howard, Tuttle and Schoonover was third in 58.49 seconds.

Grotelueschen added a fourth in the 1,600 meters (6:05.71).

Howard wound up fifth in the pole vault (5 feet), just ahead of teammate Delia Ann Stout (who also cleared 5 feet).

Leah Dillman ran sixth in the 400 meters (1:18.15).

M-S returns to action on Saturday (May 7) in the Clinton Challenge.