Cardinals setting the track on fire

It was a very busy week for the Garner-Hayfield/Ventura girls track team.  Not only did they have two girls competing at the Drake Relays, but they also managed to squeeze in two meets.

Cardinal Relays

The team competition couldn’t have been closer, with a difference of only four points between first and third place, when the Cardinals hosted a meet on Tuesday, April 22.  Clarion-Goldfield won the nine team competition with a score of 107.  Lake Mills was second, scoring 106 points, and GHV was third with 103 points.

“We were extremely excited about our performances.  Our times and distances are better than last year at this point in the season,” said Coach Dyan Childress.

Dasi Larson got the team off to a great start by breaking her own record in the shot put with a toss of 43’ 4.5”.  The throw also put her at number one in the state.

“We are confident Dasi can do anything she sets her mind to,” said Childress.

The other star of the night was GHV’s Emily Mathews, who picked up three first place finishes.  She won the long jump with a leap of 14’11”, was first in the 100 meter hurdles with a time of 15.41 and anchored the shuttle hurdle relay that took first in 1:09.63.  Other members of the relay were Sola Stephenson, Brooklynn Ossman and Stacy Hackenmiller.

Mathews’ time in the 100 meter hurdles beat her best time (16.08) by .59 seconds.

“Emily has been determined and focused,” said Childress.

Two other relays also captured first place finishes.  The 4x100 team of Stephenson, Mathews, Taylor Vossberg and Maddie Tusha captured the gold with a time of 52.53.  The sprint medley team of Tiara Van Gerpen, Stephenson, Vossberg and Tusha were first in 1:57.24.

Vossberg tied for first in the high jump by clearing 4’10”.

Tusha placed second in the 400 meter dash with a time of 61.13.  The distance medley relay team of Vossberg, Mallory Van Oort, Courtney Prescott and Van Gerpen also placed second with a time of 4:47.97.

Charles City Meet

The GHV track team competed in Charles City on Friday, April 25.  The Cardinals had a successful outing, bringing home three first place finishes.

The Cards had two first place finishes in field events.  Dasi Larson won the shot put with a throw of 40’8.50.”  Taylor Vossberg placed first in the high jump with a jump of 5’1”.

The shuttle hurdle relay team, consisting of Stacy Hackenmiller, Miranda Jackson, Sola Stephenson and Emily Mathews, placed first with a time of 1:09.15.  The team broke their own school record in the event.

Larson and Mathews had just wrapped up Drake Relays competition.  Mathews did not compete in her usual long jump and 100 meter hurdle events.

The sprint medley relay placed second with a time of 2:00.90.  Members of the relay were Mathews, Casie Conley, Vossberg and Stephenson.

Third place finishes went to Hackenmiller in the 100 meter hurdles with a time of 16.74 and to the 4x100 meter relay team of Stephensn, Mathews, Brianna McNeil and Vossberg, with a time of 54.62.

“Stacy and Sola both ran personal best times in the 100 meter hurdles and Brooklyn (Ossman) and Miranda (Jackson) both broke personal records in the 400 meter hurdles,” said Coach Dyan Childress.

The team travels to North Union High School on Thursday, May 1.  The meet begins at 5 p.m.  On Monday, May 5, the Cardinals host a co-ed meet at 4:30 p.m.