Track to MIAA Championships

Kellen Jenkins / The Bulletin

Junior Jaclyn Sill receives the baton from a teammate during a relay this season. The Hornets will travel to Maryville, Missouri to take part in the MIAA Championships this weekend.

Sophomore Brooke Kent finished second place in the heptathlon at the MIAA Multi-Events at Fort Hays on Sunday and Monday.

Kent finished with a time of 15.45 on the 100m hurdles, a distance of 1.58m for the high jump, 9.06m for the shot put, a time of 25.54 for the 200m, a distance of 5.54m for the long jump, 31.35 for the javelin throw, and a time of 2:40.16 on the 800m. Kent had a total of 4,586 points. Senior Ryan Green scored in eighth place with a time of 16.40 in the 100m hurdles, a distance of 1.34m in the high jump, 9.12m in the shot put, a time of 26.68 in the 200m, 5.18m in the long jump, 28.61m in the javelin throw, and a time of 2:38.00 in the 800m. This left Green with a total of 3,981 points.

On the men’s side, junior Craig Saafeld placed sixth in the multi’s. Saafeld had a time of 11.23 in the 100m, 6.61m in the long jump, 10.95m in the shot put, 1.99m in the high jump, 50.37 in the 400m, 15.77 in the 110m hurdles, 29.16m in the discus throw, 3.35m in pull vault, 36.41m in the javelin throw, and 4:38.49 in the 1500m run.

“I am very happy with all three athletes, especially Brooke Kent. This was Brooke’s first multi ever. I think its a very good event for her. Ryan Green reached one of there goals by scoring in the MIAA for the first time ever. Craig Saafeld also placed in MIAA and has a really good future in this event,” said head coach David Harris.

Coach Harris and the entire team have been working to prepare for the next three weekends. This upcoming weekend is the MIAA Championships. Following that is the ESU Twilight qualifier here at Emporia, and then to Nationals which are held in Walnut, California.

Harris said the team is planning on using the next few practices as preparation for the upcoming events.

“We are doing a lot of special work. We are using a lot of intensity lower volume,” said Harris.

The team has high hopes and expectations for the up-coming meet.

“I really do think my teammates are prepared. We all have improved

throughout this year and Conference is the best time to put out some more personal bests. We've worked so hard, knowing that we want this work to pay off when it counts. We’ve done the best work we possibly can. Everything we do this week is just too fine tune everything and to have us rested. I think we're ready to go,” said senior Jonel Rossbach.

Harris also agrees with this fact.

“I think we are ready. As a coach you always wish that everyone was a hundred percent. I don’t think we are but I feel we are ready to go fight for a championship, and will be well represented at nationals,” said Harris.

The team is expecting tough competition at the MIAA this weekend, as well as the other up-coming events.

“Conference is challenging because we will all be doing multiple events, as well as preliminaries and finals. It can be very draining but we are all capable of pushing through that. Having the whole team's support makes this easier to handle,” said senior Jaclyn Sill.

Rossbach thinks that everyone has their own personal goals, but ultimately the team has one goal in mind.

“Everybody wants to win a conference title, and it's never that easy when you have everyone thinking the same thing. The competition is always tough at this meet. Everyone is doing the best they can so they can help their team be one step closer to winning,” said Rossbach.