Youngsters step up for Austin
Published 8:54 pm Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Austin's Rachel Quandt attempts to clear the bar in the high jump during a triangular with Rochester Century and Mankato East Tuesday afternoon. - Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
The Austin girls track and field team had some solid performances from some of its younger runners as it finished third in a home triangular at Larry Gilbertson track and field Tuesday.
Seventh grader Madison Overby took first in the 800-meter run, eighth grader Carolyn Hackel took second in the 200-meter dash and seventh grader Rachel Quandt took third in the 300-meter hurdles.
Austin Kaelyn Matthews takes the handoff in the 4 x 200 meter relay during a triangular with Rochester Century and Mankato East Tuesday. - Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
After falling behind early in the 200-meter dash, Hackel came on strong in the last 100 meters, but it wasn’t enough to catch Century’s Jennifer Guibert, who beat her by .12 seconds.
“It’s hard not to win every time, but when girls do beat me, I have a lot of respect for them,” said Hackel, who is learning quite a bit in her second year as a varsity sprinter. “Last year was about getting out there and going fast. This year it’s about watching other girls and seeing what works and what doesn’t, so you can apply it to your race. If it helps good, if it doesn’t, try something else.”
Eighth grader Alex Hanson also had a good day in her first varsity meet. She took third in the 400-meter dash and ran on the second place 4 x 400-meter realy team.
“Alex did a good job in her first meet,” Austin head coach Nancy Jones said. “I told her it was probably different being behind instead of being way ahead like in her middle school races and she said she thinks she can go faster.”
The 4 x 200-meter relay team of Karyn Potach, Quandt, Kaelyn Matthews, and Hackel put up a season’s best time by over two seconds as it won the race by under a second.
Austin's Abby Snater clears the bar during the pole vault in a triangular Tuesday with Rochester Century and Mankato East. - Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
“We’ve kind of gotten second in every four by two (relay) this year,” Hackel said. “Before the event we talked about it and we said ‘we have the potential to win, so why not start today?’ We kind of picked it up a little, everyone did their part and it paid off.”
Austin finished with 39 points, while Mankato East and Century tied for first with 73 points.
AUSTIN RESULTS
4 x 800-meter relay: Haley Splinter, Averi Splinter, McKenzie Besel, Madison Overby (second, 10:31.02)
100-meter hurdles: Abby Snater (fifth, 19.67)
100-meter dash: Alyssa Ofstedahl (seventh, 14.95)
4 x 200-meter relay: Karyn Potach, Rachel Quandt, Kaelyn Matthews, Carolyn Hackel (first, 1:51.29)
1600-meter run: Justice Tabor (third, 5:59.14); Kaitlynn Carroll (fifth, 6:18.03)
4 x 100-meter relay: Ashley Arhart, Alyssa Ofstedahl, Emily Bachmeier, Darrion Hunt (second, 56.09)
400-meter dash: Alex Hanson (third, 1:04.06); Kaelyn Matthews (fifth, 1:06.78)
300-meter hurdles: Rachel Quandt (third, 52.72); Karyn Potach (fourth, 53.05)
800-meter run: Madison Overby (first, 2:31.06); Haley Splinter (second, 2:34.22); Averi Splinter (third, 2:38.65)
200-meter dash: Carolyn Hackel (second, 27.28); Alex Hanson (sixth, 29.17)
4 x 400-meter relay: Kaelyn Matthews, Carolyn Hackel, Alex Hanson, Anissa Zynda (second, 4:41.09)
Long jump: Carolyn Hackel (fourth, 14-11)
Triple jump: Abby Snater (second, 32-7)
High jump: Rachel Quandt (fifth, 4-8)
Pole vault: Abby Snater (fourth, 10-0)
Shot put: Taylor Milland (fifth, 28-11.50)
Discus: Ashley Wilson (seventh, 79-5)
