Triad Track has stellar weekend on the road

By Ray Popkess

 

Triad Track and Field hit the road last week with three separate meets being held at all levels of competition.

First up on Tuesday, April 14 was the Highland Freshman/Sophomore Invitational, where the Knights have 17 individual medalists and three teams medal in relays.

Next up for the varsity squad was the Mascoutah Military Classic on Friday, April 17, where Triad had two top-five medalists and two medaling teams in relays.

Also on April 17, the Lady Knights traveled to O’Fallon for the Lady Panther Invitational where their athletes set five personal bests and two season bests in between their track and field events.

 

Highland Fresh/Soph Invitational

Jayden Rodgers not only set a personal best in the long jump, his attempt of 6.57m (21’ 6.75”) was enough to earn gold at the invite and place him number two all-time on the Triad Fresh/Soph leaderboards and fifth all-time in school history. Rodgers also medaled in the high jump with an attempt of 1.67m (5’ 6”), landing him in seventh at the event and 10th on the all-time Fresh/Soph leaderboard. He also took third at the invite in the 110m high hurdles with a time of 17.41s, another personal best. He rounded out his day in the 200m sprint with an eighth place finish and a time of 23.89s.

Collin Baka took fourth place in the triple jump with an attempt of 11.98m (39’ 3.75’), cracking Triad’s Fresh/Soph all-time leaderboard and landing him in 10th place while also setting a new personal best.

Drayke Williams-Reynolds took silver in shot put with a throw of 14.14m (46’ 4.75”). He also took second in discus with a new personal best-throw of 37.85m (124’ 2”) placing him fourth on the all-time Fresh/Soph leaderboard for Triad. Gabe Nutter finished just behind him with a throw of 37.00m (121’ 4”), landing him in third at the invite and seventh on the Triad Fresh/Soph rankings.

Landyn Todd was the fastest Knight in the 100m, finishing in fifth place with a time of 11.56s. Andrew Myers finished just behind him in seventh with a time of 11.62s, with both sprinters setting personal bests.

Camden Geiler finished in third place in the 300m intermediate hurdles with a time of 42.19s, also placing him third all-time in Triad Fresh/Soph history.

Zakyree Nickerson took fifth in the 400m with a time of 55.23s, setting a new personal best.

Samuel Skirball took home gold in the 800m with a time of 2:05.66s, landing him at eighth all-time among the Triad Fresh/Soph leaderboard.

Grant Jaros and Carter Rich placed eighth and ninth, respectively, in the 1600m distance race. Jaros finished with a time of 4:59.06s and Rich with a time of 4:59.11s, each setting personal bests.

Caden Meier took bronze in the 3200m with a time of 10:11.14s, setting a new personal best and landing him at fifth all-time on the Triad Fresh/Soph leaderboard.

Triad’s 4x100m relay team of Myers, Todd, Ryan Colona and John Holloway took silver in the event with a time of 44.83s, landing their squad in third place among Triad Fresh/Soph rankings.

The 4x200m relay team of Todd, Dawson Crist, Eli Bruns and Holloway finished fourth at the invite with a time of 1:37.72s.

Finally, Triad’s 4x400m relay team of Austin Walden, Skirball, Alex Moore and Colona finished in fourth place with a time of 3:49.57s.

 

Mascoutah Military Classic

Zane Meier took third at the varsity meet in pole vault, clearing a height of 4.40m (14’ 5.25”) and continues to set the bar for the Knights this season. At his pace, he’ll be vaulting at the IHSA State competition later this year.

Henry Parker took seventh place in the pole vault, clearing a height of 3.80m (12’ 5.5”) and placing him eighth in the Triad record books.

Bryce Van Tiegham represented the throwers well in the shot put with a fifth place finish and a throw of 15.18m (49’ 9.75”). His best attempt also would qualify himself for state if he continues to throw at that distance at the Sectional meet.

Gavin Dobbs set a new personal best in the discus with a throw of 42.13m (138’ 2”), finishing ninth in the event.

Brock O’Toole and Brody Mriscin both set state-qualifying times in the 100m. O’Toole finished sixth with a personal best time of 10.84s, tying him for third all-time in Triad record books. Mriscin took home ninth place with a time of 10.91s, placing him fifth all-time in school history.

Cody Bagwell took seventh place in the 400m race with a time of 51.91s, a new personal best.

The varsity 4x100m relay team of Mriscin, O’Toole, Jayden Howell and Silas Thomason took silver with a time of 42.20s, another state-qualifying time that put the group at number four all-time in Triad record books.

The 4x200m team took gold and is now the second fastest relay team in the event in Triad history. The team of Jacob Odle, O’Toole, Howell and Thomason ran a time of 1:28.71s.

Triad’s 4x400m team of Thomason, Bagwell, Skirball and Geiler took 10th place at the invite with a time of 3:32.89s.

Triad’s 4x800m relay team placed 11th. The squad of Skirball, Ben Neuner, Rich and Jaros crossed the finish line with a time of 8;49.61s.

 

Lady Panther Invitational 

Grace Parker took home sixth place in discus with a throw of 32.29m (102’ 7.75”).

Addison Williams captured eighth place in the high jump, clearing 1.42m (4’ 7.75”) and tied for first among freshmen competing at the invite.

Kyla Calvin took home eighth in the pole vault, clearing a height of 2.29m (7’ 6”).

Sophia Schardan got back into form in the 100m sprint, finishing eighth with a time of 12.04s, a new season best. Izzy Stein finished just behind her in 11th place with a time of 12.17s.

Addie Field took sixth in the 200m with a time of 25.47s.

Morgan Mason crossed the finish line in the 3200m with a time of 13:53.18s, placing her eighth at the event.

Triad’s 4x100m team of Ava Gallia, Reyna Rehg, Stein and Field took fourth place as a team with a combined time of 48.77s. The same team of Lady Knights finished even better in the 4x200m relay with a time of 1:42.64s, placing them second.

Lastly, Triad’s 4x800m team of Emmy Goins, Kacey Ruger, Abby James and Brynn Carey took sixth in the event with a time of 10:32.97s.