By Fred Kroner
St. Joseph-Ogden won seven events and ran away with team honors on Friday (April 22) in the Gibson City Lady Falcon Classic track and field meet.
Hope Rajlich took top honors in the 200 meters (26.72 seconds). She ran second in the 400 meters (1:02.12) and third in the 100 meters (13.10).
Ava Knap was victorious in the 800 meters (2:38.91) and teammate Savanna Franzen won the 1,600 meters (5:31.46). Kaytlyn Baker was triumphant in the 300-meter hurdles (52.03 seconds). Payton Carter led a 1-2 Spartan finish in the pole vault.
Carter cleared 10 feet, 9 inches. Teammate Grace Schmitz was second at 10 feet, 4 inches.
Two Spartan relays ran to victory.
The 1,600-meter unit consisted of Helene Jones, Knap, Kailyn Ingram and Ashlyn Lannert. Their cumulative time was 4:3.31.
Also winning was the SJ-O 3,200-meter relay of Jones, Ingram, Addie Allen and Malorie Sarnecki. They teamed up for a time of 11:06.22.
Three other SJ-O relays wound up in the runner-up position.
The 400-meter grouping of Carter, Emily Elsbernd, Lannert and Rajlich stopped the clock in 52.57 seconds.
The 800-meter foursome of Carter, Elsbernd, Schmitz and Lannert were timed in 1:56.40.
Also capturing second was the 1,600-meter medley pairing of Abby Behrens, Lauren Lannert, Sarnecki and Madison Clampitt. Their time was 5:09.29.
Other runners who fared well included Alexis Wirth (fifth in the 200 meters in 29.58 seconds and eighth in the 100 meters in 13.80 seconds), Chloe Burkhalter (second in the 800 meters in 2:39.81), Baker (second in the 100 hurdles in 18.18 seconds) and Lauren Lannert (sixth in the 100hurdesin 20.47 seconds).
Taryn Sexton placed fourth in the 3,200 meters (13:59.87), Lyla Frerichs was fifth in the 300 hurdles (59.69 seconds) and Allen took seventh in the 1,600 (6:22.99).
SJ-O had double placers in all of the field events.
Ashley Eldridge was third in the shot put (31 feet, 3 inches) and fourth in the discus (95 feet, 5 inches). Alyssa Hamilton added a sixth in the discus (84 feet, 6 inches) and Mackenzie Trame was eighth in the shot put (28 feet).
Behrens placed third in the high jump (4 feet, 9 inches). Macy Reed-Thompson tied for seventh (4 feet, 4 inches).
Elsbernd ended third in the triple jump (30 feet, 8 inches) and sixth in the long jump (14 feet, 7 inches). Joselyn Frerichs was fifth in the triple jump (29 feet, 3 inches) and Yamilka Casanova was seventh in the long jump (14 feet, 6 inches).
SJ-O amassed 167 points to win the 15-school event.
The Spartans return to action on Friday (April 29) in the Monticello Invitational.
