Nikita Taylor Sprints to Victory in 400m at Oakwood Girls’ Track Season Opener

By Fred Kroner

Nikita Taylor won the 400-meter dash on Thursday (March 28) as the Oakwood girls’ track and field team opened the outdoor season at a five-school meet in Tuscola.

Taylor’s time was 1:05.70. Her margin of victory was 2.84 seconds.

Taylor was one of six Comets who secured top-five finishes in the meet. She was also fourth in the long jump (14 feet, 3 inches).

Aubri Elliott was also a double placer. She ran second in the 300-meter hurdles (57.64 seconds) and placed fourth in the 100-meter dash (13.82 seconds).

Other hurdlers who excelled for Oakwood were Riley Denhalter (third in the 100-meter race in 21.49 seconds) and Laylah Gibbons (fourth in the 100-meter race in 21.63 seconds).

Taylor Smoot placed fifth in the 400-meter sprint (1:13.42) and Quinn Sperry ended fifth in the shot put (27 feet, 8 inches).

Denhalter achieved personal-best times in her hurdles race as well as in the 100 meters (16.37 seconds). Hurdler Gibbons and Elliott (100 meters) also registered PRs.

Leanne Snow had her top times in both the 100 meters (14.87 seconds) and the 200 meters (32.02 seconds) as did Mady Nicoson in the shot put (26 feet, 1 inch).

Oakwood will return to action on Tuesday (April 2) in the Paxton-Buckley-Loda Invitational.