Oakwood Athletes Shine at Vermilion County Track Meet: Taylor Leads with Dual Runner-Up Finishes
By Fred Kroner
Four Oakwood athletes garnered top-six finishes on Friday (April 5) in the Vermilion County girls’ track and field meet at Salt Fork.
Nikita Taylor was a double placer, capturing runner-up finishes in both the 400 meters (1:06.15) and the long jump (15 feet, 2 inches).
Other team leaders were Mady Nicoson (fourth in the discus at 77 feet), Aubri Elliott (fifth in the 100 meters in 13.85 seconds) and Quinn Sperry (fifth in the shot put at 26 feet, 5 inches).
Additionally, two Comet relays also fared well.
The 800-meter foursome of Taylor Smoot, Leanne Snow, Riley Denhalter and Laylah Gibbons placed fourth in 2:10.29.
Sharing the baton on the fifth-place 400-meter relay were Smoot, Denhalter, Snow and Elliott. Their combined time was 57.12 seconds.
Salt Fork won team honors in the seven-team event with 160 points. Runner-up Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin ended with 146 points.
Oakwood took sixth with 30 points.
Individuals who established new personal bests were Snow (14.62 in 100 meters), Snow (31.37 in 200 meters), Amber Betzwiser (3:12.85 in 800 meters), Elliott (19.93 in 100 hurdles), Denhalter (1:10.87 in 300 hurdles) and Nicoson (77 feet in discus).
The Comets return to action on Tuesday (April 9) at the Salt Fork Invitational.
