Track season ends at states; runners looking to next year

By Jose Wray

The track season finished at the MPSSAA 4A State Championship May 25 and 26. The girls placed 27th, and the boys failed to score any points. The athletes who competed qualified through the regional championships the week before.

The girls 4×800 meter relay failed to crack the top five, placing eighth despite winning counties and regionals. The order of the relay changed from junior Breanna McDonald, junior Shanti Ashley, sophomore Elizabeth Sklaire and freshman Sam Rubin to McDonald, Rubin, Sklaire and Ashley.

“The relay order didn’t really have any effect on how we did,” Sklaire said. “It was more about the heat and that there were so many teams there.”

McDonald placed sixth with a new personal best of 2:18.06 in the girls 800 meter. Sophomore Georgia Headley also set a new personal record in the 100 meter hurdles.

The boys 4×800 was the only boys event that qualified for states. The relay team of senior Josh Engles, juniors Dalton Yu, Ben Rumsfeld and Obi Onwuamaegbu placed 14th.

States marked the end of the season for the Vikes and the team is already looking forward to next year.

“We are excited for next year,” Sklaire said. “But we are going to miss the seniors.”