The indoor track team went up against 17 schools on Thursday afternoon in the 4A West Region Championships at the PG Sportsplex. The Vikes impressed across the board, with nine athletes qualifying for the state championships next week.

Sophomore Katie Greenwald once again had a field day for the Vikes, qualifying for states in the 800 and 1600 meter races. In the 800 meter, she notched a personal record time of 2:21.94, good enough for fourth place. In the 1600 meter, she captured second place with an incredible time of 5:09.22. The girls also dominated in the 55 meter dash, as seniors Kambi Chukwuma and Nethmini Perera battled through the preliminary races to earn a spot in the finals, where they would both qualify for States. Chukwuma qualified with a time of 7.36, good for fourth place, while Perera logged a time of 7.40 to earn fifth place. In the field competitions, sophomore Ava Wilson emerged victorious in the pole vault with a mark of six feet, six inches, earning herself a spot in the state championship. Joining her was fellow sophomore Ella Werkman, who locked up third place and a states berth in the 3200 meter where she set a personal record time of 11:41.19.

On the boys side, the Vikes tore up the 3200 meter, as both sophomore Mateo Gros-Slovinsky and senior Sean Cunniff qualified for states with top five finishes. Gros-Slovinsky locked up a victory with a personal record mark of 9:49.67, and Cunniff set his own personal record with a time of 9:56.91 on the way to a fourth place finish. In addition, senior Luke Wales took home sixth place and a ticket to states in the 300 meter with a personal best of 36.76. 

The Vikes will look to cap off a great season at the MPSSAA 4A State Indoor Championships on Wednesday, February 22, once again at the PG Sportsplex.

Sean Cunniff is a business manager for The Black and White.