PICKERINGTON — The Miami Trace Panthers track and field team sent a large contingent of its members to the Division I Regional track meet at Pickerington North High School Wednesday, May 25.
Miami Trace had 13 team members competing in 11 events.
Libby Aleshire competed in the shot put, placing 12th with a best throw of 32’ 10 3/4”.
Jenna Lucas of Watkins Memorial won with a throw of 41’ 1/2”.
Miami Trace’s Jaden Rowe ran in the 100-meter dash prelims, clocking 11.58, which was 13th overall.
Kaelin Pfeifer ran in the 100-meter dash, placing 11th out of 13 total runners in 13.65.
Later in the evening, Pfeifer ran in the 200-meters, placing 13th out of 16 runners in 27.48.
Jana Griffith, Kaelin Pfeifer, Mary Pfeifer and Alyssa Butler ran in the 4 x 100-meter relay, placing 13th out of 16 teams in 52.59.
Landen Cope, Taevin Brown, Jake Manbevers and Rowe competed in the 4 x 100-meter relay, placing 13th out of 15 teams in 44.87.
Weston Melvin placed 14th in the 400-meter run in 52.42.
Griffith placed 12th in the 300-meter hurdles in 47.35. Courtney Arnold was 16th in 52.26.
Asher LeBeau competed in the 300-meter hurdles and placed 16th in 44.25.
The Miami Trace 4 x 400-meter relay team, comprised of Sydney Martin, Kaelin Pfeifer, Gracie Shull and Mallory Conklin, placed 16th overall in 4:31.92.
On Friday for Miami Trace, Lilly Workman and Libby Aleshire will compete in the discus throw, Jana Griffith and Alyssa Butler will go in the long jump and Mallory Conklin will run in the 800-meters.
“Our kids went up there and competed,” Miami Trace head coach Brent Noes said. “None of our kids dropped in their seeding. For example, where they came in, from Districts to Regionals, wherever they were seeded, they either stayed the same or they got better; they improved their seeding.
“That’s all you can ask for,” Noes said. “With our teams that came out of our District to Regionals, they were always in the bottom four, whether it was their times or their distances or their heights, whatever the case may be.
“When we go up there (to the Division I Regional), it’s a whole different world,” Noes said. “And a whole different level of competition with the Central District and Columbus-area schools. Our seniors who competed and finished up their careers; Jaden Rowe had a great career for us. I’m very happy with the success he had.
“Courtney Arnold was a very pleasant surprise with the success she had this year,” Noes said. “She worked very hard over this past year and made some changes and it really paid off for her. She’s a four-year track athlete.
“Weston Melvin was in his first year on the track team,” Noes said. “He had a phenomenal year. We tried him out in a few different events and he ended up very successful in the 400-meters. That’s what we stuck with. We wish we had him for all four years, but, he made the best out of the situation in just one year.”
