EARLHAM — The Panorama girls tracksters are not used to taking a back seat to anyone, but such was the situation forced upon them Tuesday, as Class 3A Harlan topped the 2A Panthers, 169.33-156, for the top team spot in Earlham.
AC/GC was third at 84, Earlham fourth at 75 and Nodaway Valley fifth at 70, with Van Meter (42), South Hamilton (41.67), Ogden (37), Interstate-35 (20), West Central Valley (14), Des Moines Christian (14), Southeast Warren (11) and Exira/Elk Horn-Kimballton (5) completing the 13-team girls field.
“We had a disqualification and a poor baton exchange that had an impact on the team standings,” Panorama head coach Greg Thompson explained. “We need to used those experiences as a learning tool to improve for the next meet.”
He encouraged the team to remain positive, noting his squad had “competed hard and didn’t let the declining weather hinder their efforts.”
“We just need to keep working hard and making sacrifices,” Thompson said. “This team can accomplish great things as we move forward.”
The Iowa Association of Track Coaches assigns values to each event at the same meet to award team ranking points. Panorama amassed 1152 points at their April 2 meet and is currently ranked first in the 2A team ratings, with Williamsburg (1040 points) ranked second. No other 2A team has more than 1,000 points.
Seven Panthers set a total of 10 personal bests Tuesday, with three new season best performances recorded. Thompson lauded the efforts of Payton Beckman for her three new PB’s and Gwen Steffen, who had what the coach called “her best meet of the year.”
Kassidy Bremer and Bailey Beckman were 1-3 in the 200 in 28.04 and 28.19 seconds, respectively, with Olivia Steffen and Lydia Lindstrom 4-7 in the 400 in 1 minute, 6.29 seconds and 1:07.71, with Gwen Steffen second in the 800 in 2:29.98.
Ella Waddle was second in the 1500 (5:17.95), Leah Fett seventh in the 3000 (13:22.38), Morgan Johnk and Shey Storesund 1-4 in the 100 hurdles in 16.48 and 18.04, with Storesund third in the 400 hurdles at 1:14.04 while Jordan Brown ran the 100 in 16.95.
The shuttle hurdle unit of Storesund, Johnk, Abbi Brown and Payton Douglass was first in 1:11.19, with Bailey and Payton Beckman and Gwen and Olivia Steffen combining to win the 4×400 in 4:21.76 while Waddle, Lindstrom and the Steffen twins first in the 4×800 in 10:24.48.
The 4×100 (53.24) and 4×200 (1:52.5) were both second, with Johnk, Bremer, Bailey Beckman and Hope Arganbright running the former and Arganbright, Bremer, Abbi Brown and Lydia Knapp the latter.
Arganbright, Waddle, Payton Beckman and Gwen Steffen finished second in the distance medley in 4:36.57, with Douglass, Abbi Brown, Payton Beckman and Angel Poldberg finishing the sprint medley fourth in 2:05.15.
Johnk won the high jump with a clearance of five feet, with Bailey Beckman flying 15 feet, 9 inches to land second in the long jump.
Knapp and Claire Woodworth placed 1-4 in the discus with spins of 131’9 and 98’5 with Knapp seventh in the shot put at 30’8.
Panorama’s next three meets are all coed. They will visit Van Meter Monday, travel to Audubon April 23 and then make the short trip to AC/GC April 25.
