Jenkins, Coen claim LHC indoor titles

GRINNELL — Sydney Jenkins and Grace Coen ran comfortably to the front of the field in their races at Thursday’s 2015 Little Hawkeye Conference Indoor Track Meet. The two Newton High juniors defended their indoor championships in the 400 meters and 800 meters.

On the 200-meter indoor track at Grinnell College’s Bear Athletic Center, Jenkins and Coen dominated their races.

Newton senior Sarah Kalkhoff was the runner-up for the second year in a row in the shot put event with a throw of 36 feet, 1 inch. But she was not defeated by any Little Hawkeye Conference competitor Thursday. Anna Hoyman of Indianola won the shot put with a toss of 38-8.

Indianola announced in January it will leave the Central Iowa Metropolitan League (CIML) Metro Division for the Little Hawkeye Conference beginning the 2016-17 school year. It was invited to compete in this year’s indoor track meet.

Jenkins won the 400 in 1 minute, 2.53 seconds. Shannah Ergenbright placed ninth in the race in 1:29.73.

Coen posted a winning time of 2:17.21 in the 800. Sarah Prendergast was 11th in 3:00.72. Megan Van Dalen took 13th in 3:02.19 and Kayla Botterbrodt was 17th in 3:17.79.

“I was very pleased with how the girls performed tonight,” said Rachel Tomas, Newton head coach.

“We are a young team, but the girls stepped up to compete. It was great to see some performances improve from last year at this time and from Monday’s meet at UNI. We have set our sights high this year so our work continues.”

Newton’s 4x400-meter relay team of Jenkins, Alexis Stout, Hailey Coy and Coen turned in a second-place finish in 4:20.76. Pella won the race in 4:19.66. The Cardinal 4x60-meter shuttle hurdle relay foursome of Anna Barr, Morgann Eide, Stout and Fran Lucas was fourth in 41.89 seconds.

Combining for fifth place in 4:48.74 in the 1,600-meter distance medley relay were Leela Spencer, Alex Hutchinson, Tessa Keeton and Coy. Kaelee Knoll, Michaella Cope, Annie Hurt and Madison Bleeker finished seventh in 12:01.45.

Newton’s 4x200 relay team of Spencer, McKenna Winther, Jordan Banfield and Lucas placed sixth in 2:01.39. Another 4x200 relay team of Audrey Lucas, Taylor Shipley, Serenity Stier and Sydney Hook was 12th in 2:10.15.

In the 60-meter dash, Banfield was 11th in 9.09 seconds, Eide was 13th in 9:18 and Bethany Risius was 21st in 10.49 seconds. Liz McVey placed ninth in the 200 dash in 30.35 seconds and Barr was 11th in 31.15 seconds.

McVey ran 11th in the 60-meter hurdles in 10.79 seconds. Audrey Lucas was 14th in 10.94 and Shipley placed 15th in 10.95. Keeton took 10th in the 1,500 meters in 6:03.04 while Cope was 16th in 6:38.55 and Hurt was 17th in 6:40.64.

Newton’s Hannah Boecker tied for fifth in the high jump, clearing the bar at 4-4. Prendergast was 10th in the long jump with a leap of 12 feet.

In the shot put, Haley Revell placed seventh with a toss of 30-2 while Ali Bestell was 10th at 28-1 and Miranda Ervin was 12th at 26-10.5.

The Cardinal girls conclude their indoor track season Monday at a high school indoor meet hosted by Iowa State University in Ames.

Contact Jocelyn Sheets at
641-792-3121 ext. 6535 or jsheets@newtondailynews.com