Big doings for Newton middle school girls' track

Newton’s Berg Middle School 4x100-meter relay team of, left to right, Teddie Brunsmann (alternate), Rachel Rhoads, Abbie Barr, Haley Budak and Lakin Jenkins ran in the special middle school 4x100 relay at the 2015 Drake Relays April 26. The girls placed 16th out of 31 teams in a time of 57.02 seconds. Their time was three seconds faster than their season’s best time.

Newton’s Berg Middle School’s track team poses with Berg assistant prinicpal and athletic director George Panosh, in back, with their first-place plaque from the Saydell Middle School Relays. The girls are coached by Jo Linn, Dave Hook and Eric VanderVelden. The Cardinals scored 151 points to win the track meet, outscoirng the second-place team by 50 points.

Newton’s Maddy Jones broke Berg Middle School’s 20-year-old seventh-grade 200-meter hurdle record. Jones won the race in 31.01 seconds establishing a new McCormick Relays record Tuesday at Oskaloosa. The old Berg record was 31.02 seconds set by Amanda Manatt in 1995.

Newton’s Berg Middle School seventh-grade girls were crowned champions at the McCormick Relays in Oskaloosa on Tuesday. Members of the seventh-grade track team with athletic director George Panosh, third from left on back row. The girls are coached by Eric Vander Velden, Jo Linn and Dave Hook.