Newton girls finish fifth at tough B-F field

BONDURANT — The Newton girls track and field team started what was supposed to be a busy week with a bang.

The Cardinals did not win a single event at the Bondurant-Farrar Girls Invitational on Monday, but they moved above the line of Drake Relays qualifying in two events and finished second five times.

Newton placed fifth in the 13-team field with 69 points. ADM, one of the top teams in Class 3A, won the meet title with 168 points.

“There was some great competition at this meet, and the team took advantage,” Newton head girls track and field coach Rachelle Tipton said. “With back-to-back meets and our home meet Thursday, we were trying out some new things and trying to conserve legs but also still looking to drop times.”

Pella (98), North Polk (83) and host Bondurant-Farrar (74) completed the top five. Oskaloosa (53) also competed and finished seventh.

Newton was scheduled to compete in Ottumwa on Tuesday, but that meet got cancelled due to inclement weather.

Three individuals took home silver medals and the Cardinals also were second in a pair of relays and third in two events.

The shuttle hurdle relay team grabbed one of the runner-up finishes. The foursome of Tori White, Mack Sims, Macy Lampe and Chloe Rorabaugh posted a season-best time of 1 minute, 7.53 seconds.

That time ranks fourth in 3A and 13th overall. The top 16 teams at the end of the week clinch a spot in the Drake Relays.

The 4x100 relay team of Gracie Clayton, Lauren Clarke, Abby Bruce and Lola Rivera also were second in a season-best 51.88 seconds.

The top 96 teams qualify for the Drake Relays and the Cardinals are currently ranked 70th.

“The shuttle and 4x100 relays performed well which was exciting to see but we would also like to see the times come down a bit more to secure spots into Drake,” Tipton said. “In the field events, you want to increase your performance, and Addie did just that, inching ever so close to breaking that 100 foot barrier.”

Newton doubled up in two events. Clarke (13.02) was second in the 100-meter dash and Rivera (career-best 13.46) finished sixth.

White was the runner-up in the 100 hurdles in a career-best time of 16.14. Lampe finished sixth in 16.76.

White grabbed the final silver medal as she was second in the high jump with a leap of 5 feet, 2 inches.

Addie Hammerly finished third in the discus with a career-best toss of 99-3.

The sprint medley relay team also was third. That group featured Rorabaugh, Bruce, Rivera and Clarke and they finished in 1:54.59.

Bella Winther (1:05.43) took fifth in the 400 and Bruce (15-4) grabbed a sixth-place finish in the long jump.