Freshman Audrey Malone Among Foursome of Track and Field Athletes to Enter All-Time Charts
Track and Field coaches will use district meet competition in one of two ways (1) To simply qualify their athletes but not have them go all out in certain events in order to prevent injury or having them peak too early. (20) To get an athlete ready for the state meet by having him or her go for their best times and distances thinking the confidence gained from a recent top performance will carryover into the following week at state.
There is no right or wrong way to approach districts. Whether to instruct the athlete to do just enough or to ask him or her to let it all hang loose is a matter of opinion designed to prepare the athlete to deliver a peak performance at the state meet. Even so, for those coaches and athletes that did decide to go for it this week—four were rewarded with all-time chart performances.
| Newest Track and Field All-Time Chart Members |
Audrey Malone, Fr, Fillmore Central—This freshman leads the foursome of all-time chart performers participating in district meets. She hurdled to the 9th best time (14.50) ever recorded in the girls 100 HH to win the B-5 District Meet held at Lexington High School. Tierra Williams, So, Auburn— Next up is this sophomore who leaped to a 19-2 ½ B-2 District win in the long jump on her home track. William’s jump was the 9th best all-time and the performance makes her as a legitimate challenger to LaQue Moen-Davis at state and—with two more seasons left—to Moen-Davis’ No. 1 mark. Tess Merrill, Jr, Grand Island Northwest—the junior pole valuter finally entered the all-time chart at No. 9 by clearing the height of 11-8 at the Lexington High School B-5 District Meet. Nehemiah Wilkins, Sr, Boys Town—The last member of the all-time chart foursome scooted to a 9th all-time best 37.90 300 IM to win the B-1 District at Blair. The Northwest Missouri State football recruit also matched his season’s best time in the 110 HH (14.3) and won the boys 100 in 10.70. |
Other Outstanding 2011 District Meet Performances
LaQue Moen- Davis, Sr, Omaha North—recorded the 2nd best ever girls long jump with a leap of 19-10 1/2 at the A-3 District in Fremont.
Kristie Mullen, Sr, Omaha Roncalli Catholic/Duchense Academy—posted a girls season’s best 2:16.40 800m at the Blair High B-1 District. She appears to be peaking just at the right time to make a move into the all-time chart at state.
Brady Rutt, Sr, Hastings—improved season’s best discus mark to 187-2 at the Grand Island A-4 District.
Ted Lampkin, Sr, Omaha Central—upped his season’s best triple to 47-3 ¾ at the Burke High A-1 District.
Amber Linnenbrink, JR, Fort Calhoun—at the Blair High School B-1 District she posted a season’s best time of 45.50 in girls 300 low Hurdles.
Sam Foltz, Jr, Grand Island—Folks at the A-4 District at Grand Island saw the fastest boys 400 meter race of the year when Foltz outdueled his teammate Will Bamesberger in a rare non-state meet performance that saw two sprinters finish in under 49 seconds. Foltz posted a season’s best 48.58, just ahead of Bamesberger’s 48.99.
This race was just a taste of what we can expect to see in the hunt for 400m all-class gold at state. There are about 8 boys from classes A and B that are all capable of wearing the mantle—king of the 400m.
Check back Saturday for my breakdown of the top boys 400m sprinters competing at the 2011 state meet.
Note: Due to weather conditions District B-6 that includes Scottsbluff (Aubree Worden) and Cozad (Jake Paulsen) is postponed unitil 11:00 a.m. today.
