Knights earn score of personal bests in opening meets

Senior Austin Bowe, Cornell-Lake Holcombe, came in second at Ladysmith in the triple jump April 29. Bowe leapt his way to more than 37 feet in that competition. Photo by Todd Roehl

The start of the track and field season got off to a good start for the Cornell-Lake Holcombe Knights team, with two meets under their belts in the first week of competition.

April 27 Webster Invitational

It was off to Webster for the season opener, but even with a cold, driving rain, the Knights weren’t slowed down. Several of the athletes came away with personal bests, while the boys’ team placed fourth in the field and the girls came in eighth out of the nine schools competing.

“With the weather and it being our first track meet, I thought the athletes did well,” said coach Laurie Bowe.

Bowe says with only five girls competing, it was a good showing at how they placed and that the boys only saw seven athletes to take their fourth place finish.

“Once we are able to have all of our athletes competing, we will hopefully place higher as teams,” said Bowe.

Setting a personal best in the triple jump, senior Austin Bowe finished second in that event, with a jump of 37 feet. He also came away with sixth place in the 200-meter dash, in 25.84 seconds.

Junior Dylan Bowe also earned a personal best in the pole vault, finishing third, with a height of 9 feet, 6 inches, followed by sophomore Avery Turany, with his personal best of 9 feet, ending in fourth place.

Jack Porter, senior, finished in fifth place in the 200 dash (31-06), with sophomore Blake Anders right behind him in sixth (31-04.5). Freshman Jayden Joas-Shaw came in sixth in the pole vault (6) and freshman Daniel Person ended ninth in the long jump (14-10).

Anders also came in with fifth place in the 400-meter dash (1:01.43), while Porter finished ninth in the 1,600-meter run (6:36.63). Person and Turany were neck-and-neck in the 200 dash, competing for 11th and 12th, respectively, with times of 26.85 and 27.14.

On the girls side, junior Brooke Lechleitner earned second place in the 400-meter dash (1:07.09), sixth in the 200 dash (28.87) and 11th in high jump (4). Fellow junior Carly Vavra placed ninth in the discus throw (58-01) and freshman Brooke Sime ended 12th in the 100-meter dash (14.87).

Sime also placed 13th in the 200 dash (32.44). In the long jump, freshman Marcella Boehm ended 18th (11-02.5) and 16th in the 200 dash (32.94), while freshman Haily Duffy came in 15th in that event (32.77).

Duffy and Boehm also finished 22nd and 23rd, respectively, in the 100 dash, with times of 15.50 and 15.57.

On the relay side of things, for the boys, the 4x200-meter relay of Anders, A. Bowe, D. Bowe and Turany, placed first (1:42.72). The 4x400-meter relay team also took first (4:17.59), consisting of Anders, A. Bowe, D. Bowe and Person.

Finishing up with second place, the 4x100-meter relay of D. Bowe, Shaw, Person and Turany, ended with a time of 54.22.

“We have a few things to work on, but I was very happy with their performance,” said L. Bowe.

April 29 Ladysmith Invitational

The weather was more cooperative for the second meet of the season, with more personal bests achieved by athletes. In team rankings, the boys ended the night in fifth, while the girls moved up to seventh.

“Both of our teams are small, so it may not show in the team scores how well we actually did,” said L. Bowe.

A. Bowe again came away with a second place finish in the triple jump (35-08.5), while Turany notched second in the pole vault (10-00). D. Bowe was right behind him, in third, also with a height of 10 feet. Anders took third in the 400 dash (57.89), and Person earned third in the long jump (147).

A. Bowe finished fifth in the 200 dash (26.19), followed by Person, in 10th (27.36). Porter competed in the 1,600 run, placing 12th (6:37.7) and placed 15th in the 800-meter run (2:52.40). He also ended ninth in the long jump (33-01).

On the girls side of things, Lechleitner brought home the “gold,” with her first place finish in the 400 dash (1:04.03). She also came in second in the 200 dash (28.82) and 12th in the high jump (4-00). Vavra also finished high on the day, with fourth in the discus (67-03).

Sime placed fourth in the 100 dash (14.69), followed by Duffy in eighth (15.25) and Boehm coming in with a ninth place finish (15.48). Sime also finished in eighth in the 200 dash (31.50), with Duffy right behind her in ninth (31.75).

Taking first in the 4x200, D. Bowe, Anders, Turany and A. Bowe finished in 1:42.04, while Turany, Person, Shaw and D. Bowe ended in third for the 4x100 (53.86). The team of Anders, A. Bowe, D. Bowe and Person, also brought home third place, with the 4x400 (4:05.20).

Reeling in the win for the 4x200, Lechleitner, Duffy, Boehm and Sime took first, with a time of 2:02.12.

“Many athletes performed their personal bests last night,” L. Bowe. “I am very proud of them.”