Hornettes Win Tri-County Invitational
Back Row: Hannah Meade, Jaylyn Bower, Brittnie Bartling, Jadah Heidel, Kayla Ivey, Josie Middleton, Janie Holle, Carli Hoffman, Kylie Kozuszek and Rachael Kell. Front Row: Grace Maschhoff, Delaney Varel, Destyn Hausner, Taylor Cook, Sabrina Kollbaum, and Avery Meade. Not Pictured: Sydney Schnitker, Raqui Elliott.
By Brent Huelsmann
The Nashville Hornettes girls track team had three meets this week as they competed in the Mascoutah Invitational on April 19, the Greenville Relays on April 21, and the Tri-County Track Meet, hosted by Central on April 24.
The Hornettes got their week started as they faced stiff competition at the Mascoutah Invitational. The Hornettes were one of three Class 1A schools competing at the meet. Overall Nashville took home fourth place with 116 points. The top four teams in the meet were all separated by nine points. Mascoutah took home first, followed by Mt. Vernon in second, and Freeburg in third.
Nashville had just one first place finish in the meet, as Sydney Schnitker finished with a jump of 35’1” to take first place, and to break the NCHS school record. The previous record of 34’10” was set by Haley Fark in 2007.
Nashville had five second place finishes in the meet. Schnitker took home second place finish in the long jump, Janie Holle finished second in the discus, Carli Hoffman was second in shot put, Taylor Cook was second in the 300m hurdles, and Grace Maschhoff was second in the 1600m run.
The Hornettes were back in action on Friday April 21, as they traveled to Greenville for the Greenville Relays. The Hornettes finished in first place with 118 points, ahead of Pana, Greenville, Hillsboro, Vandalia, Staunton, and Mater Dei. Throwers and runners are combined.
Jadah Heidel and Sydney Schnitker finished first in the long jump. Hoffman and Holle finished first in the shot put. Holle and Josie Middleton took home first in the discus. Destyn Hausner, and Rachael Kell finished first in the high jump to round out the first place finishes in the field events. In the running events, Cook, Sabrina Kollbaum Kylie Kozuszek and Maschhoff were first in the 4X800m relay. In the distance medley, Delaney Varel, Kell, Jaylyn Bower and Maschhoff crossed the line first. Kourtney Stroud and Middleton teamed with Arturo Garcia and Caleb Zgonina from the boys team in the throwers 4X100m relay to take first place, and the 4X400m relay team of Cook, Kozuszek, Maschhoff, and Heidel also took home first place.
Nashville’s last meet of the week was the Tri-County Invitational, held at Central on April 24. The Hornettes took home first place in the meet, with 131.5 points. Nashville held off Central, Okawville, Wesclin, Greenville, Mater Dei, and Christ Our Rock Lutheran.
For the second time in less than a week, a NCHS school record fell. This time it was senior Taylor Cook. Cook finished the 300m hurdles in 47.25 seconds, which broke the record of 47.6 seconds set by Kayla Markham in 2002. The time would be fast enough to break the Tri-County Invitational meet record as well.
The 300 hurdles would not be the only meet record to fall on Monday. The team of Cook, Kollbaum, Kozuszek, and Maschhoff set the meet record in the 4X800m relay.
Cook got two other first place finishes in the meet. Cook finished first in the 100m hurdles, and as part of the 4X400m relay team. The team of Cook, Kozuszek, Kollbaum, and Heidel crossed the line first to take home victory.
Schnitker continued her great season with a first place finish in the triple jump.
