Eastern Iowa Track and Field Festival – Maquoketa Girls

Nine Maquoketa Cardinals who qualified, traveled to Iowa City West High School Saturday to compete against the region’s elite in a massive field of 42 girls teams where the Distance Medley Relay team rewrote the record books. Despite a cool, breezy afternoon that dissolved into a steady downpour, the Cardinals walked away with a new school record and a haul of season-best performances.

The highlight of the day came early, before the clouds fully opened up. The Distance Medley team of Millie Wing, Isabel Hopson, Cora Widel, and anchor Natalie Hackman put on a clinic in speed and endurance. The quartet crossed the finish line in 1st place with a time of 4:17.31. The performance shaved more than five seconds off the previous school mark.
As the rain began to fall right after the record-setting medley, senior Justice Armbruster proved that track and field is as much about mental toughness as it is about speed. Armbruster secured a 2nd place finish in the 400m Hurdles, clocking a season-best time of 1:08.69. Justice also showcased her consistency in the 100m Hurdles, placing 9th overall with a time of 16.65, navigating the slick track with veteran composure.

Cora Widel and Natalie Hackman continued their high-usage, high-reward season. Widel turned in a season-best performance in the 200m Dash, flying to a 26.47. Hackman showed her range in the 800m Run, placing 6th in a very competitive field with a time of 2:21.06.

The duo then joined forces with Justice Armbruster and Isabel Hopson for the 4x400m Relay. In the thick of the rain, the team battled to a 4th place finish, stopping the clock at 4:16.77.

The Cardinals saw strong contributions across the board:

Isabel Hopson cleared 4-10 in the High Jump to finish 7th

The Sprint Medley team of Mack McLaughlin, Ryley Galloway, Millie Wing, and Riley Buttz finished 14th with a time of 2:05.54.

Riley Buttz pulled double duty, also competing in the 400m Dash, where she finished 18th with a time of 1:09.38.

No team score was kept

While the rain didn’t let up until the final race in Iowa City, the Cardinals won’t have much time to dry out. The team will be back in action this Tuesday as they travel to the North Cedar Girls Invitational.