Girls run at the Cardinal Relays at Northeast

Despite a 30-minute lightning delay and a change of scenery, the Cardinals showed up ready to compete at the Cardinal Relays. Although the meet was moved to Northeast due to track conditions at home, the atmosphere remained celebratory as the team honored four seniors: Justice Armbruster, Izzy Hardin, Cora Widel, and Renee Cook.

The Cardinals locked in a strong 3rd place finish out of a nine-team field, with host Northeast taking the top spot.

Hackman Leads the Charge

Natalie Hackman had a standout performance on the track, showcasing both individual speed and relay strength. She claimed 1st place in the 800m run with an impressive time of 2:18.49. Hackman later returned to the track to anchor the winning 4×400 relay team. Joined by Tenley Thole, Isabel Hopson, and Riley Buttz, the group clocked a 4:16.90 to secure the gold.

Silver and Bronze Success

The Cardinals found themselves on the podium frequently throughout the night: The Sprint Medley team (Atty Moore, Mack McLaughlin, Millie Wing, and Tenley Thole) earned 2nd place with a time of 2:00.74. The 4×800 relay (Riley Buttz, Charlotte Ihns, Emrie Petersen, and Ella Gibson) also took 2nd in 11:28.97. The 4×100 team (Millie Wing, Mack McLaughlin, Ava Ferguson, and Atty Moore) crossed the line in 3rd at 55.00.

In the high jump, Isabel Hopson cleared 5-2 to finish 2nd. Cora Widel grabbed 2nd in the 400m open (1:00.25), while Millie Wing medaled in the 100m dash with a 3rd place time of 13.90.

Points were bolstered by several other strong performances across the board:Tenley Thole: 5th in the 400m (1:06.22), Emrie Petersen: 4th in the 400m hurdles (1:20.85) and 6th in the 100m hurdles (20.55), Harper Gjerstad: 5th in Discus (73-8) and 6th in Shot Put (28-05), 4×200 Relay: 6th place (Mack McLaughlin, Atty Moore, Ava Ferguson, and Ella Gibson) in 2:02.23

The girls will look to carry this momentum into the postseason as they travel to West Liberty this Thursday for the River Valley Conference Championships.