Warriors Continue to Break Records

By: Cassidy Warson

Storm Lake, IA – An injured Warriors team fights hard for a seventh place finish and more broken records at the two-day Dennis Young Classic in Storm Lake. 

To start out the day on the men’s team, sophomore Justin Jacobi, finished sixth in the heptathlon.  Jacobi ran the 60-meter-hurdles part of the heptathlon getting a time of 8.95 seconds getting second place. In the 1,000 meter portion, Jacobi also grabbed a second place finish with a time of 2 minutes and 58 seconds. Jacobi also pole-vaulted to a new indoor school record reaching a height of 2.70 meters. Lastly, Jacobi placed seventh in the long-jump in the heptathlon, jumping to a distance of 5.69 meters.

In field events outside the heptathlon, Isaiah Craig triple jumped to a new indoor school record of 13.40 meters, earning himself a second-place finish. Craig also got a fourth-place finish in the high jump, reaching a height of 1.85 meters.

Continuing with field events, Demetrius Baker threw for a distance of 13.46 meters, killing his previous indoor school record by .94 meters and getting a ninth place finish. Baker also threw shot for a distance of 12.50 meters improving his personal record and also finished ninth overall.

Junior warrior, Bryce Elm ran the 3,000-meter run setting a new indoor school-record of 9 minutes and 24.30 seconds.

Elm was also involved in running a new indoor school record in the 4×800 relay along with other teammate’s sophomore Mark Ahlers, junior Chasen Selsor and junior Nic Ganzeveld running a time of 8 minutes and 29 seconds.

When asked about which is his race between running the 3,000 and an 800, Elm said, “3,000. I’m more of a long distance that short distance. More competitive.  I didn’t even know we broke the 4×800 record.  That’s pretty neat.”

“We’re banged up and sick but we’re still fighting hard,” Waldorf coach Nathan Christianson said when asked about the positives that he saw from a banged up Warriors team. “I’m really proud of this group. I was just really impressed with our work ethic and that’s just on race day, that hasn’t been a question for this group.”

On the women’s side, a new Warriors indoor record was set in the 4×200 relay with freshmen Kaila Jackson, Taylor Navratil, sophomore Patricia Molina and junior Charley Buddenhagen coming in fourth place with a time of 1 minute and 58 seconds shedding off half a second.

Warrior’s MacKinze Thill-Urbanek broke her indoor school record in the weight throw by .10 meters with a throw of 10.63 meters. Also in the shot put Thill-Urbanek threw past her personal record by .55 meters for a distance of 10.07 meters.

Navratil grabbed a personal record finishing time of 8.23 seconds and a ninth place finish in the 60-meter dash.

Junior Warrior, Bailey Matthaidess, made her debut in the 3,000-meter run placing eighth with a time of 13 minutes and 19 seconds.

Freshman Jennifer Plancarte had a throw in shot put that had a distance of 8.86 meters surpassing her personal record by .25 meters.  Plancarte also improved her personal record in the weight throw by a distance of .47 meters going the distance of 10.42 meters.

Also in throwing, sophomore Kelli Wallace outdid her personal record in the weight throw by .18 meters, ending with 10 meters.

“Just being able to get past our comfort zone. If we can continue to extend that getting past that 800 and 400 mark,” Christianson said When asked about any negatives he could recall from the meet, “and just being able to extend that. And that comes with more races.” 

More races is what this team will get as the Warriors will travel up to Mankato, Minnesota to participate in the Ted Nelson Classic on Saturday, starting at 11 a.m.