THS girls fifth, boys sixth at Ottawa Relays

By Staff Report - | Apr 7, 2014

Kourtni Freemyer opened the 2014 track and field season with a pole vault title Friday in Ottawa.

After weeks of preparation, the Tonganoxie High track and field team officially opened its season Friday at the Ottawa Relays. The Chieftain girls finished fifth in the team standings with 51 points, while the boys came in sixth with 30 points.

Junior Kourtni Freemyer won the team’s only individual title, taking home gold in the pole vault with a jump of 8 feet. Fellow junior Tressa Walker accounted for 14 points, taking second in the 400-meter run (1:06.42) and third in the triple jump (33-5.5).

Other top-three finishers on the girls side were senior Haley Griffin (second in high jump, 5 feet) and sophomore Jessica Minear (third in high jump, 4-8). Minear also came in fourth in the triple jump (28-5).

THS didn’t have any individual champs in boys competition, but junior Devan Smith and sophomore Dylan Staatz each earned six points in the high jump, finishing in a three-way tie with Paola’s Luke Wilson. All three jumpers cleared the bar at 5-8 and did so in the same number of tries. Two other jumpers also cleared 5-8, but had more misses.

Senior Cody Snyder had the team’s only other top-three finish, coming in third in the shot put (46-9). He also opened the season with a fourth-place showing in the discus (126-6.75).

A complete list of THS individual placers is available below. The Chieftains will be back in action Tuesday at the Lansing Invitational.

Girls team results

Paola, 188; 2. Mill Valley, 131.5; 3. St. James Academy, 111; 4. Piper, 63; 5. Tonganoxie, 51; 6. Ottawa, 4.5.

THS individual placers

First place: Kourtni Freemyer, pole vault (8-0). Second place: Haley Griffin, high jump (5-0); Tressa Walker, 400-meter run (1:06.42). Third place: Tressa Walker, triple jump (33-5.5); Jessica Minear, high jump (4-8). Fourth place: Jessica Minear, triple jump (28-5); Sophia Wetta, 3,200-meter run (13:48.82). Fifth place: Demi Trimble, shot put (34-5). Sixth place: Emily Chambers, 1,600-meter run (5:54.56); Megan Zerrer, pole vault (7-0).

Boys team results

Paola, 146; 2. Mill Valley, 135.5; 3. Piper, 120.5; 4. Ottawa, 74; 5. St. James Academy, 47; 6. Tonganoxie, 30.

THS individual placers

Second place: Devan Smith, pole vault (tie, 5-8); Dylan Staatz, pole vault (tie, 5-8). Third place: Cody Snyder, shot put (46-9). Fourth place: Cody Snyder, discus (126-6.75). Fifth place: Maleak Gibson, 200-meter dash (24.79); Dalton Trimble, 300-meter hurdles (45.66); 4×400-meter relay team (4:02.08); Dylan Staatz, triple jump (39-5.5); Levi Koch, javelin (135-6).

: Kourtni Freemyer opened the 2014 track and field season with a pole vault title Friday in Ottawa.