BELOIT — On April 28, the Bearcat track and field team headed to their biggest meet of the year, an all-day competition that included 1A-4A schools — the annual Beloit Relays.

Overall, conditions were not optimal. Head Coach Nick Rodriguez described the weather as “cold, at times wet, windy, 50s with 20 mile per hour winds and some drizzle early.”

Despite the conditions, three individual sprinters, two relay teams and two throwers were still able to finish in the top six. Freshman Lainey Peschka placed third in the 100-meter dash with a time of 13.57. In the 100-meter hurdles, freshman Elyse Haxton finished in 17.99 and took home sixth.

The key to Peschka’s success was “good weather and what I eat before,” she said. About her Friday performance, she said, “It was all right. I didn’t feel very good.”

Freshman Reagan Hansen also finished fifth in shot put when she threw 33 feet, ¾ inch.

Both 4x100 meter relays saw success with the girls placing sixth with a time of 55.50 and the boys placing fifth at 46.43. The girls’ team consisted of Peschka, junior Danica Hicks, freshman Elyse Haxton and junior MaLaney Brantley. The boys included juniors Loden West and Josh Rodriguez, sophomore Landin Johnson and junior Riley Stone.

Stone said he prepares for meets in two ways: “Staying hydrated and doing as much as I can the day before so that my body feels good by the time the track meet starts.” He also focuses on his mindset by listening to music and talking to his friends.

Junior Kylan Turnipseed, who has placed at every meet, took home gold in the javelin by throwing 115 feet, 7 inches. Last year she took sixth at state. Turnipseed hopes to return this year and place higher, as well as achieve a personal record of 135 feet.

She competes well at meets by “having a good mindset on what I’m about to do. Also having a mindset that I know what I’m doing and that I know I can do it well.”

Despite the first place, Turnipseed didn’t feel great about her performance at Beloit.

“I’m obviously really happy I got first, but I know that I can throw much better than that. I was a little disappointed in my performance,” she said.

Turnipseed still hopes to improve by dedicating time to her practices. She said they usually involve footwork for her steps and hip mobility exercises. Her father and assistant coach Brandon Turnipseed said the throwers’ practice consists of a variety of exercises and stretches to improve their distances.

They begin each practice by running a lap and forming a circle for each athlete to call out an exercise. All of the athletes warm up together then move on to their individual field events. Javelin throwers run up and down the line daily, practicing steps and transitions for the crossovers before they start to throw.

Discus competitors use 4-pound weighted balls to stretch and loosen up along with pieces of PVC pipe, practicing footwork and angles. Shot put throwers also work on footwork, staying low and pushing through their throw.

Brandon Turnipseed said Kylan Turnipseed performed “fairly well” under the weather circumstances and with a muddy rubberized runway.

“On her first warm-up I felt like she had slipped before her throw,” he said. “I think that held her back some; I think she was wanting a better throw, but she did good.”

“Some of the throwing areas were a little slick,” Rodriguez said, “so footing was an issue.”

Despite the conditions, the team pushed through for success at their most competitive meet yet. They compete at Ellinwood tomorrow.