SALINA — On May 12, the Bearcat track and field team competed at the league meet. It was originally scheduled for Thursday, May 11, at home, but due to expected bad weather, the location and date changed to Kansas Wesleyan University on Friday.

The junior high league meet was also hosted by Kansas Wesleyan on Friday, and ran alongside the high school meet.

“It was a one-night deal, and for some families, that’s easier than traveling two nights,” Assistant Coach Jayme Sloane said.

For Sloane, the biggest benefit to the meet being moved was that there weren’t as many distractions.

“Our athletes could focus on running rather than being with their friends,” Sloane said.

With junior high added to the mix, the wait times were longer for athletes.

“It gets us ready for regionals and state,” Sloane said.

Of course, there were still drawbacks to having to travel.

“Our practice schedule was a little messed up with pushing it back a day,” she said. “Plus, it was a warm day, and being on the turf field made the meet hotter. That was a hard adjustment for some.”

The Ellsworth throwers still had a lot of success. Senior Rowdy Dunn was a league champion, taking gold in the javelin with his throw of 171 feet, 3 inches.

Junior Jordan Rodriguez also placed in both of his events. He threw 41 feet, 2 inches in shot put to place sixth and 119 feet, 1 inches in discus for fourth.

“The girls’ team saw our throwers have another great day,” Head Coach Nick Rodriguez said. “All year these ladies have been performing well and picking up team points.”

In shot put, freshman Reagan Hansen took third with her throw of 32 feet, 1 ½ inches. Junior Rylan Ohl threw 31 feet, 5 ¾ inches for fourth.

Hansen also placed fourth in discus by throwing her personal record of 100 feet, 3 inches. Junior Kylan Turnipseed took sixth in discus with 94 feet, 4 inches, as well as second in javelin with 118 feet, 7 inches.

High jumpers junior Katelyn Soukup and sophomore Madi Newell also picked up points with their finishes. Soukup placed second with 4 feet, 10 inches, and Newell placed fourth with 4 feet, 8 inches.

There were high individual placings for runners as well. Freshman Lainey Peschka took home silver in the 100meter dash with her sprint of 13.23. The Bearcat girls’ 4x100 meter relay also took second place, contributing to an all-league performance. It was run in 56.72 by Peschka, sophomores Danica Hicks and MaLaney Brantley and freshman Elyse Haxton.

Junior Riley Stone also had a successful day. He placed second in the 100meter dash with a time of 11.25, third in the 200-meter dash with a time of 23.50 and contributed to the 4x100 and 4x400 relays. The 4x100 consisted of Stone, juniors Loden West and Josh Rodriguez and sophomore Landin Johnson and placed second with a time of 44.39. The 4x400 was run by Stone and juniors Josh Rodriguez, Wyatt Pelzel, Will Cravens.

Other league placings included Haxton who placed fourth in 100meter hurdles with a time of 18.20 and fourth in the 300-meter hurdles with 53.26.

Sophomore Jessa Schultz took fifth in the 100 hurdles with her time of 19.24 and sixth in the 300 hurdles with 54.54.

Sophomore Madi Newell finished sixth in the 400 dash by running 1:10.32. The 4x400 relay team also placed sixth with a time of 4:36.42, consisting of Haxton, Brantley, Schultz and Newell.

Also finishing sixth was sophomore Cadence Togersen in long jump with a mark of 15 feet, 0 inches.

In the 1600-meter run, senior Byron Johnson placed sixth with a time of 5:07.20. He placed fourth in the 3,200 as well, finishing 11:15.15. Sophomore Trenton Holmes finished 12:08.30 for sixth.

Freshman Cooper McGowan placed high in both long and triple jump. His marks were 18 feet, 7 ½ inches for fifth in long jump and 39 feet, 3 inches for fourth in triple jump.

“We had several students PR (personal record),” Sloane said. “That was great to see on a day that was as hot as it was.”

The Bearcat track and field team will take athletes to the regional meet tomorrow in Garden City.