UD meets attract Panthers

     Monticello High School track and field teams faced several tough opponents while competing in the University of Dubuque High School Indoor Classic.

     The girls competed March 15, and the boys had their meet March 16. While neither Panther team accumulated a lot of points, both had strong performances in their first meets of the season.

     Here’s a look:

Boys

     The Panthers scored 11 points in the varsity boys’ meet, with 10 of those coming from senior Avery Martensen.

     He picked up eight of those points by finishing second in the 55-meter hurdles with a time of 7.99 seconds. Martensen was also seventh in the high jump, at 5-foot-10, for two more points.

     The Panthers also were eighth in the distance medley relay with the team of Colin Jordan, Jon Mootz, Gavin Cooper and David Titman. They were ninth in the 4x800 with Cole Cruise, Gavin Cooper, Martensen and Jasper Nietert. Monticello also was 12^th in the 4x400 with the team of Carter Cruise, Gavin Cooper, Nietert and Will Rieniets.

     Mason Reuter finished 13^th in the shot put. The 4x200 relay was 14^th. Monticello took 16^th place in the 4x400 relay. Carter Cruise ran 17^th in the 1,600.

     In junior varsity events, the 4x800 relay team of Zach Chapman, Gavin Baugh, Owen Ray and Levi Temple finished seventh overall; the distance medley relay of Eian Weber, Alex Monzalvo, Adam Schmitt and Carter Kurt was ninth. Zach Chapman was 13^th in the 1,600, and the Panthers were 14^th in the 4x200 relay with Ty Jesenovec, Monzalvo, Ethan Tallman and Harrison Eastburn.

Girls

     Gabby Guilford led the way for the Panthers, finishing seventh in the 55-meter hurdles with a time of 9.69 seconds.

     “That was a big accomplishment for her,” Monticello coach Vallerie Lynn said. “And Leah Holub did a nice job in the sprints and provided some good leadership for us.”

     Coming in 12^th was the distance medley relay of Reese Cox, Skyleigh Husmann, Kylee Van Dorn and Triniti Etzel. The 4x400 relay of Emily Schlarmann, Tori McDonald, Etzel and Van Dorn was 13^th. Taking 15^th place was the 4x800 team of Etzel, McDonald, Piper Hansen and Schlarmann.

     McDonald was 17^th in the 400. The Panthers were 20^th in the 4x200 relay with the team of Leah Holub, Guilford, Cox and Husmann.

     In junior varsity events, Monticello got an eighth-place finish from the distance medley team of Kelsey Adams, Emma Hynick, Kayla Simmons and Bronwyn Hodge. The 4x200 team of Adams, Simmons, Hynick and Olivia Kremer finished 11^th. The 4x400 team of Kendall Ruden, Hodge, Hansen and Kremer was 13^th.

     “We’re pretty young, but overall I was pretty proud of how the freshmen competed,” coach Lynn said. “I’m looking forward to big things from them.”