THURSDAY, March 30, 2023
ALTOONA-MIDWAY MIDDLE SCHOOL TRACK
HUMBOLDT – The Altoona-Midway Middle School track team got its 2023 spring season under way by competing in the Humboldt Invitational here Thursday afternoon.
AMMS tracksters were unable to bring home any gold medals, but Jet thinclads earned team points by placing in 10 individual events, as well as three relays.
“I was thrilled with how well our kids did (Thursday) for our opening meet,” said AMMS head coach Chary Weilert. “We had 16 athletes compete at Humboldt, and most of them picked up team points for us, either in individual events or in relays.”
In eighth grade competition, Taj O’Connor brought home a bronze medal in the shot put with a toss of 35-7, while Peyton Drake earned a third-place medal with a high jump of 4-0.
The AMMS eighth grade girls 4x200 relay team placed sixth. Squad members included Drake, Mika Parsons, Harmony McFarland, and Jasa Pankanskie.
In the seventh-grade division, the top Jet performance was turned in by Hadlee Pupanek, who placed second in the high jump, clearing 3-4.
Pupanek was also one of three AMMS seventh graders to bring home bronze medals, taking third in the shot put with a throw of 25-7. Other Jets with third place finishes were Chance Carter with a throw of 30-2 in the shot put, and Chance Mustain, who completed the 1600 meter run in 6:24.
Also earning points for Altoona-Midway in the seventh grade division were Sondra Morales, fourth in the discus (52-5) and fifth in the high jump (3-2); and Bella Douglas, sixth in long jump with a jump (11-3).
The Jets also picked up points in both seventh grade 4x200 relays. The AMMS boys finished fourth (Chance Carter, Caden Sicka, Caleb Kuhn, and Chance Mustain) while the Lady Jets relay team (Bella Douglas, Hadlee Pupanek, Ashlynn Sicka and Sandra Morales) took fifth.
“Taj O’Connor started off his eighth-grade season better than how he ended last year, which is incredible,” Weilert said. “He had a PR in shot put with a throw of 35-7. And, right behind that, seventh grader Chance Carter improved his PR for shot put by nearly four feet from last year, with a throw of 30-2.
“For our runners, Chance Mustain’s time in the 1600 was equally impressive,” Weilert continued. “His best time last year was 7:42 for the mile, so, given the little amount of conditioning we’ve had so far, I was hoping that he could maybe break the 7-minute mark. As he was running the race I was hollering out his splits, and he was on a 6:30 pace nearly the whole time, which I thought was way too fast to finish strong. So I was thrilled when his pace for the last lap was even faster, and he finished with a time of 6:24, placing him third.”
Weilert added others to watch this season are Hadlee Pupanek in the shot put and high jump, as well as Peyton Drake in the high jump.
In the team standings, Neodesha Middle School swept both eighth-grade divisions, while Humboldt boys and Cherryvale girls claimed team titles for the seventh graders.
Final team standings for the Humboldt Invitational were as follows:
Boys 8th Grade – Neodesha 143.50, Iola 135, Humboldt 93.50, Anderson County 78, Cherryvale 13, Yates Center 10, Altoona-Midway 6.
Girls 8th Grade – Neodesha 121, Anderson County 103, Iola 94, Humboldt 50, Cherryvale 45.50, Yates Center 30, Altoona Midway 7.
Boys 7th Grade – Humboldt 95, Neodesha 80, Iola 78, Cherryvale 77, Anderson County 62, Yates Center 38, Altoona-Midway 17.
Girls 7th Grade – Cherryvale 109, Neodesha 80, Anderson County 79, Humboldt 67, Yates Center 51, Iola 44, Altoona-Midway 23.
Altoona-Midway will be back in action on Tuesday at the Eureka Invitational.