Panthers take first place in Jersey Co-Ed Relays girls division, boys place second

JERSEYVILLE - The Jersey Co-Ed Relays featured windy and cold weather but some fast times and performances in the field events despite the conditions.

Jersey High School’s girls faced some top competition, including Alton, one of the best large schools girls track and field teams in the state, and emerged a winner with 112 points, compared to Alton with 110. Quincy followed with 108 points, then Granite City, with 48 points, Carrollton with 20 points, Civic Memorial with 17 points, Jacksonville with 12 points and Marquette Catholic with three points.

In the boys meet, Quincy won with 124 points, followed by Jersey and Granite City, both with 116 points, Civic Memorial with 72 points, Carrollton with 22 points and Marquette with 16 points.

Jersey winners were as follows in relays:

 4 x 1600--Nick Reynolds, Mike Roach, Mark Wendell, Ben Flowers

Heavyweight 4 x 100 - Seth Shaw, Kevin Hall, Ross Speidel, Brandan Baalman

Freshman/sophomore 4x100 - Jay Goetten, Kevin Hall, Lucas Ross, AJ Shaw

4 x 800 - Nick Reynolds, Mike Roach, Mark Wendell, Nick Loepker

For the Jersey girls’ winners were:

800 Medley:

Hannah Goshorn (Sr.)

Caroline Crawford (Sr.)

Anne Snyders (Jr.)

Kiara Chapman (Jr.)

4x800:

Kayla Sheldon (Sr.)

Morgan Cook (So.)

Kaleigh Grace (Jr.)

Sydney Merle (So.)

4x400:

Anne Snyders (Jr.)

Morgan Cook (So.)

Hannah Goshorn (Sr.)

Kiara Chapman (Jr.)

Megan Taake, the Jersey girls’ track and field coach, was ecstatic to see the first place performance by her team.

“Kiara Chapman ran the last leg of the 4 x 400 and she ran a 1:02 split,” Taake said. “I don’t know if has totally sunk in, but it is a pretty good feeling. We had good performances and we showed the depth of our team. It was a pretty good feeling.”

Taake pointed out that her team only had three first-place finishes and their depth paid off in the other events, picking up a lot of points.

“The girls decided it was a night to run,” she said. “We had good performances from the depth of our team, not just our go-to athletes.”

Jersey boys coach Harold Landon said it is apparent with some of their numbers and talent out that it will be a good season. The Panthers travel to the Granite City Invitational on Friday.

Distance star Ben Flowers returns this season as a junior. Flowers ran a 4:38 1,600 leg in a relay on Friday.

“We have good depth with 44 kids out,” Landon said. “Ben Flowers anchored the 4 x 1,600 relay, which won and also anchored the 4 x 400 relay. Nick Reynolds ran a 4:44 on his 1,600 leg. Another person who shined in the meet was Dylan Marshall in the anchor leg of the 4 x 100 relay. He also anchored the 4 x 200 relay as well.”

Hurdler Mitch Goetten and high jumper Austin Kimbrel should also stand out this year for the Panthers, Landon said.

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