The Kennedy boys and girls track teams will attend the Blue Oval at Drake Relays this Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Apr. 23 to 25. The boys’ team will participate in seven events, four individual and four group, while the girls’ team will participate in two group events.
Both teams have competed at multiple meets this season, with their first qualifier being senior Shem Mally in shot put at the Dickinson Relays. Mally threw a 57-06.00 passing Drake’s blue standard of 56-0, automatically qualifying him.
“I’m most excited for Drake because I am able to spend time with my friends and watch the best people in the state,” Mally said.
The boys’ team had three other events meet Drake standards. Senior Slader Buckheister secured his spot with a 9:04.45 in the 3200m. In the shuttle hurdle, seniors Brayden Peck, Jackson Goslin, Dallas Keller and Anthony Zachar ran a 58.31 at the Mount Mercy Invite. The last event achieving the blue standard was the 4x100m with seniors Dougherty, Louis Smith, Goslin and sophomore Lincoln Levendusky by a time of 42.10.
“My favorite moment this season was winning the 60m and 200m and helping lead my team to victory at the indoor state meet,” said Dougherty. “This weekend, I’m looking to compete for a top finish in the 4×100.”
The other events competing for the boys team will be senior Jackson Rhinehart in discuss, Peck and Goslin in the 110 hurdles, senior Adam Gray and Buckheister in the 1600m and 3200m and the 4x800m with seniors Lincoln McMahan, Nathaniel Goff, Gray, and Buckheister.
“I’m super excited for another shot to compete at a big stage against good competition,” Goslin said. “This weekend I want to win the shuttle hurdle relay and break the all-time state record and podium in my other two events, the 110 hurdles and 4×100.”
The girls’ team will be competing in the 4x100m with seniors Morgan Hospodarsky, Kayla Langerman, Molly Gieseman and sophomore Adalyn Thorstenson and the 4x200m with seniors Emerson Blocker, Annie Garsayne, Hospodarsky, and sophmore Thorstenson. Both events solidified their spots at Forwald/Coleman Relays last Thursday, Apr. 16, with the 4x200m achieving the blue standard with a time of 1:44.11.
“Watching the clock stop at 1:44 as we crossed the finish line felt unreal. I sprinted across the track to Morgan, both of us in tears, finally realizing what we had just accomplished. We hadn’t hit a blue standard since our freshman year, so reaching this moment together meant everything,” Blocker said. “After four years of being on the same team, getting to achieve it alongside my best friend made it that much more special.”
