Led by junior Jenna Sayle, Kirtland qualified six individual athletes in five different events to the Division II Austintown Fitch Regional Track Meet next week.
Sayle won two individual events at Saturday’s Lakeview District meet and helped the 4×400-meter relay team to a third place finish. Kirtland competed at the Division III district meet last season.
“I was so proud to have made it out in Division II with two district titles,” Sayle said. “It was weird not knowing anyone at the meet but I am happy with my results.”
In winning the open 800, Sayle ran personal record time of 2:20.93 and she won the 1600 in 5:24.78.
“My 1600 time was not a season PR but it was a pretty good run,” she said. “I knew that I wouldn’t have a lot of rest between it and the 800. I was very happy with my 800 time because it felt good and was a season PR.”
Sayle anchored the 4×400-meter relay team, which finished in 4:18.51.
“My teammates and I made it out to regionals in the 4×4, which we are very excited about,” she said. “In regionals, we are ready to really step it up.”
Seniors Danielle Bryll, Kristi Bryll and Isabel Anness also ran the 4×4.
“Each individual runner had a season PR split for an overall season PR to get out to regionals,” said Kirtland coach JP Moran. “Danielle started us off beautifully with a really fast leg, Kristi ran her leg tremendously with the cut in and a strong finish and Isabel ran her best split of the season after running in the 800 finals a short time before. Jenna just capped off her fantastic day with the fastest split at anchor and secured the place after winning the district 1600 and 800.”
Junior Emily Ungrady, who led the Kirtland softball team to the Division III district tournament, competed in just her second meet of the season and finished third in the long jump. She cleared 14-feet, 11-inches to advance to the regional meet.
Senior Sabrina Rahz also qualified for regionals in the pole vault after finishing fourth (6-9).
Freshman Julie Namciu narrowly missed a regional berth after finishing fifth in the 3200-meter run with a time of 13:11.13 and the 4×800-meter relay team also scored in the meet with a sixth-place finish.
Anness and Sayle teamed up with junior Emily Crebs and freshman Aimee Baldrey to finish that race in 10:44.50.
As a team, the Hornets finished in eighth place with 44 points.
