McKnelly sets school record at Vermillion Invite

Tea Area High School had an impressive first outdoor track meet of the season with great performances from both girls and boys teams in the Vermillion Booster Club Invite held last Thursday, Apr. 6.

The Titan girls team finished second in the team standings and the boys team finished fifth. Winning the team title for the girls was Dakota Valley. West Central took third, Hinton, IA fourth, and South Sioux City rounded out the top five. The team title for the boys went to Lennox. West Central took second, Vermillion third, and Madison fourth. Other teams competing at the meet included Elk Point Jefferson, Madison, Gayville-Volin, Beresford, Canton, and Milbank.

One highlight for the Titans at the meet was a new school record. Senior Ethan McKnelly cleared 6’2” to win the high jump and set a new school record in the process. The Titans’ Kayl Broderson also competed in the event, clearing 5’6” for seventh place.

Haidyn West also had a remarkable performance for the Titans by finishing first in the 400 meter dash with a time of 1:02.55. She was followed closely by teammate Shealey Geelan, who finished sixth in the event with a time of 1:06.69.

The Titans continued to impress as Tim Halbur secured the second place in the triple jump, jumping a distance of 37’.

Sydney Stahlecker anchored the second place 4x400 who closed a time of 4:16.40. The other runners in the relay were Grace Bialas, Hayidyn West, and Jaycie Babb. Stahlecker earned second place individual honors in the 200 meter dash where she clocked a time of 26.86. Stahlecker took fourth in the 100 meter dash, clocking a time of 13.30.

Second place honors were also awarded to Blake Thompson in both the long jump and the 100 meter dash. Thompson took second in the long jump with a jump of 19’11”. In the 100 meter dash, Thompson clocked a time of 11.70 in the event to earn runner-up honors.

Brooklyn Reiners secured second place in the 300 meter hurdles with a time of 52.42 in the event. Reiners also placed fourth in the 100 meter hurdles with a time of 18.20. Stella Peterson took sixth in the event with a time of 18.80.

The Titan girls’ also had several other medalists, including Babb who finished third in the 800 meter run with a time of 2:29.66; Lydia Decker who finished fourth in the javelin throw, throwing a distance of 88’9”; Natalie Gass who finished sixth in the high jump, clearing 4’10”; Emily Froendt who took third in the discus with a throw of 106’6”; and Kara Knutson who placed third in the pole vault, clearing 8’6”.

The Titans girls’ 4x100 and 4x200 meter relay team of Mya Neuhardt, Kendra Nielson, Payton Cuppy, and Sami VanTol brought home medals in both relays, taking fourth in the 4x100 with a time of 53.17 and third in the 4x200 with a time of 1:57.16.

For the Titan boys, Matthew Rogers took fifth in the 300 meter hurdles with a time of 46.22; Juv Banza claimed fourth in the 200 meter dash with a time of 24.20; Ethan Vis finished fifth with a time of 24:27; and the 4x200 meter relay team of Vis, Nathan Babb, Ethan McKnelly, and Tyler Rhead finished fourth clocking a time of 1:37.78.

The Titan Track and Field team hosted their first meet of the season on Tuesday, Apr. 11, where McKnelly set another school record, clearing 6’3” to win the event. Watch next week’s paper for a complete recap and photos from the event. The team will travel to Lennox on Thursday, Apr. 13. The team will host another meet on Thursday, Apr. 20.