Diaz’s crew continues to push forward
By Lenny Sementi
Head girls’ track coach Lacey Diaz and her lady Warriors continue to take the program to the next level by laying claim to first place hardware in the 32nd Annual Tuscola Invite.
Diaz’s group outdistanced a solid Shiloh program by four points winning 74-70 thanks to a strategic loading of talent in the relays by the coach that netted her squad 19 points to go along with a dominating 32 points from field events. They also secured points in the open runs as well sending the entire team on a victory lap at the end of the meet this past Friday.
Leading the way in the scoring department was junior McKinlee Miller. Miller captured second place in both the long and triple jump. She fell an inch short of first in the triple with a leap of 34-feet 8-inches and was just as close to gold in the long jump denting the sand at 16-feet 2-inches, and added to her team totals with a fourth place finish in the 100-meter hurdles. Also scoring in the hurdles was Brianna Thull who took third in the 300 lows and fifth in 100’s for eight points in all.
Miller was also part of a third place effort in the 4×100-meter relay. She led off handing the baton to Jessie Martin, who relayed to Ava Cothron who passed it to Sophia James who crossed the line 54.45-seconds. In all, Miller donated 26 points to the cause on the night. Cothron and James then joined Brynn Tabeling and Laney Cummings for a second-place finish in the 4×200. Tabeling and Cummings did double duty in the relays as well linking up with Hannah Hornaday and Hannah Lemay to take sixth in the 4×400-meter. Hornaday ended the night joining Daria Calanchini, Karen Donnals, and Kenzi Heckler for a fouth-place finish in the 4×800.
Next up in the scoring department was Cassie Russo accounting for 16 points in the team race. The senior captured second place in both throwing events tossing the shot a personal best 38-feet and the discus 118-feet 2-inches. Ellen Brown was next in line taking third in the shot with a throw splashing the sand at 33-feet 6.75-inches collecting a much-needed six team points.
Tabeling and James rounded out the scoring collecting hardware in the sprint races.
The full story can be found in the Wednesday, April 25 edition of The Tuscola Journal.
