By RYAN WALKER
FORT WAYNE — All three Wells County schools were represented Tuesday night at the girls’ regional track meet at Carroll High School.
Norwell had seven events participating, Bluffton had two events, and Southern Wells had a high jumper, and the results weren’t too shabby.
Tigers’ discus thrower Lauren Reiff placed second with a throw of 128-2, punching her ticket to the state meet at Indiana University on Friday, June 3.
“I am supper happy that my senior season didn’t come to an end tonight, and I’m excited to be in Bloomington again,” Reiff said after the meet.
Reiff made the state meet last season as a callback. Throughout the off-season, she said she worked had to change her technique and get to the spot where she is now, finishing in the top three and going to states on her own.
Her head coach, Brent Kunkel, was also thrilled to see his senior continue her career another week.
“I am very proud of her for all that she has done, and a lot of the credit needs to go to Coach Baxter and Coach Cocanhower for the work that they have put in with her over the course of the past three years,” he said. “Two trips to the state finals just shows the dedication that all 3 of them have. I’m proud of all of them.”
Freshman Ava Troxel had her first experience on the regional level, which Kunkel added this meet was all about her getting a feel for the big stage and soaking it all in.
Troxel finished 15th in the long jump with a distance of 14-6.50.
Norwell’s top performers of the night were hurdler Claire Bailey and Abbigail Dale.
Bailey finished fourth in the 300m hurdles and sixth in the 100m hurdles. Since she did not place in the top three, she will have to wait and see if a callback will send her to the next round.
Dale finished 10th in the 400m and was a part of the 4×400 relay team.
Like Troxel, Norwell had freshmen and sophomores gain experience in the regional. Freshman Ashley Waldman ran in long-distance races, freshman Jada Dale ran in the 400m and relays, and Abbigail Dale ran in the relay and 400m races.
Finally, Southern Wells high jumper Brooke Tonner, who won the sectional at Marion last week, finished sixth with a jump of 5-1.
The senior wanted to get the school record at 5-3, but struggled a little at the regional to do so.
“Brooke was a little disappointed with how things ended up tonight,” head coach Gary Paxson said. “She wanted to get the school record. There were several moments when she had to wait in between jumps and that kind of got her out of her rhythm a little bit. Her second jump at five feet also threw her off because she had to make the extra jump on her third attempt.
With the season wrapped up for Tonner, Paxson was happy to see her develop throughout her career and leave a legacy at Southern Wells.
“Again, we are proud of her, and all the things that she has accomplished this year and she is going to accomplish many great things in her life,” he said.
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Final results:
• Norwell’s 4x800m relay team of Brooklyn Meyer, Ali Riley, Haleigh Reinhard, and Maddy Reinhard seventh with a time of 10:12.08.
• Claire Bailey fourth in the 300m hurdles with a time of 46.56 and sixth in the 100m hurdles with a time of 16.08.
• Ashley Waldman 15th in the 1600m with a time of 5:46.34 and 15th in the 3200m with a time of 12:46.84.
• Abbigail Dale 10th in the 400m with a time of 1:00.77.
• Brooke Tonner sixth in the high jump with a jump of 5-1.
• Lauren Reiff second in the discus with a throw of 128-2.
• Norwell’s 4x400m relay team of Makenzie Fuess, Dale, Dale, and Bailey 15th with a time of 4:13.90.
• Emerson Meredith 10th in the pole vault with a jump of 8-6.
Team results:
1. Carroll 118
2. Homestead 96.50
3. North Side 53.
4. Northrop 50
5. Concordia 41
6. New Haven 26
7. West Noble 21
8. Huntington North 20.50
9. Churubusco 20
10. Eastbrook 18
11 Angola 11
12. Central Noble 14
13. Heritage 12
14. Frankton 11
14. Norwell 11
16. Westview 10
16. Oak Hill 10
16. South Side 10
19. Bluffton 8
19. South Adams 8
21. Bishop Dwenger 7
21. DeKalb 7
23. Eastside 6
23. Blackhawk 6
25. Woodlan 4
Snider 4
27. Southern Wells 3
28. Leo 2
28. Canterbury 2
28. Wabash 2
28. East Noble 2
28. Northfield 2
33. Bellmont 1
33. Adams Central 1
