By RYAN WALKER
Norwell wrapped up its final track meet of the season on a rainy, cold and windy night at Adams Central.
The boys won the meet with the Bellmont Braves also in attendance, and the girls tied for first with 53 points with the Braves.
Admittedly, the three teams in the girls’ events were mostly junior varsity or runners with an opportunity to showcase what they’ve got that don’t normally get to. The reason for this is the sectional meet coming up next Tuesday, and coaches want their team to have as much rest as possible and avoid injury.
“The goal tonight was, just this last regular season meet, just giving some of our younger girls that have worked real hard at practice all season a chance to give it their last shot,” Norwell head coach Deidre Stoppenhagen said. “Then it gave the varsity girls some rest time. We’ve got some sore shins and calves.”
The Knights know a thing or two about the sectional meet, winning it five times over the past six seasons, including last year. Stoppenhagen shared that this season, Oak Hill and Eastbrook are going to make a run for the trophy.
Because of the stiff competition, she had to think about what she was going to do with her lineup. Track coaches have two options: One, to try and score as many points and spread their athletes around events they might not be the best in, but would score more points. Or two, risk team points for individuals to move on to the regional meet, in which only the top three advance.
Stoppenhagen came to an answer — they’re going to go for it all.
“I was really wrestling back and forth when I was organizing my lineup,” Stoppenhagen said. “We have a high standard to win it, but again, Oak Hill and Eastbrook are tough this year. When I scored us out, I said ‘OK, do I do individuals? Do I want to win it? I just kind of talked to the girls and went with my gut, and we’re going to go for it.”
The boys had a much different approach than the girls.
Thursday night was the one-week mark for the sectional coming up. The team is working hard and getting its last few rounds of training and meets in before resting for the big day.
“We try not to overtax them, but we try to work them so they get enough work in that they’d be ready to go next week with plenty of rest,” coach Josh Gerber said.
Head coach Adam Prater was absent at the meet.
Gerber is unsure of what the team will officially do with the lineup yet in terms of winning as a team or individuals.
It would be hard not to try and win as a team, as the Knights might still have a bad taste in their mouth after a runner-up finish last year, 20 points behind Oak Hill.
This team has lost some depth, which could make an easier decision.
“Back when I was the head coach about 10 years ago, we’d always load up the sectional and try and get as many kids through as we could,” Gerber said. “And you want to see good team success and stuff like that … You want to do well as a team, but you also don’t want to compromise a kid’s chance to make it out in an individual. It’s a fine balance to walk.”
The girls’ sectional is hostd by Marion and will begin at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 14. The boys will follow on Thursday.
ryan@news-banner.com
Individual results:
Boys
• Trevon Stoppenhagen first in the 100m with a time of 11.4 and Brady Smith third at 11.9.
• Stoppenhagen first in the 200m with a time of 24.0 and Nolan Weedman second at 24.7.
• Mathew Hernandez first in the 400m with a time of 55.4 and Ryan Smith third at 57.8.
• Caiden Petrie second in the 800m with a time of 2:10.2 and Luke Johnson third at 2:14.2.
• Gavin Threewits third in the 1600m with a time of 5:09.0.
•Zane Borne ad Hayden Bennett tied for first in the 110m hurdles with a time of 16.3.
• Norwell’s 4x100m relay team of Jase Harmon, Stoppenhagen, Quentauris Jones and Devin Dale first with a time of 47.8.
• Norwell’s 4x400m relay team of Stoppenhagen, Kyler Morris, Smith and Dale first with a time of 3:48.1.
• Norwell’s 4x800m relay team of Morris, Threewits, Petrie and Johnson first with a time of 8:58.0.
• Trace Moser first in the high jump at 5-4.
• Harmon first in the long jump at 17-4.
• Alex Fojtik first in the shot put at 41-6.
• Will Gerber third in the discus at 114-9.
Girls
• Shae Brooks second in the 100m with a time of 14.2.
• Lillian Mann third in the 200m with a time of 30.9.
• Alivia Green third in the 400m with a time of 1:18.0.
• Brooklyn Meyer third in the 800m with a time of 3:02.2.
• Lyanna Kelley second in the 1600m with a time of 6:39.0 and Ali Riley third at 6:46.0.
• Hallie Smith second in the 100m hurdles with a time of 19.7 and Mann third at 19.8.
• Mann third in the 300m hurdles with a time of 58.8.
• Norwell’s 4x100m relay team of Jersey Donaldson Zoe Ott, Reaghan Plunkett and Samira Perez third with a time of 1:01.6.
• Norwell’s 4x400m relay team of Green, Karrigan Melcher, Kelley and Smith second.
• Norwell’s 4x800m relay team of Kelley, Kylee Hannie, Mariah Kline and Addison Meyer third with a time of 12:27.0.
• Haley Williamson first in the high jump at 4-10 and Brooks third at 4-2.
• Carlee Strunk first in the long jump at 13-4 and Ryland Graft third at 11-8.75.
• Makenzie Fuess second in the shot put at 30-3.
• Astrid Clausson first in the discus at 87-6.
