On Saturday, May 3rd, the Track & Field Varsity League Meet was held at the Jeffco Stadium. It was an amazing meet for LHS. Several athletes in particular really shone at this meet. Wren Freeman in the 100M Dash, Stella Begly in the 300M Hurdles, and Hank Chojnacki in 1600M Run were all League Champions. These athletes, as well as the Boys 4x800M Relay team, are hoping to qualify for State.
Freeman, who has also found success in other sports such as Wrestling and Flag Football, expressed her pride in the LHS Track & Field team for this meet. “As a whole, we did very well. We gave the most we could give and left all of it on the track,” said Freeman.
“There were a bunch of personal records left and right. I think the whole team as a whole really came together, and we cheered each other on. It was a nice day, but it was a long one,” said Begly with a smile. “I went into the season really wanting to see how far I could go. The past years I’ve missed State probably by less than half a second. But this year, I’m very proud of myself because I broke a school record and got League champion. I PRed by about two seconds, and now I’m 10th in the State for 300 meter hurdles.”
It wasn’t just runners who found success at the meet. Jenna Ellquist PRed by one foot, and placed third. “Coming up we have Windjammer, which I’m excited about. Next year, I’d like to try to make State or win League,” said Ellquist.
There were 5 athletes that broke into the top ten at the League meet, breaking records. Some of which were made during the 1960s, according to Coach Koepke. Wren Freeman is #7 in the 100M Dash and #8 in Long Jump, Stella Begly is #8 in the 300M Hurdles, Natalie Lueker is #9 in the 3200M Run, and Hank Chojnacki is #7 in the 1600M Run.
Track is such an intense but rewarding sport. When asked about what she loves about it, Freeman said, “I love how hard you work. It’s so different from all of my other sports. It’s a mix of team and individual work, it challenges you just the right amount. I love the people on the track so much. They are so dedicated to what they do. They put their all in every day, no matter if it’s a hard or light workout.”
Reflecting on the season as a whole, Coach Koepke proudly said, “We also kept almost every single kid that came out for Track, It was a really fun group of kids to be around and watch them grow and get better.”
Overall, the meet last Saturday was a smashing success, and hopes are high for these passionate and talented athletes. State qualifiers will race on March 15-16, and Last Chance was held on Friday.
