Track and field prepares for upcoming regional meet

Austin Keefer, Staff Writer • April 26, 2018

Freshman Amelia Carothers pushes her pace during the 3200 meter race.

The final hurdle to the state competition for the school track and field team will present itself in the form of the regional meet held Friday, April 27 through Saturday, April 28 at the University of Texas at Arlington.

The school performed well in the area meet, capturing first place in the boys division and second place in the girls division.

Seven athletes in 10 individual events and one relay qualified for regionals for the girls, including area champions junior Carson Hockersmith (5:13.15 in the 1600 meters), junior Alaina Pierce (5-4 in the high jump) and senior Grace Ridgeway (11-6 in the pole vault). Hockersmith and Ridgeway also qualified in the 800 and 300 meter hurdles, respectively.

11 athletes in 14 individual events and two relays qualified for the boys. Senior Chase Van Wagoner (22-6 in the long jump), junior James Rainey (150-10 in the discus) and junior Ryan Gordon (10.81 in the 100 meters) earned the team’s three individual area championships. Rainey also qualified for regionals in the shot put.

Sophomore Carsen McFadden, who advanced to regionals in the pole vault with a height of 9-6, is “super excited” for the upcoming competition.

“Personally, it was very exciting for me and a great goal,” McFadden said. “Especially in pole vaulting, because last year as a freshman I missed regionals by one jump, so it was a huge goal for me to get myself there, and so to get there was amazing.”

Senior Ryan Brands, in his tenth year of track and field, has been hard at work preparing for regionals.

“I’ve been going to practices, following everything Coach has been saying,” Brands said. “I’ve been stretching every day, keeping up with the vitamins, taking the protein, getting good sleep, and making sure everything is going to be ready and primed.”

In women’s pole vault at area, defending state champion Ridgeway took first, freshman Audrey Bensmiller got second, and McFadden got third, the same result as the district competition.

“We love it because we’re a team, and so for us, our team is sweeping the last two meets,” McFadden said. “And that’s incredible for us, because we’re competing with all these athletes, and for us to come out on top together is so fun.”

Brands, who advanced to regionals in the 1600 meter run with a fourth place 4:32 finish, believes the next run to be anybody’s race. The top two finishers will advance to state.

“There are eight guys in the race, and everybody’s in the range of about four seconds of each other,” Brands said. “Two out of eight is a fair chance. Me personally, I’m on the back end of the times, but really I think the race will come down to whoever wants it most.”

About the Contributors

Austin Keefer, Staff Writer

Running on all caffeine and no sleep, Austin Keefer is 17 years young and in his senior year of high school, as well as his third year on The Red Ledger staff. In those three years, he has interviewed everyone from coaches to cops to Congressional candidates. He enjoys his role as the instigator and blood-boiler, a role that spans eight periods of school and beyond. Yeah, he’s that guy, with jokes and one-liners that range from witty to dirty and are found funny by few besides himself. He also prides himself on his old-school tastes, preferring fedoras to dye, talking to texting, and cards to Fort Night or whatever the heck it’s called. This third year coincides with his third year of acting in the school’s Theatre program, where he’s portrayed everyone from pirates to detectives to (gulp) Nazis. Now there are a few photo ops that are best kept buried….

Madeline Sanders, Editor-In-Chief

On her fourth and final year as a member of The Red Ledger, senior Madeline Sanders is thrilled to have her second go-around as Editor-In-Chief with the lovely Liliana Hager at her side. Although she has looked forward to senior year and all of its glory (namely graduation) since she began her tenure at 250 Estates Parkway, Madeline admits that deep down she will miss her beloved home, school, friends and, of course, E103. Outside of TRL, Madeline is involved in cross-country, track, NHS, Spanish Club, Capernaum, FCA, key club and Our Living Planet. Madeline is a firm believer that there is no better medicine than driving with the windows down with music at its maximum volume–especially if she is driving with her friends and that music happens to be by Ben Rector, Harry Styles or any song off ‘The Life of Pablo.’ As the year rolls around and the clock ticks towards graduation, Madeline is prepared to make this the best year yet.