Gassman breaks own school record to lead Wildcat track

By Andy Brown
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Updated: May 9, 2018

Andy Brown / Louisburg Sports Zone

Louisburg sophomore Carlee Gassman eyes the finish line in the 300-meter hurdles Friday during the Redbud Classic in Wellsville. Gassman broke her own school record in the event as she took first in 47.07 seconds.

WELLSVILLE – In just her second meet of the season, Louisburg sophomore Carlee Gassman broke a 29-year old school record in the 300-meter hurdles.

About a month later, Gassman saw that record fly out the window as she improved her own record time Friday at the Redbud Classic at Wellsville High School. She ran a time of 47.07 seconds to win the event comfortably and broke her old mark of 47.57.

Gassman was lone Lady Cat to win an event, while junior Kiefer Tucker won the discus with a throw of 138 feet, 8 inches and was only Wildcat to win gold on the boys side.

Both teams finished fifth in the team standings as boys totaled 48 points and the girls had 45 in the 13-team meet. Paola won the girls title with 181 points and Spring Hill won the boys with 101.

“We did a great job as a team at a tough meet,” Louisburg girls coach John Reece said. “It definitely readies us for the league meet. Carlee got out well in the 300 hurdles and finished strong which led to another record breaking race.”

Louisburg senior Isabelle Holtzen had another strong outing in the pole vault as she finished runner up after clearing 11 feet. Paola’s Samantha Van Hoecke set a meet record in the event after she cleared 13-1.5.

Before competing in the hurdles, Gassman was less than inch from winning another event. She took third in the long jump with a season-best mark of 16-8, which was just a half-an-inch behind the champion Carly Lindenmeyer from Baldwin.

Eileen Benne also scored points in the field events as she was fifth in the high jump after clearing 4-10 and senior Kaitlyn Urban was sixth in the triple jump at 31-11.

On the track, sophomore Sydni Keagle finished third in the 100-meter hurdles in 16.93 seconds.

The Lady Cat relays also placed as the 4×100 team of Jordon Leach, Holtzen, Urban and Gassman took third in 51.99 seconds. Holtzen, Urban, Mikayla Quinn and Gassman also ran a season best time in the 4×400 relay as they took fifth in 4:19.

“Sydni ran an awesome 100 hurdles race to take third and she really competed well,” Reece said. “Our 4×400 relay ran strong as always and improved their season best time. I hope to see the team rise to the challenge of our league meet as to prepare us for regionals.”

Quinn also scored points for the Lady Cats in the 400-meter dash as she finished fourth in 1:08, while Quinn, Payton Shaffer, Shaylor Whitham and Kennady Wilkerson took seventh in the 4×800 relay in 11:30.

Louisburg junior Kiefer Tucker lets the shot fly Friday in Wellsville. Tucker won the discus competition and set a personal record in the shot.

Tucker led the Wildcat boys in the throws as he won the discus competition for the first time this season and later set a personal record in the shot put with a toss of 41-9, which was good for eighth overall.

Sophomore Michael Waldron got off a good first throw in the javelin of 155-11 to take fifth overall.

The throwers then did some damage on the track as Tucker, Waldron, John DePriest and Austin Moore set a new meet record in the thrower’s relay with a time 47.83 seconds. That time ranks them third in the nation according to milesplit.com

Also in the field events, sophomore Trent Martin had a solid performance after he cleared 12-6 to take third. Freshman teammate Luke Faulkner also cleared 12-6 and finished fourth. That mark for Faulkner was also a personal best.

Junior Chris Williams helped lead the Wildcats on the track as he took second in the 400-meter dash in 51.66 seconds. He also took fifth in the 800-meter run in 2:05.

Williams later joined Ben Wiedenmann, Justin Collins and Blue Caplinger to take second in the 4×400 relay in a season best time of 3:28.56.

The boys 4×100 relay of Charlie Koontz, Wiedenmann, Collins and Caplinger came in third in 44.20 seconds. Brandon Cooper (100 dash) and Wiedenmann (200 dash) took seventh and eighth, respectively.

Louisburg will begin postseason action at 3:30 p.m. Thursday when it travels to Ottawa for the Frontier League meet.

Other results are:

GIRLS