Wright medals in four events; Lady Cats take fourth at Leavenworth

Louisburg freshman Delaney Wright lands in the sand pit for one of her attempts in the long jump Monday during the Leavenworth Invitational. Wright won the event and medaled in three others.

LEAVENWORTH – Delaney Wright may just be a freshman, but she performed like a seasoned veteran during Louisburg’s season opening track and field meet Monday in Leavenworth.

Wright finished in the top three in all four of her events, including a gold medal in the long jump, at the Leavenworth Invitational and helped the Lady Cats to a fourth-place team finish.

The Louisburg freshman garnered the long jump title with a mark of 17 feet 5 inches, to win the event by six inches. Wright later went on to finish runner-up in the 100-meter dash in 13.47 seconds and was third in the 400 dash (1:04) and 200 dash (27.84).

“Delaney did fantastic,” Louisburg girls coach John Reece said. “Medaling in her first meet as a freshman is incredible, but to medal in multiple events is…wow. Delaney and her teammates are going to have a lot of fun and success this year as we move through the season.”

Wright’s teammates had plenty of success Monday at Leavenworth as the Lady Cats captured gold in two other events.

Junior Sydni Keagle pulled away from the field in the 100-meter hurdles as she won in 17.66 seconds to get her season off to a good start. Fellow junior Avery Graham also had a good performance in the pole vault she cleared 9 feet to take first as well.

“Sydni and Avery are setting a high standard for themselves and their teammates by their effort,” Reece said. “It seems like we will be visiting short term goals more frequently and continuing to bump up their long term goal as the season progresses.”

Louisburg junior Carlee Gassman also came away with a pair of medals on the evening. Gassman finished third in the 300-meter hurdles in 50.96 and also took third in the long jump with a mark of 16-7.

Freshman Rain Pugh earned points for the Lady Cats as she was fourth in the 200 dash in 28.15 and sixth in the 100 dash in 13.73.

In the field events, Eileen Benne (4-8) and Shelby Grandon (4-6) took fourth and fifth, respectively, in the high jump. Senior Melia Rice was fifth in the discus with a mark of 87 feet and freshman Malee Rutherford was fifth in the pole vault after she cleared 7-6.

The Lady Cats also participated in the throwers relay and finished first with a time of 1:00.81.

Louisburg racked up 77 points for its fourth-place finish. Mill Valley won the meet with 126 points and St. James Academy was second with 121.

“I was very impressed with the girls’ effort on a not so good weather day,” Reece said. “Their times, distances, and heights showed they competed well. Finishing fourth as a team was outstanding.

“We had several girls best their marks from last year or better their marks from early season trials. They are a close knit group that will encourage each other and expect the best effort by all at all times.”

The Lady Cats return to action Thursday when they travel to the Paola Invitational. Events are set to begin at 3:30 p.m.

Other results are:

Long jump: Sydni Keagle, seventh, 15-1; Rain Pugh, eighth, 15-0; Eileen Benne, 17^th, 13-7

Triple jump: Benne, eighth, 28-0

Discus: Aiyana Penca, ninth, 78-04; Shea O’Hara, 12^th, 63-04; Rinny McMullen, 13^th, 62-6; Davis Guetterman, 14^th, 59-10

Shot put: O’Hara, ninth, 30-3.5; Eden Strumillo, 12^th, 25-1; Melia Rice, 13^th, 24-11; Penca, 16^th, 22-8; Cayden Forrester, 17^th, 22-0.50

Javelin: Alyse Moore, ninth, 85-3.5; Tae Ellison, 10^th, 79-09; Rice, 12^th, 68-04; Guetterman, 16^th, 59-9.5

100 hurdles: Kristen Bell, 10^th, 20.89; Shelby Grandon, 11^th, 21.61

100 dash: Jordon Leach, 14^th, 14.13; Andrea Gaza, 25^th, 15.55

300 hurdles: Keagle, 10^th, 58.29; Bell, 11^th, 1:11

800 run: Shaylor Whitham, 12^th, 2:52

200 dash: Leach, ninth, 28.96; Carlee Gassman, 10^th, 29.15; Gaza, 22^nd, 32.02

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