The crowd roars as the wind cuts through the track. One meet you could be squinting against the rain and hail in your face and the next sweat in the beaming sun that feels like 100 degrees.
Your heart is bounding through your chest and your hands shake as you set in your blocks. Track is a sport that requires grit, ambition, and mental perseverance.
On 15-16 May Lakeland Track competed in the state tournament. The girls took second as a team and placed for the first time since 2008.
“I’m not only proud of the performance I had but also my team,” Jackie Robbins said, “The girls placing for the first time since 2008 is just amazing.”
Some individual highlights included: Ashlyn Karle, Casey Foster, Ruby Kindy, and Tessa Lovell dominated the 4×200 and took first with a time of 1:43.66.
The team has now broken the school record three times just this 2025-2026 season.
“It was really exciting and I don’t think a lot of people realize how big of a deal winning the 4 by 2 truly was,” Tessa Lovell said.
Robbins came out from a difficult circumstance at the beginning of the season and took 1st in shot put with a distance of 43’1.5.
“Im very proud of the performance I had,” Robbins said, “I started the season in the knee brace and ended as a state champ and I just didn’t think I’d make it this far.”
Lakelands 2nd place winners were: Sapphire Ruelle in the 100 meter with a time of 12.55, Karstyn Kiefer in the 300 hurdles with 46.21.
Karle, Foster, Kiefer, and Ruelle in the 4×100 with 48.71.
Jorja Coppinger, Lovell, Ruelle, and Kiefer in the 4×400 with a time of 4:07.36.
Ruelle continued her hot streak taking 2nd in the 200 meter race with a time of 25.66.
Robbins in Discuss with a distance of 141’3. Last but not least, Karle, Foster, Lovell, and Kiefer in the SMR with a school record time of 1.49.
“That was definitely our best relay, and I’m happy we beat Moscow and it’s a little extra fun because we are all underclassmen and they have almost all upperclassmen,” Foster said.
The 3rd place takers for Lakeland were Bradyn Carol in shot put with a distance of 52’6 and Peyton Hillman in javelin with 157’3, thus completing our Lakeland track season.
Apolo Gratzinger, Kayden Karle, Jaron Yager, and Sean Burke took 4th in the 4 by 4 with 143.15 and Ashlyn Karle not too far behind Ruelle in the 4 by 1 with a time of 12.64 putting her as 4th.
