In their first meet of the year, the Minooka girls track and field team competed at the Wheaton Warrenville South Invitational on Feb. 9.

They placed third as a team out of seven teams total.

“The girls competed hard. I was pleased with their effort,” assistant coach Matt Thomas said. “This was our first time running in the shape of an oval.”

The sprinters and throwers practice in the hallways at South Campus.

The top point-scorer for the team was Lauren Larsen, senior. She finished second in the 55-meter dash (7.69 seconds) with the fastest time of any Minooka girl ever at that meet.  She also placed in the long jump (15 feet) with another Minooka meet record.

First-place finishers included senior Kate Gall in the pole vault (10 feet) and junior Emily Johnson in the 400-meter dash (68.83 seconds). Both were Minooka bests at that meet.

Freshman Kendal Franklin finished third in high jump (4 feet, 10 inches) and set a Minooka meet record. But she is looking to improve.

“Wasn’t my best,” she said. “It took a while to to set my foot.”

Sophomore Mary Rushing finished second in the 3200-meter run (12:27.07) with the fastest time in Minooka history at that meet.

Rushing said since it was her first race of the year, she was just using strategy from previous races. 

Six other freshmen hit the best marks ever for Minooka freshmen at the WWS meet.

They included Paris Stewart in the 55-meter hurdles (10.76 seconds), Gwen Bottom in the 200-meter dash (31.57 seconds), Meadow Zomparelli in the 400-meter dash (69.91 seconds), Jocelyn Host in the 1600-meter run (5:40.11), Audrey Boles in the 3200-meter run (12:50.86), and Morgan Kopriva in the shot put (22 feet, 5 inches)

“I didn’t think I could throw that far,” Kopriva said.