(Chelsea Update would like to thank Coach Shane Rodriguez for the information in this story.)
The Chelsea Girls Track and Field Team had a terrific week last week.
On Tuesday, April 14, the team defeated a strong Adrian team at Adrian. Leading the way were the relays, winning all but the 4×400. The hurdlers also came through big for us, sweeping the 300 hurdles. The Bulldogs are now 2-0 on the season and are in a good position to compete for a SEC white title.
On Friday, April 17, Chelsea hosted the Chelsea Relays. The weather was great and the girls turned in some very good performances. Outstanding performances were the hurdle relays, the “Bert Kruse” relay, and the vaulters. All three of those relays took 1st place. As a team, Chelsea finished 2nd overall in a deep 9 team field. East Lansing won the relays.
Overall on the week, these girls really stood out to the coaching staff in terms of performances and scoring valuable points:
- Rachael Yordanich in the sprints
- Rachel Valek in the throws
- Laney Miller in the sprints and hurdles
- Christine Schultz in the sprints and pole vault
- Maria Osentoski in the long jump and high jump
- Laura McGrath in the sprints
- Freshmen Kaehla Manly and Sydney Matusik in the sprints
- Karana Wickens in the distance
- Lily Francisco in the throws
“Great job to all, and keep up the great work,” the coach said.
The relays were a big undertaking and we couldn’t have done it without all of the parent and relatives volunteering. Thank you so much. Many kids also helped run events and they showed great sportsmanship in their help.
Thank you to Brad Bush, Jason Morris, and Tracie Stoffer of the athletic department; they are first class and very supportive. Thank you to the entire coaching staff for their countless hours of preparing the meet, running events, and sorting results and making it run smoothly.
Special thanks goes to Coach Bert Kruse for being the glue that holds this meet together, his tireless work and love of the team has only grown stronger with each of his 53 years of experience on the coaching staff. Thank you to Mike Holik for being our computer expert and the brains in the booth.
There are only 6 weeks left in the season, and we have a lot to accomplish. The team is currently #3 in the MITCA team state championship ranking.
“We hope to get better each week, and I know the girls are doing their best to keep up this level of excellence,” the coach said.
