Plotner and Bagby lead Spartans to second place showing

The St. Joseph-Ogden High School girls’ track and field team began the outdoor season with a runner-up showing at a five-team meet the Spartans hosted on Tuesday.

SJO compiled 81 points, ahead of Danville (71), Urbana (55) and Rantoul (43), but not enough to top Monticello (101).

The Spartans had two individuals place first with Jillian Plotner winning the 800-meter run in 2 minutes, 35.51 seconds while Cassidy Bagby took first in the 3,200 in 11:43.86.

Ava Knap in the 3,200 (12:47.94), Grace Schmitz in the pole vault (8 feet, 10 inches) and Abby Behrens in the high jump (4-6) all placed second, while the 1,600 relay of Rylee Sjuts, Hailey Birt, Plotner and Danie Kelso placed second in 4:32.12.

Maclayne Taylor in the 400 (1:01.69), Ally Monk in the 3,200 (12:49.11), Angie Chahine in the 100 hurdles (19.04), Atleigh Hamilton in the 300 hurdles (50.76) and long jump (16-8.5) and Jenna Albrecht in the high jump (4-6) all added third-place finishes for the Spartans.

SJO’s three other relays also placed third, with the 400 relay of Birt, Taylor, Sjuts and Hamilton clocking in at 51.25, the 800 relay of Schmitz, Birt, Albrecht and Kelso clocking in at 1:54.82 and the 3,200 relay of Ashlyn Lannert, Addie Allen, Kendra Riddle and Hanna Eastin clocking in at 11:03.36.

The Spartans are set to return to the track at 4:30 p.m. next Monday when they travel to Rantoul for a triangular meet that also features Charleston.

In boys’ track and field
The St. Joseph-Ogden High School boys’ track and field team started the outdoor season with a third-place finish at a five-team meet the Spartans hosted on Tuesday.

SJO finished with 73 points, ahead of Danville (71) and Urbana (45), but Monticello (92.5) and Rantoul (77.5) were ahead of the Spartans at the end.
SJO had two individuals and one relay team win their respective events to lead the Spartans.

Aiden Meyer placed first in the 100-meter dash with a time of 11.11 seconds and Hayden Knott finished first in the discus with a toss of 145 feet, 11 inches. Meyer also aided the 800 relay to a win in 1:32.81, with Brady Buss, Kaleb Harshbarger and Lane Gaskin also running as part of that victorious relay.

Ethan Vanilew in the high jump (5-2), Nolan Peacock in the pole vault (12-4) and Knott in the shot put (40-5) also contributed with runner-up finishes.

SJO’s three other relays also turned in sterling times to place second, with Buss, Meyer, Harshbarger and Gaskin in the 400 relay (44.13), Vanilew, Eric Poe, Aaron Wagner-Dillman and Joel Branson in the 1,600 relay (3:51.45) and Poe, Brandon Mattsey, Elijah Mock and Isiah McCune in the 3,200 relay (9:11.03) all chipping in to their success.

Gaskin in the 200 (23.36) and Braden Clampitt in the pole vault (6-10) added third-place finishes for SJO.

The Spartans are scheduled to get back in action at 11 a.m. on Saturday at the Rantoul Invitational before again traveling up to Rantoul next Tuesday for a 4:15 p.m. quadrangular meet featuring SJO, Rantoul, Clinton and Champaign Central.