Newton’s junior varsity track and field teams turned in a strong showing, with the Lady Eagles claiming the team title and the Eagles boys finishing as runner-up in a competitive meet.
The Newton girls dominated the junior varsity standings with 95 points, easily outdistancing Robinson’s 30 and Brownstown’s 15. On the boys side, Newton finished second with 44 points, trailing only Mattoon’s 50 while finishing ahead of Olney, Brownstown and Robinson.
The Lady Eagles piled up event wins all across the track and field events. Brooke Farley led a strong sprint effort by winning the 100 meters in a personal-best 13.9 seconds, while Layla Thomann took first in the 200 meters with a personal-best 29.1. Brenly Francis added another victory in the 400 meters with a personal-best 1:07.6, and Brooke Gentry captured the 800 in 2:37.4. Addison Shamhart also turned in a big day in the hurdles, finishing second in the 100 hurdles with a personal-best 23.6 before winning the 300 hurdles in a personal-best 1:04.6.
Newton’s depth showed up in the relays as well. The 4×100 relay team of Brooke Farley, Alexis Evans, Kya Keller and Kahlyn McGrath won in 56.7, while another Newton squad of Emma Jenks, Haylee Line, Arwen Balandier and Abigail Rinker finished second. The Lady Eagles also went one-two in the 4×200 relay, with Farley, Evans, Keller and Amelia Kennedy taking first in 2:02.9 and the team of Arwen Balandier, Abigail Rinker, Haylee Line and Olivia Bright finishing second. In the 4×400 relay, Newton again grabbed the top two spots, led by Heather Bergbower, Mariah McVicar, Emma Schumacher and Josie Vogt in 4:38.1. The quartet of Nora Street, Josie Vogt, Yurieth Zavala and Heather Bergbower added another win in the 4×800 relay.
In the field events, Bristol Pitcher was a standout for Newton, finishing second in shot put with a personal-best 26 feet, 6 inches and winning discus at 83-2. Audrey Beals won the high jump at 4-10, Emma Schumacher cleared a personal-best 9-0 to win pole vault, and Amelia Kennedy claimed the long jump title with a personal-best 14-9 while also finishing second in the triple jump. Ashtan Merrell took second in high jump, while Heather Bergbower and Layla Thomann added top-four finishes in long jump and Kennedy and Thomann both placed in triple jump.
The Newton boys also delivered several first-place efforts. Hayden Mulvey won the 300 hurdles in 48.6, Parker Harris cleared a personal-best 5-8 to win the high jump, Evan Holder took first in pole vault with a personal-best 12-6, Eli Wolf won the long jump with a personal-best leap of 19-7, and Ian Kessler topped the discus field with a throw of 114-10. Beau Bennett added a runner-up finish in discus with a personal-best 112-9, helping Newton score heavily in the field events.
On the track, Dylan Earnest placed second in the 400 in 55.0, while Holden Barthelemy was second in the 800 with a season-best 2:26.3. Alec Bower finished fifth in the 1600 and second in the 3200. Brayan Ramos turned in a personal-best 11.7 in the 100 for fourth place and later added a third-place finish in long jump with a personal-best 18-5.
Newton’s boys also picked up points in the relays. The 4×200 team of Beau Bennett, Brayan Ramos, Evan Holder and Kaleb Iffert finished third in 1:41.7, while the 4×400 team of Holden Barthelemy, Dylan Earnest, Daniel Falcioni and Beau Bennett placed fourth in 4:03.5.
Personal bests were a major storyline throughout the meet for both teams, especially among Newton’s younger athletes. From the sprints to the throws, the Eagles and Lady Eagles showed depth, improvement and plenty of promise, with the girls’ team bringing home the championship plaque and the boys finishing just six points out of first.
Team results
Boys JV: 1. Mattoon 50, 2. Newton 44, 3. Olney 37, 4. Brownstown 32, 5. Robinson 14
Girls JV: 1. Newton 95, 2. Robinson 30, 3. Brownstown 15
