ROBINSON — One year ago, Teutopolis speedster Kaitlyn Vahling walked out of the Sam Bennett Invitational at Robinson High School with two school records in her back pocket.
Vahling broke the Lady Shoes’ school record in the 100-meter- and 400-meter dash.
This year, it wasn’t quite as eventful for Vahling; she finished second in the 100 and third in the 400. She finished the 100 in 12.56 seconds and the 400 in 1:02.03 and knew afterward that she may have put a bit too much pressure on herself.
“I felt like I was definitely in my head,” Vahling said. “I put a lot of pressure on myself because I got my best times last year.”
Glen Carbon (Father McGivney) junior Lilly Gilbertson bested Vahling by five-tenths of a second in the 100. Gilbertson finished at 12.51 seconds, which was a personal record for her.
Gilbertson also won the 400, setting a personal best at 57.68 seconds, and the 200-meter dash. Robinson senior Kylee Weber was second in the 400 at 1:01.42. Vahling finished second in the 200, setting a season-best time of 26.10 seconds. Gilbertson won with a personal best of 25.65 seconds.
Vahling did come in first in one event, though, finishing ahead of the pack in the 4×100-meter relay. The quartet of sophomores Adi Davidson and Halle Bushue and junior Ella Neihls finished in 52.63 seconds. Newton’s 4×100 team of seniors Alaina Kuhl and Elley Bennett, sophomore Morgan Schafer, and junior Makayla McVicar were second at 53.69 seconds.
In field events, T-Town’s Ella Neihls won the long jump after setting a personal best at 16 feet, 6 inches. She was third in the triple jump with a leap of 34 feet, 6.5 inches.
Altogether, the Lady Shoes finished in fifth place with 58 total points.
Father McGivney won with 100 points, Robinson was second with 86 and Shelbyville was fourth with 68.
Newton was third with 78 points.
The Lady Eagles finished first in the 4×200-meter relay when Kuhl, Bennett, Schafer, and McVicar finished in 1:54.17.
Senior Brooke Schafer won the shot put after a season-best throw of 35 feet, 8.5 inches. She was second in the discus after a toss of 96 feet, 6 inches.
Newton had several individuals finish in the top five in their respective events, as well.
McVicar finished fifth in the 200 with a personal best time of 27.76 seconds. Junior Sydney Kinder was fourth in the 400 at 1:03.11.
Senior Gracie Smithenry was fourth in the 100-meter hurdles, finishing in 18.36 seconds. Junior Karasyn Martin and Bennett were third and fifth, respectively, in the 300-meter hurdles. Martin finished in 52.70 seconds, and Bennett set a personal best time of 53.55 seconds.
Newton’s 4×400 team of juniors Camryn and Karasyn Martin and Kinder and Bennett finished fifth at 4:27.13. The 4×800 team of sophomores Layna Marshall and Shay Bennett, Camryn Martin, and freshman Grace Schumacher finished fourth at 11:08.14.
Karasyn and Camryn Martin finished second and third, respectively, in the pole vault. Karasyn finished with a vault of 10 feet, 6 inches. Camryn finished with a jump of 10 feet.