Raelyn Pearson reaching one of her season goals took all of one track meet.
Highlighted by Pearson’s school-record throw in the shot put, as well as Cory Obermeyer’s championship in the 300 hurdles, the Emporia High track and field teams got off to a solid start at the Emporia Invitational on Friday at Welch Stadium. The Spartan boys finished third with 77 team points, just one point behind second-place Olathe South and 13.5 behind winners Olathe East. EHS’s girls finished fifth with 77.50 points, a half-point out of fourth place.
Pearson’s shot put throw of 38 feet, 6.75 inches was good for second place in the meet — Great Bend’s Alex Hartig posted a 42-6.50 — and beat the EHS school mark by more than a foot. The previous record was Berta Woodruff’s 37-6, established in 1976.
“(That) was my goal for the first meet, was to break the school record,” Pearson said. “And then in discus, I PR’d by two feet, which is really good for the first meet. So I’m just really excited about all that.”
Pearson’s discus throw of 122-7 was also good for second, also behind Hartig. For a thrower with an ambitious agenda, she’s off to good start.
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