Aspen Hacker won the steeplechase event at the EB Relay and went on to State.
By Ray Conner
Kern Valley used a strong performance to come out in fifth place in the EB Relays on March 1.
The Lady Broncs competed against 24 other squads at Bakersfield College. This was the first chance for the squad to perform against other competitors. As a team they collected a pair of PR (Personal Record), and one accomplished a meet record.
There were some Kern Valley athletes that took place in frosh/soph events at the relays. Several Lady Broncs had respected finishes in their events to help the team secure the fifth-place finish.
They were led junior, Aspen Hacker. A. Hacker won the top spot in two events, including setting a meet record. A. Hacker finished first in the 2000m steeplechase in a time of 7:39.38. This time produced the meet record. She would follow this by winning the 1600m race in a time of 5:19.25. She just missed another meet record by four seconds. A. Hacker would also take part in the 4x 400 relay. With her Lady Broncs teammates of Kyla Hacker, Ella Mauer, and Danika D’ Amico they would run to a 14th place finish in a time of 4:47.75.
K. Hacker a freshman at Kern Valley competed in varsity events. She would hold her own as she took home a second and third in individual events. Her best finish was second in the 1600m in a time of 5:56.02. She would follow that up with a third-place finish in the 2000m. Her time was 8:53.16.
Jayda Bushling helped her team as she jumped her way to a second-place finish in the long jump. Bushling’s leap of 16’ was also a PR. Bushling followed that up with a pair of fourth place finishes. She jumped 32’ 3.75” in the triple jump and ran her way to a fourth place in the 100m.
Bushling was a member of the 4x 100 relay that came in with an eighth place. She ran with Scarlet Weber, Ashley Denys, and Mitra Kiosef. Their time was 53.72.
Two Lady Broncs tied for third in the high jump. Madelyn Beaton and Jessie Bunting teamed up to leap 4’ 6”. Beaton also competed in the frosh/soph triple jump where she leaped 27’ 2” to take fifth.
In the frosh/soph high jump Weber also took fifth with a jump of 3’ 10”. In the long jump Weber finished ninth with a leap of 14’ 8”. The frosh/soph triple jump saw Feldschau (25’ 4”) leap to an eighth-place finish.
The Lady Broncs team of Emily Blankenship, Kaya Manwell, Claire Feldschau, and Beaton came across the line in 14th place in a time of 57.46.
The discus saw Marissa Tate throw it 68’ to come in with a 14th place, while Mikaela Richie’s toss of 55’ was good for 26th. The shot-put saw two Kern Valley athletes place. Denys (25’ 8”) and Richie (20’ 5”) were 15th and 32nd respectively.
Rounding out the success of the Lady Broncs were Mauer 19th (21.25), Abigael Phillips 20th (21.19), and Kiosef (21.27) 21st.
Up next for the Lady Broncs will be the Kern Invitational at Liberty High School on Friday. The events will begin at 1 p.m.
