Jayda Bushling, Aspen Hacker earn multiple league championships
By Ray Conner
Kern Valley’s girls track team claimed the HDL finals by dominating their opponents.
The Lady Broncs won 10 league championships and as a team earned 176.5 points. The closest opponent was Mammoth with 85.5 points. Cal City came in with 55, Desert and Rosamond both finished with 50, Bishop scored 47.5, and Boron held up the rest of the league with 12.5 points. In the meet, Kern Valley saw nine PR’s recorded.
The HDL Finals were held at Foothill High School on May 2. Kern Valley had two athletes crowned as multiple champions. The Lady Broncs as they have been all season were led by Aspen Hacker and Jayda Bushling. Both of these ladies each won four events. Marissa Tate and Jessie Bunting joined their teammates as league champions in their individual events.
Aspen Hacker was the league champion in the 400m (1;04.63), the 800m (2:28.37), the 1600m (5:10.92), and the 3200m (13:12.55). Bushling won two running events and followed that up by winning two jumping events. She was the HDL champ in the 100m (12.98), the 200m (27.05), the long jump (15’ 2”), and the triple jump (32’ 4”). Tate came in first in the discus (80’ 7”) which was a PR. Bunting won the high jump (4’ 8”).
Four other Kern Valley athletes were runners up to the league champion. Scarlett Weber and Kyla Hacker each finished second in a pair of events. Mitra Kiosef and Emily Blankenship each came in second in one event. K. Hacker was second in the 800m (2:43.78) and the 1600m (5:39.55). Weber set PR’s in two of her events. She was the runner up in the 200m and came in second in the triple jump (29’ 3.5”). M. Kiosef came in second in the 300m hurdles (54.95 PR), while Emily Blankenship was second in the high jump (4’ 6” PR).
Finishing up the scoring for the Lady Broncs were M. Kiosef and Ashley Denys. These ladies scored points by coming in third-place. M. Kiosef finished third in the 100m hurdles (20.64). Ashley Denys came in third in the shot put (24’ 2”).
Fourth-place finishers included, Weber, Bunting, Mikaela Richey, Madelyn Beaton, and both relay teams. The 4x 100 team consisted of Manwell, Escoto, Beaton, Blankenship, and Weber. They finished the race in a time of 55.09. In the 4x 400 relay, the team of Denys, Escoto, Blankenship, and Manwell ran a time of 5:17.87. Weber finished fourth in the 100m (13.50) which was a PR. Bunting crossed the line fourth in the 100m hurdles (20.77). This was a PR for her. Richey was fourth in the discus (62’ 10” PR), while Beaton finished fourth in the high jump (4’ 2”).
Ella Mauer was the lone fifth-place finisher for the Lady Broncs. She ran the 300m hurdles in a time of 1:05.53. Coming in sixth-place for Kern Valley was K. Hacker-400m (1:10.39), Mauer-100m hurdles (21.34), and Richey-shot put (21’ 11.5”). Denys was seventh in the 200m (31.14), while Blankenship was eighth in the 400m (1:10.61). Tate ran the 300m hurdles in a time of 1:21.81 PR for ninth place. Denys came in 13th in the 100m (14.91).
Head coach Brent Mixon said, “We had a great day with several young ladies taking home the title of league champion. Ad to it, our girls came together one last time to win the HDL Finals as a team. The next stop is Division 4 Championships which will take place on Friday at Caruthers High School. (The Lady Broncs) found out Monday afternoon to see how members of our team will continue to the next level.”
