Coalers kick off outdoors against Comets, Wildcats

    Coal City’s varsity boys and girls track teams hosted a triangular meet last Tuesday, as they competed against I-8 rivals Reed-Custer and Wilmington.
    On the boys side, the Comets won the meet, finishing with 76.5 team points, as Coal City claimed second (66), and Wilmington took third (28.5).
    The Lady Coalers wound up in third place, earning 29 team points. Wilmington (63) claimed first, and Reed-Custer earned second with 55 points.
    Cal Smolik had a good outing for the Coalers, as he placed in four events, claiming first in three of them.
    Smolik secured first place in triple jump (38’ 1”), the 100 meter (12.03) and the 200 meter (24.13). He also claimed third in long jump with a distance of 16’ 7”.
    Gage Leake picked up a first place in the 1600 with a time of 5:25.19, and also secured third in the 800 (2:24.1).
    Rounding out first place finishers were Aaron McMurtrey in shot put (43’ 1”), Connor Ullrich in the 3200 (12:16.23), and Brandon Cullick in the 800 meter (2:09.19).
    Colin Meece took second in the 110 meter hurdles with a time of 20.97, and also placed third in the 300 meter hurldes (55.12), while Logan Pierard claimed second in the 100 meter (12.1) and also took fourth in the 200 (25.88).
    Rounding out the individual placements were Ross Williams with a third in shot put (37’ 11”), Sean McGourick with a fourth in the 400 (1:00.5) and Dima Gass with fourth in the 1600 (6:04.49).
    Coal City’s 400 meter relay also claime first with a time of 50.16.
    On the girls side, Miranda Rhoder helped lead the team in placements ,as she secured two first places and one second.
    Rhoder placed first in the 400 (1:05.34) and the 200 meter run (28.28), while following that up with a second in the 100 meter dash (13.88).
    Abigail Charles placed in two events, securing second in long jump (12’ 4”), and also earning fourth in the 200 (31.16).
    Kyra Benson earned a first place finish in shot put with a distance of 30’ 6”, while Jessica Leasure claimed second in the 800 with a time of 3:01.97.
    Emily Powers rounded  out the invidual placements, earning fourth in the 400 with a time of 1:15.78.
    The Lady Coalers’ 800 meter relay team also claimed second with a time of 2:13.24.