The O’Neill track and field teams turned in an impressive all-around performance at their latest invitational, with the boys capturing the team championship and the girls earning a strong runner-up finish.
The Eagle boys totaled 101 points to claim the team title, while the girls followed closely behind with 90 points, showcasing depth and balance across nearly every event.
On the girl’s side, distance standout Kiarra Kennedy led the way with a first-place finish in the 800-meter run, clocking a time of 2:31.55. Kennedy also played a key role in two winning relay teams. She teamed with Blakely Sudbeck, Mollie Corkle, and Mia Lindsay to win the 4x400-meter relay in 4:22.92. Kennedy then joined Corkle, Reagan Kaufman, and Hannah Hilker to secure another gold in the 4x800-meter relay with a time of 10:24.56.
Mady Heiss had a strong day in the sprints and field events, placing sixth in both the 100-meter dash (13.14) and 200-meter dash (27.50), while also winning the long jump with a leap of 16 feet, 3 inches. Teammate Mia Lindsay added a fourth-place finish in the long jump at 15 feet, 1.75 inches.
Blakely Sudbeck contributed across multiple events, placing fourth in the 300-meter intermediate hurdles (52.32) and third in the high jump. She also helped the 4x100-meter relay team—along with Heiss, Hailey Fick, and Serena Chavez—to a fourth-place finish in 52.10.
In the field events, Mariah Kallhoff had a standout performance, placing second in both the shot put (38 feet, 7.5 inches) and discus (114 feet, 1 inch). Taylor Young added a sixth-place finish in the shot put (32 feet, 6 inches).
Serena Chavez earned a runner-up finish in the triple jump (33 feet, 11.75 inches), while Tenzlie Sorensen placed fourth (32 feet, 7 inches).
For the boys, Ryker Sudbeck led a dominant showing, winning the 400-meter dash in 51.40 seconds and adding a fourth-place finish in the long jump (20 feet, 9 inches). Colten Shoemaker followed closely in the 400, placing second in 52.50, and contributed to multiple relay efforts.
The Eagles showed strength in the middle-distance events, as Paul Fonseca placed second in the 800-meter run (2:14.51) and Angel Sanchez took third (2:15.34). Alonso Hernandez added a third-place finish in the 1600 meters (4:56.59), while Tomas Arciniega placed fourth in the 3200 meters (11:18.13).
In the hurdles, Ian Yates placed third in the 110-meter high hurdles (16.06), and Maguire Heiss added a sixth-place finish in the 300-meter intermediate hurdles (45.02).
O’Neill’s relay teams were a major factor in the team title. The 4x400-meter relay team of Shoemaker, Porter Mathews, Nate Brown, and Sudbeck captured first place, while the 4x100-meter relay team of Sudbeck, Shoemaker, Ryan Owen, and Mathews finished second in 44.69. The 4x800-meter relay team of Fonseca, Brown, Hernandez, and Sanchez placed third.
In the field events, Porter Mathews claimed gold in the long jump with an impressive leap of 21 feet, 7.75 inches. Grady Welke cleared 12 feet, 2 inches to place third in the pole vault, and Shoemaker added a third-place finish in the high jump (5 feet, 10 inches). Braxen Eichelberger rounded out the field event scoring with a fifth-place finish in the triple jump (39 feet, 9 inches).
With strong performances across sprints, distance, relays, and field events, the Eagles demonstrated the depth and determination needed for success as the season continues.