While the boys were pole vaulting at the Mingus Union Track & Field Meet on Friday, April 17, Jaden Schlotfeld, an MUHS senior, was at the end with her camera.
“I love the pictures I get of everyone’s faces,” she said. “I can also help them, because I get pictures whether they are doing good or if they fail. But when I get the ones of when they failed, I can show them what they did.”
Schlotfeld had been running mainly the 100 Hurdles and the 4×100 relay since she began in track her freshman year. About half way through this year’s season, she decided to give pole vaulting a try.
“I tried it my freshman year, and it overlapped with my other events,” she said.
Schlotfeld vaulted 6 feet during the meet, landing her in 13th place overall. In hurdles, she set her new personal record at 22.11 seconds, from 22.58. She holds the top time for 100 hurdles on the MUHS team, according to MaxPreps.
Senior Connor Tobias set a new personal record in the long jump at 16 feet, winning his flight and coming No. 20 in the final. He said it’s his first year competing in long jump, and he sets a new PR with nearly every meet.
“I just always want to get better,” he said. “Practice makes perfect.”
Tobias said he loves watching his teammates hit personal records and break school records.
By the end of the year, “I want to at least hit a 17 feet 5 inches or 18 feet,” Tobias said.
Practices are pretty individual, after a group warm-up with dynamic stretches.
“Sprinters go together, distance kids go together and they’re coached by coach Adam [Thompson],” junior Karstyn Richardson said. “We have jumping coaches and pole vaulting coaches, throwing coaches.”
Richardson competes in the 100-, 200- and 400-meter sprints.
“My favorite is 4×100 [relay],” she said. “Even though I … haven’t been running it this year, it’s just a lot of fun to run it with your friends.”
Richardson broke her personal record in the 100-meter dash, with a time of 13.06 seconds.
The team includes 72 students across 36 events, seven each of boys and girls fielding events and 11 each in running.
“We are very proud of our athletes this season,” Head Coach Aaron Midkiff said in a subsequent email. “Our athletes do a good job of improving each week and are staying healthy. Our younger JV athletes had a chance to compete more than ever with 6 meets for their level.”
Several school records were also broken at the meet.
Senior Jaylynn Briseno broke the school’s 1989 triple jump record with a distance of 35 feet and 9 inches. She’s ranked No. 4 in the state’s Division III.
Junior Arlo Bebee broke two school sprinting records at the meet, with a 100meter dash time of 11.01 seconds and a 200-meter dash time of 22.13 seconds. He’s No. 10 in the state for the 100-meter and No. 8 in the state for the 200-meter
