Owen Layton set a new school record in the 1600 meters at the Section 5AA track and field meet last week and is headed to the state meet along with four other Hornets this weekend.

Layton’s 1600 meter time of 4:15.44 eclipsed the old mark of 4:16.95 he set at the True Team meet earlier this season

He won the 3200 meters  by almost 25 seconds and finished in 9:33.91.

Jack Leuer’s strong kick helped him pull away and win the 800 meters in 1:56.51 after running 2:00.76 in the preliminaries.

In the final event of the meet, Big Lake’s 4x400 team of  Caleb Kennedy, Owen Layton, Josh Kennedy and Leuer set a new school record of 3:27.94, beating the old record of 3:28.39 set in 2019. Leuer’s anchor leg time of 50.28 seconds was one of the fastest in school history.  Although the Hornets were edged by Monticello and took second in the race, their time beat the state’s qualifying mark, so the foursome is headed to the state meet.

Tayla Glassman is also headed to the state meet again in two wheelchair events. The 10th-grader won the shot put with a throw of 20’0.75” and the discus at 41’1.5.”

There were many other good performances by Hornets, although they did not qualify for the state championships.

Montell Hester finished third in the 100 meters in 11.44 seconds after setting a personal best time of 11.21 in the preliminaries. That puts him second on the school’s Top 10 list.

Alivia Voss took fourth in the 100 hurdles in a personal best time of 17.23 seconds. Voss also cleared 4’10” and placed sixth in the high jump.

Leah Uphoff was fifth in the 100 hurdles in 17.24 seconds and fifth in the 300 hurdles in a personal best 49.80.

Preston Wesseh qualified for the 110 meter hurdles with a time of 16.64 in the preliminaries, then set a personal best of 16.27 and finished fifth in the finals.

Wuoson Nehwah took fifth in the 300 hurdles in 42.39 seconds.

The boys 4x200 relay team of Nehwah, Caleb Kennedy, Josh Kennedy and Hester set a new school record of 1:32.28 and took third. The same foursome set another school record of 44.55 in the 4x100 and finished fourth overall.

The girls 4x200 relay team of Sydney Roy, Shiloh Elliott, Leah Uphoff and Eleonora Piva had their fastest time of the year and placed fourth in 1:52.17.

Gavin Flavin set a personal best of 10:10.76 in the 3200 and finished sixth. That’s puts him 10th on the Top 10 list.

Naomi Huizenga went 32’7.5” for a personal best and seventh place in the triple jump.

David Guyse set a personal best time of 4:49.74 in the 1600.

Kevin Winkelman cleared 9’11” in the pole vault.

Abe Nebo finished 10th in the triple jump with a leap of 40’2.5”.

Eleonora Piva set a personal best time of 28.08 in the 200 meters. Sydney Roy was less than a step behind in a personal best 28.09. Piva also took 11th in the long jump with a personal best 15’6.5”.

Campbell Slattery had a good time of 2:36.14 in the 800 meters but did not reach the finals.

She also ran 5:50.92 in the 1600 meters.

Emilee Doperalski had a personal best 13:04.11 in the 3200 meters.

Greta Schwirtz (27’1.5”) and Emily Edlund (26’8.75) both had personal best throws in the shot put.

The state meet took place Thurdsay, Friday and Saturday at STMA. Results next week.