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Harris' shot put win gives HNHS girls' sectional track crown by single point

Huntington North High School runner Natalie Spahr is out front on the final leg of the 3,200-meter relay during the Huntington North Girls' Track Sectional on Tuesday, May 19.
Photo by Andre Laird.

A victory in the final contested event of the day -- the shot put - gave the Huntington North High School girls' track team a one-point margin of victory in the Huntington North Girls' Track Sectional on Tuesday, May 19.

The Lady Vikings' Alli Harris won the event on her final throw of the meet to beat Emily Radke of Columbia City, and the two-point differential in the event pushed HNHS past CC, 131-130.

Kiela Clore added third place points in the event to push a second Columbia City scorer, Kaeleigh Porter, to fourth place, in another crucial effort for HNHS.

In addition to Harris, also winning sectional titles were Tayah Kline in the 100-meter high hurdles, Alyssa Hurlburt in the long jump, Leisl Davenport in the discus and both the 1,600-meter and 3,200-meter relay teams.

But on a night when every point counted, HNHS used depth to win the meet, getting double scorers in three events it didn't win. Hurlburt and Mariah Town got fourth and fifth, respectively, in the 400-meter dash, Elaine Yahne and Heidi Blocker took sixth and sevcenth, respectively in the 1,600-meter run and Molly King placed second and Gretchen Spahr fourth in the 3,200-meter run.

Kline, whose 100 hurdles win came in a new sectional record time of :15.44, also gave HNHS second place points in the 300-meter intermediate hurdles. Other points came from Cora Frame, eighth in the 100-meter dash and sixth in the 200-meter dash; Olivia Eckert, third in the 800-meter run; Jessica Huey, fifth in the high jump; Kaitlyn Teusch, fourth in the pole vault; and the second place 400-meter relay team.

The top four finishers in each event advance to next week's regional at Fort Wayne Northrop.

The victorious 1,600-meter relay team was made up of Eckert, Mariah Town, Hurlburt and Kayla Schenkel, and cruised home in 4:12.43. The winning 3,200-meter really included Eckert, Becca Goodman, Cassie Hacker and Natalie Spahr, and clocked in at 10:07.68.

Harris, who didn't get off a clean throw in the discus, in which she was the top seed, heaved the shot 38-01.75 for her win. Davenport, picking up for Harris in the discus, went 116-04 to claim her crown.

Hurlburt flew 16-08.75 for her win in the long jump.

Eastbrook was third in the 10-team meet with 91.5 points. Wabash was fourth with 62.33points, Marion was fifth with 60 and Churubusco was sixth with 49.83.