Lady Vikes win six golds at four-team Johnson Relays

 HARLAN (April 23) -- The temperature was up but attendance was down for Monday’s Harlan Community Cyclone Girls Johnson Relays at Merrill Field.
 Spencer earned gold in five relays and nine events overall to win the four-team meet with 120 points. HCHS placed second with 74 points, followed by AHSTW (54 points, six golds) and Kuemper Catholic (17).
 One year after the meet was cancelled due to a shortage of teams, the Cyclones essentially hosted a quad that was over in less than two hours. Combined with above-normal temps in the low-to-mid 70s - a stark contrast to this year’s prior spring conditions - the meet’s rapid pace greatly cut down on the athletes’ recovery time between events.
 “It cooked them tonight,” said HCHS coach Doug Renkly.
 Renkly was able to find several positives in the meet, even as the Cyclones competed without one of their top performers in junior Chloe Hansen and limited sprinters Sidney Craig and Ashley Hall to just two events each.
 Kara Rueschenberg won the 800-meter run in 2:38.96 and Grace Wegner won the high jump (4 feet, 6 inches) for the team’s only two gold medals. HCHS scored the majority of its points by placing second in eight events and third in seven events. Personal-bests among that group were recorded by Abby Alberti in the 400 (2nd, 1:03.69), Andrea Ferry in the discus (2nd, 104-4), Brooke Goshorn in the discus (3rd, 102-8) and Justine Buman in the 100 hurdles (3rd, 17.51).
 Four athletes won gold in two individual events Monday, including AHSTW senior Heidi Hall in the 3,000 and 1,500-meter runs. Hall’s time of 11:16.67 in the 3,000 set a new personal best and she later ran a strong 1,500 in 5:19.21.
 The Lady Vikes won four other events as well, including PRs by Cora Comer in the 100 dash (12.88) and Ryann Portch in the 400 (1:00.88). Comer, Josie Denning and Portch also ran on both of the team’s winning relays - the sprint medley (1:56.2) and the 4x400 (season-best 4:17.93). Placing second for AHSTW were Denning in the 200 dash (personal-best 27.70) and Holly Hoepner in the 400 hurdles.