Mansfield’s senior girls seem to be growing in confidence as they enter the qualifying portion of their 2025 track schedule. After steady team outcomes in two early season non-qualifying meets, the team turned their attention towards reaching state standards at Alma’s certified track meet on March 20.
Prior to the Alma showcase, Mansfield recently took a second place team finish against 14 scoring schools at the Booneville Bearcat Relays on March 17. Although falling short of Pottsville in the final team rankings for a second consecutive week, it was the Lady Tigers that still saw relevant marks worthy of state criteria. The Bearcat meet was not a state certified event. However, MHS spirits remained on the upswing as faster times, longer distances, and state designated markers were decidedly approached.
Headliners Kaylee Ward, Laney Wood, and Danielle Lowery, all from Mansfield, saw satisfying results at Booneville as well as a previously contested Ozark meet one week earlier. The non-certified results elevated expectations for Mansfield as a select few Lady Tiger athletes continued an assault at Alma’s Leonard Daniel Memorial Airedale Relays three days later.
Three sport Tiger star Kaylee Ward became the first Mansfield track athlete this season to gain early entrance into May’s state meet because of her individual effort at Alma’s certified meet. After a pair of monster 36 feet throws in the shot put at both Booneville and Ozark, the Mansfield junior offered up a modest but gratifying 34’ 1.5” shot put throw that eclipsed the AAA determinant by two and a half inches.
Ward’s productivity at Alma not only qualified her to the 3A state championships, it also gave her the win at the Airedale event. Her mark, on a day that most of the competitors were throwing short of their entry rankings, out-distanced the next closest measure by an astonishing two feet and seven inches.
The overwhelming shot put win coupled with a third place toss in the discus prompted Alma officials to recognize Ward as the night’s outstanding female thrower. In fact, the races were halted for a special presentation gifting Ward with the ‘Coach David Hale Memorial’ award, a plaque named in honor of Alma’s longtime, recently deceased throws coach.
Wood was hoping to follow Ward’s walk into the postseason with a state standard of her own. The senior pole vaulter surpassed the 8’ 8” standard at Ozark’s non-qualifier and followed that up with an 8’ 6” measure in Booneville. For clarity, Wood declined the opportunity to move the Booneville crossbar up any higher. It was a decision based upon the meet being non-certified and the fact she had already won the event. Instead, Wood conserved energy for the triple jump, an event that she also won moments later.
The newly installed pole vault pit at Alma, however, gave Wood trouble. The senior Tiger was unable to adjust to the unfamiliar surroundings and missed moving beyond 8 feet for the first time this season. Instead of a qualifying mark, Mansfield’s leading scorer had to settle for a third place medal behind the night’s top two vaulters from Russellville and Farmington respectively.
Lowery also left Alma slightly disappointed although she had a good night too. The sophomore had come off her best performance of the season in the high jump clearing 4’ 10” on Monday night in Booneville. Should she clear that same measurement at the Leonard Daniel meet in Alma, it would have given her the early admission ticket into the 3A postseason.
Lowery had a solid performance. She pushed a pack of equally talented jumpers for podium bragging rights but not at a state height standard. Mansfield’s top high jumper cleared 4’ 8” to finish in second place among the crowded field. Her lower back, a heel or hand rolled the crossbar off at 4’ 10” on each of her three attempts keeping her from first place and the state merit.
The Tiger trio were the only Alma entries targeting the qualifying standards. A pair of teammates, Summer Lyon and Eva Trinh, that have been rapidly improving in their individual events did not make the trip after gusty performances in Booneville.
Lyon, who’s been making the transition to a long sprinter, ran her best 400m split as the starting leg in the 4x400m relay team. The sophomore who also offered a pair of 200m races via the 4x200m relay and the open 200m, clocked in with a 1:12 split in the longer 4x400m coop.
Trinh has been learning the pole vault and has become a welcome addition in the mid-distance events. She moved down to the 400m distance to help the Tigers form a 4x400m relay. Her effort was significant and helped the squad reach a fifth place time for the Booneville mile relay. Wood, Lowery, and Lyon joined Trinh for the relay run.
Thursday night, after a home softball game, Mansfield brought over dual sport athletes Trinity Triska and Ashlynn Whittaker to join Wood and Lowery in the Alma 4x400m relay. The softball pair made it just in time for the one race and a second place medal.
Triska was terrific. She established the early Tiger lead with a 1:06 opening lap. Whittaker, Wood, and Lowery ran slightly slower in the final three passes to keep Mansfield in contention. Russellville, the Airedale Meet team champions, hit a burst in the final relay race to edge Mansfield for the win.
Bailey London, a sophomore softball player and distance runner, also made the trip to Alma. She narrowly made her event coming into the stadium just moments before the start of the 3200m run.
Remarkably, the cross country All-Star battled to a personal record in the two mile equivalent with little warm up. Her recorded time of 13:59.42 placed her sixth among a full field of distance specialists.
Next, Mansfield will take a week off for spring break. They look to capitalize on their return to action with a home state qualifying meet on April 3. It is expected that upwards to twenty something schools will attend the Tiger Relays.
