Saturday Round-up: Ladybirds capture region track and field crown

PHOTO: Allen Ramsey, DWCPhoto.com. Highlands junior Mikayla Reichert throws the discus in a recent meet. She won the Class 2A, Region 4 discus throw with a toss of 117 feet, 9 inches.

The Highlands Ladybirds won the Class AA, Region 4 track and field championship at Scott on Saturday with 175 points. They beat runner-up Lexington Catholic by 11 points.

The Bluebirds finished third with 121 points. Covington Catholic won the boys side with 136 edging out Lexington Catholic by a point.

The Ladybirds saw senior Hannah Schenk score a lot of points. She won the triple jump in 34 feet, 4 inches and placed second in the long jump (16 feet, 10 inches), high jump (4 feet, 10 inches) and took third in the 300-meter hurdles in 50.4 seconds. Senior Peyton Bankemper won the 300 hurdles in 49.82 seconds.

Rosmanie Long won the 200 dash in 26.59 seconds and Sophie Steppe won the 400 dash in a minute and 19 seconds. The other individual to capture gold was Mikayla Reichert in the discus in 117 feet, 9 inches. Highlands also saw the 400 meter relay team win in 51.93 seconds.

On the boys side, Alex Veneman and Ethan Shuley won several events. Veneman won the 200 dash in 22.26 seconds and the 400 in 49.74. He finished second in the 100 in 11.07 seconds. Sophomore Jared Pulsfort finished second in the 400 in 50.84 seconds.

Shuley captured the mile run in 4:33.59 and the two-mile in 9:48.74. Mearns finished second in the mile in 4:35.39 and the two-mile in 10:06.55.

Laskey falls in semifinals:

Highlands senior Hannah Laskey lost in the singles semifinals of the state tournament after finishing runner-up last year. Lexington Sayre senior Madeline Rolph beat her, 6-1, 6-2.