Girls track & field: Big 12 Champs for 2nd straight season

Brady Boyd, Giana Rawlings, Kirsten Santana and Ruth Oliveros-Gallardo • May 12, 2023

Photo Courtesy of: NCHS Athletic Dept. Twitter // @IRON_ATHLETICS1

The girls track & field team pose for a photo after winning program’s third straight Big 12 Conference title at Champaign Central High School May 5.

The girls track and field team secured its second consecutive Big 12 Conference championship title on May 5.

Community ended the conference meet with 131 points, a 37-point lead over hosts Champaign Central High School.

The win was a team effort for the Iron.

Junior Jazmin West won the 100-meter (12.26) and 200-meter (25.38) races.

Ali Ince (’24) matched West with two first-place finishes as an individual, winning the 400 and 800.

In the 400, Ince finished with a time of 56.97. Junior Abigail Ziemer took third in the race (1:01.18).

In the 800, Ince crossed the finish line at 2:13.74, trailed by freshman Lily Cavanaugh in second (2:20.55).

Ince anchored both of Community’s distance relays, helping the Iron take first in both.

The 1600 relay team of Cavanaugh, Queen-Patricia Lubala (’24) and Anna Dunne (’23) finished with a time of 4:01.93.

The 3200 relay team of Ziemer, Dunne and Megan Metz (’23) posted a time of 9:40.36.

Senior Ruth Oliveros-Gallardo (’23) placed first in the shot put for the second year in a row, throwing 11.47 meters.

Marco Reynolds (’25) threw 11.15 meters, good enough for third in the event.

West contributed to the second-place 800-meter relay team’s 1:44.62 finish and a third-place finish in the 400 relay (47.24), along with teammates Jahariah Williams (’26), Kendall Luke (’25) and Alena Smith (’24).

In the discus, Aurora Kiamana (’23) captured third with a throw of 32.07 meters.

In the hurdles, Lubala posted second and fourth place finishes. Lubala took second 300 (47.24) and fourth in the 100 (16.04).

Editor’s Note: Ruth Oliveros-Gallardo is a member of the Inkspot staff and contributed to this article. A previous version incorrectly stated that this was the team’s third straight title. A scoring issue falsely awarded the Iron with the championship in 2021 before being corrected.

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About the Contributors

Brady Boyd, Staff Writer

Giana Rawlings, Staff Writer

Giana Rawlings is a junior at Normal Community High School and participates in basketball, Best Buddies, I-Club and Freshmen Mentoring Program. This is her first year working with the Inkspot, and she is a staff writer. In my free time, I like to shop until I drop and hangout with friends. My all-time dream is to travel the world and experience different cultures. A slogan to live by is “don’t put the key to your happiness in someone else’s pocket.”

Kirsten Santana, Senior Staff Reporter

Kirsten Santana is a senior at Normal Community High School and involved in the internship program. This is her third year working on the Inkspot, and she is a senior staff reporter. My favorite film is either “Mamma Mia” or “Little Women.” I am currently reading “On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous” by Ocean Vuong. One of my favorite quotes is “In the end, we’ll all become stories.” – Margaret Atwood

Ruth Oliveros-Gallardo, Staff Writer

Ruth Oliveros-Gallardo is a senior at Normal Community High School and is on the track and field team. This is her first year working with the Inkspot, and she is staff writer. After school and on the weekends, I enjoy working and spending time with my friends. My biggest pet peeve is people chewing with their mouths open. I am most comfortable when I am with my sisters or by myself.