Ravenwood's girls track & field team might be small, but underestimate them at your own peril! Competing at the Scott Hartman Invitational at Brentwood High School, the girls snagged three event wins and put up over 50 points.
Msgana Araya got Tuesday off to a great start by running a perfect tactical race, coming from behind to win the second heat of the 1600m with a 15 second PR of 5:45. The 4x200m relay team of Ayanna Haywood, Jordyn Johnson, Leila Dawson, and Kaylen Thomas would have won the 4x200m, but they were disqualified for being just out of the zone on the second exchange. In the 800m, junior Kiara Carter continued her strong season, winning for the second consecutive meet. Her 2:24 puts her 12th in the state in the 800m. Ayanna and Kaylen rebounded quickly to finish 2nd and 3rd in the 200m, picking up 14 points. Though she missed scoring by 2", sophomore Mary Prestegaard's 27'3" throw established her as Ravenwood's best shot putter in 2019.
Wednesday brought more success for the Lady Raptors, beginning with freshmen Saraia McGhee, Charlene Huang, Ellie Long, and Karina Sheth, who ran a solid 4x800m relay, holding off Nolensille to finish 7th. Newcomers Nevaeh Haywood and Callie Behling ran PRs in the 100m. Kiara won her second event of the meet by outkicking Franklin's Whitney Bryant in the 400m. In the high jump, Jordyn Johnson finished 7th. In the final event of the meet, the girls 4x100m relay team of Ayanna, Jordyn, Paige, and Kaylen came from behind to win in 52.44, stunning Independence, Franklin, and Brentwood with a furious finish.
"I wish we had some more girls out," lamented Coach Mueller, "but the ones we've got are really getting after it. Their commitment in practice and determination in competitions makes me so proud. We have a good mix of older and younger athletes, so it will be great to see what they can accomplish as the season unfolds."
View the complete meet results.