ShawneeDispatch.com

The Maranatha Academy boys and girls track and field teams used Friday’s 12-team meet at Central Heights High School to announce — through their first competition — that they have reloaded and are ready to be a contender in the Class 2A track scene in 2009.

Despite losing key members of the 2008 squad to graduation, this season’s Eagles got right back to their winning ways Friday with the girls team garnering second place and the boys team earning third.

Maranatha coach Bernie Zarda said he was happy with his team’s first performance.

“It was kind of fun for a first meet,” Zarda said. “I’m actually very pleased. We’ve really battled with the weather forecast, but we had a good day to run. The kids really performed up to expectations.”

On the girls’ side, junior Keegan Williams began the defense of her state pole vault title by earning first in the event at Central Heights. Senior Ali Bailey took first place in the 3,200 meters, while junior Bethany Zarda earned first in the 1,600 then, soon after, took second in the 200 in her first-ever attempt at the event.

Zarda then went on to be a part of the girls’ first-place 1,600-meter relay team along with fellow junior Mallory Keith, freshman Kristin Courtney and senior Ashley McConnell. Bailey also earned a relay championship when she joined Keith, freshman Haley Justice and senior Faith Manning in the winning 3,200-meter relay.

On the boys’ side, sophomore Devante Williams set a Maranatha school record for the triple jump in his first varsity competition. His leap was good enough for second place. Other second-place medalists included senior Scott McCracken in the 1,600, junior Brant Asbell in the 3,200 and junior Jacob Kirkpatrick who pulled out a pair of second-place finishes in the 100 (11.26 seconds) and 200, respectively. Kirkpatrick’s younger sibling Jordan also medaled by taking third in the 3,200.

The boys 1,600-meter relay team of Asbell, McCracken, Williams and Jacob Kirkpatrick earned second in their race, while the 3,200-meter relay squad of McCracken, freshman Ian Bower, sophomore Mitch Heller and junior Paddy Manning took home third-place hardware.

Maranatha will step up the level of competition as it faces bigger schools Thursday at the Mill Valley Invitational. The Eagles’ coach said his team welcomes the challenge of competing against bigger schools because it will prepare them for state.

“That will be challenging,” he said of the Mill Valley meet. “If they can compete at that level, then I feel like they should be able to compete with anybody in 2A.”

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