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Taylor Takes 10,000 at Region Meet
published May 8, 2012Taylor Takes 10,000 at Region Meet
The Scottie women’s track team traveled to Hutchinson for the 2012 NJCAA Division I Region VI Championships and Conference Championships on May 3-5. Despite unseasonable hot temperatures and high humidity, the Scotties stayed focused. Freshman Mary Kate Taylor (Chillicothe, MO) captured the Division I Region VI 10,000 meter (6.2 miles) Championship with an outstanding race. Leslie Ostertag (Troy) battled the heat to earn All Conference honors in the heptathlon and Rebecca Hasenkamp (Soldier) was All Conference in the javelin.
Staying with her competition stride for stride during the first 5 miles of the race, Taylor waited patiently until the last four laps to decisively take the lead and control the rest of the race to the finish. Returning the next day, Taylor attempted a very difficult double, running the 3,000 meter steeplechase. Running the event for only her second time, she placed second in the Conference and 4th in the region to garner All Conference honors. “Those were incredible races for Mary Kate. Her 10,000 is the best race I’ve seen in all my years of coaching. Then to come back with her performance in the steeple was simply outstanding,” Coach Tom Bond stated.
Ostertag earned All Conference honors in the grueling two day, seven event, heptathlon. After working two workouts a day through the outdoor season to master the events, she put it all together outstanding performances. Ostertag finished the event with her fastest 800 meter of her career. “You have to be very committed when training for the multi’s and Leslie lived up to that. She worked hard to master the new events she had never done, and strengthen the events she had. I was really proud of her and all the work she put in to earn her success,” Bond said.
Hasenkamp captured All Conference in the javelin with her 2nd place finish and 4th in the Region. Starting track late after playing on the Scottie basketball team, she improved throughout the season. Hasenkamp set a career best throw during the season to currently rank her in 5th nationally. “Becca has decided to continue her career next year with us and I’m really excited about that. We will teach her new events to go along with the javelin, and look forward to her continued success at Highland,” commented Bond
Other top performances came from Amanda Pickman (Bendena) in the long jump with a career best jump of 5.0 meters (16’5”) which placed her 4th in the Conference and 8th in the Region. Kiedra Wade (St Louis, MO) placed 5th in the 100 meter, and 8th in the 200, running her best time of the season. Lisa Scholz (Denton) placed 7th in the discus and 10th in the hammer. The 4 x 100 meter relay (Ostertag, Frady, Meisenheimer,Wade) placed 3rd in the Conference and 6th in the Region.
“This was a fun group to work with. They did everything I asked them to do and then more. We had a lot of local athletes on this team from around the county. They meshed well with the other girls and they all saw some success throughout the season. I will really miss the ones who are leaving,” Bond concluded.
The Scotties will now prepare for the Division I Nationals at South Plains College, Levelland, Texas on May 15-17. Mary Kate Taylor will participate in the 10,000 meter and 3,000 steeplechase, and Becca Hasenkamp will compete in the javelin. Meet Results
