Rain can’t slow Warriors at Beloit
News editor
Weather conditions in Beloit on Friday were no different than they were in Marion — rainy, windy, and cold.
But Marion’s track teams had traveled all that way to compete in the Beloit Relays, and they weren’t about to let a little bad weather stand between them and performing well.
The weather had some effect, coach Grant Thierolf noted, but the Warriors rose to the occasion against challenging competition.
Marissa Jacobsen and Tyler Palic were two of those, each winning championships on their final attempts in triple jump and discus, respectively.
“Marissa saw three or four of the top jumpers in 3A out of the top six,” Thierolf said. “The jump she won it on was the last jump of the competition. It happened to be raining as hard as it had all day. It was really her best day of the year as far as competing.”
Thierolf complimented Palic’s poise in coming from behind on his final throw.
“Those things are invaluable when you have the poise and wherewithal to hang in there,” he said. “For him to do that as a sophomore speaks volumes for the competitor he is.”
Jack Schneider placed second in the 200-meters and third in the 100, and he “just keeps getting better and better,” Thierolf said.
“He’s seeing great competition all the time, state leaders, and he’s right in the middle of everything. Especially in the 200 he looked really strong.”
Kristen Herzet placed in all three throwing events, nabbing seconds in both discus and javelin, and fifth in shot put.
“She really performed well across the board,” Thierolf said. “She’s worked very hard to earn that. She’s put time in the weight room, that’s the whole key. If she wanted to finish her senior year out the way she wanted, she knew what needed to be done.”
McKenzie Remmers was one of the Warriors who had to battle the elements the longest, dodging raindrops as she ran to a second-place finish in the 3200.
Numerous other Warriors placed within the top 10 in their events, which sets the teams up well for the upcoming league meet.
However, Thierolf said the team’s success at league won’t come from the top. The focus in practice will be on elevating athletes with the potential to score across all places awarding points.
“It’s about getting all the kids that are going to be scoring the fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-place finishes to understand how important they are,” Thierolf said. “Those are the guys that drive you to a league championship. Every rep they do, every rep they run or throw this week is important.”