WOOD RIVER - Madison County’s small schools gathered Monday, April 28, 2025, for the annual Track and Field Championships at East Alton-Wood River High School, where the Father McGivney Catholic girls secured their third consecutive title, demonstrating depth and versatility despite windy conditions.
The Lady Griffins amassed 144 points, surpassing Civic Memorial’s 94 and Roxana’s 87. Other participating schools included Alton Marquette (61), East-Alton Wood River (58), Madison (44), and Metro-East Lutheran (24).
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Individual champions for the McGivney girls included Mia Range in the high jump with a mark of 1.52 meters (5 feet), Lilly Gilbertson in the 100-meter dash at 13.08 seconds, Elena Rybak in the 400 meters at 59.15 seconds, Jane Cummins in the 800 meters at 2:35.2, McKenzie Jones in the 1,600 meters at 5:56.4, and Isabella Harris in the 3,200 meters at 13:56.
Relay victories for the girls featured the 4x200-meter team of Range, Elli Moody, Anna Seefeldt, and Gilbertson finishing in 1:50.6; the 4x400-meter team of Gilbertson, Cummins, Alli Beltramea, and Rybak with a time of 4:06.4; and the 4x800-meter squad of Cummins, Bella Redenius, Jones, and Rybak clocking 10:42.6.
Silver medals were awarded to Zoe Oller in the shot put with a distance of 9.16 meters (30 feet, 5 inches), and to Beltramea in the 100 meters, Kelea Gaither in the 200 meters, Oller again in the discus, and the 4x100-meter relay team of Abby Joost, Caroline Rakers, Gaither, and Gilbertson, which finished in 53.14 seconds. Lily Terrell set a new school record in the triple jump at 8.94 meters (29 feet, 4 inches).
On the boys’ side, Caleb Payne won the pole vault with a height of 2.9 meters (9 feet, 6 inches). Runner-up performances included a 4x200-meter relay team of Lyle Biermann, Chris Marchetti, Tyler Ahring, and Will Rakers, which set a school record at 1:34.92, and a 4x800-meter relay team of Ahring, Liam Schmidt, Gus Range, and Rakers finishing in 8:38.0. Connor Schmidt earned a bronze medal in the 3,200 meters with a time of 11:02.
Additional school records were set by the boys’ 4x400-meter relay team of Biermann, Ahring, Range, and Rakers at 3:35.58, and Joey Seefeldt in the triple jump at 11.4 meters (37 feet, 6 inches).
Looking ahead, the boys’ team is scheduled to compete at Triad, and the girls’ team will travel to Collinsville on May 2.
