After a recent injury scare, Adi Kern soared to new heights in her return to pole vault in Friday’s Kearney Classic Invitational.
The standout Platte County junior cleared 3.05 meters to set a new PR and won the event at Kearney High School. She went over 3 meters for the first time in her career after failing to record a height while experiencing discomfort during the Ron Ivies Invitational late last month.
Kern previously qualified for Class 5 Sectional 4 as a freshman but posted her previous career-best at last year’s Kearney meet (2.9 meters).
Platte County finished a distant second in the final team standings with 87 points, behind Liberty North’s dominant 167, with all four relays setting season-bests in an impressive fashion. The Pirates were second in the 4×100 at 50.93 seconds with the combination of senior Rylee Carr, juniors Vanessa Sarpong and Maggie Wagner plus Kern. The posted time was just off the school record set last season at the Class 5 District 8 meet with Sarpong, Kern and Wagner in that lineup.
Having been in a lengthy search for a favorable combination to coalesce, Platte County’s 4×400 showed potential in a runnerup showing with seniors Emily Huehl and Addie Ayers, freshman Mary Dellinger and Wagner. The Pirates finished in 4:11.82 and behind only Liberty North.
The more established 4×800 earned a victory for Platte County with seniors Madelyn Stewart, Ayers and Huehl plus Dellinger. The Pirates went under 10 minutes at 9:55.47 with hopes of regaining state-qualifying form.
Ayers went to the Class 5 MSHSAA Track and Field Championships for Platte County in the 4×800 as a freshman and sophomore with one state medal to her credit. Huehl, who transferred in from Kansas as a junior, helped the Pirates reach Class 5 Sectional 4 last season.
In addition to Kern, Carr also posted an individual medal-winning performance, placing second in the long jump at a season-best 4.85 meters. Sarpong came in fourth in the 200 (27.42), while Dellinger — splitting time between track and soccer — rounded out a busy day by finishing fifth in the 1,600 (5:44.78).
Wagner (51.09) added a fifth in the 300 hurdles.
Platte County senior Adi Benninghoff continued her standout run of performances in the 100 hurdles as a runaway winner at 15.26. Park Hill South sophomore Ava Sakic-Conner was a distant second at 16.00.
On Monday, Platte County returned to Kearney for the Kearney Throwers Meet with sophomore Millie Parker posting a bounceback performance in the shot put. She finished third at 9.65 meters — just off her career-best of 9.90 meters from the season-opening Liberty North Time Trials.
Parker didn’t go over 9 meters in Friday’s full Kearney meet.
Platte County senior Kelly Bullano placed fifth in the javelin at the throwers-only competition on Monday. The Pirates’ school-record holder in the event posted a 32.94 meters.
