Green Hope Track & Field

The Green Hope indoor track team jumped right back into the thick of top competition as the new year started. At the Mighty Explorers Meet #3 at JDL on January 9, the boys team led the way with several top performances. William Hoffmann hit the qualifying mark in the 500m with a big PR (1:08.27) for the win -- and a new GH sophomore class record. Henry Pehr earned another qualifier with his 2:39.12 win the 1000m.

The following weekend saw the Falcons send crews to meets at JDL on Friday night (1/16) and to the SWAC Polar Bear at Apex on Saturday (1/17). At JDL, the boys 4x200m relay team raced to a 1:33.15. The team of Austin Jackson, William Hoffmann, Trevor Chin, and Kwabena Sarpong not only won the race but beat the state qualifying mark and set a new school record. Hoffman came back to take 2nd in the 500m (1:08.61). Henry Pehr won the 1600m in 4:30.

For the girls team, Danyel De Souza set a school record (42.94) in the 300m. Lindsey Eastwood continued her excellent rookie campaign, taking 2nd in the 500m in 1:20.21. That time not only beat her own GH freshman class record, but qualified her for the state meet and ranks 2nd on the all-time Green Hope all classes list. Elly Henes finished 2nd in the 3200 in a state-qualifying 11:01.74 (also a new school record). She was followed by Morgan Adams (5th, 11:28.52) and Theresa Enright (6th, 11:55.30).

At Apex, the girls team added another state qualifier as Elisa Sargent (1st, 3:07.6) out-kicked Katie Tomasi (2nd, 3:08.4) in the 1000m.

JDL also hosted the Wake County Invitational on Friday, January 23. Katie Tomasi improved her 1000m slot for the state meet with a 3:05.77. The girls 4x400m relay team beat its state-qualifying time, running a season-best 4:10.93. Austin Jackson sped to a 6.78 in the boys 55m dash, a new school record. Ryan Kemper (2:54.33) and Sean Petersen (2:55.29) both broke the freshman class record in the boys 1000m on a night where nearly all of the boys' distance runners set PRs.