Buckeye girls finish runner-up at Keystone behind event wins and steady depth

Buckeye’s girls team battled through stormy conditions and a strong field Friday night to finish second at the inaugural Keystone Track & Field Festival in LaGrange. The Bucks piled up 70.5 points for the runner-up spot, fueled by two event victories, a string of top-three finishes and valuable depth across the track and field lineup.

The headline performances started with Blakely Herman and Ellen Steppenbacker. Herman won the 300-meter hurdles in 48.56, giving Buckeye a first-place finish on the track, while Steppenbacker cleared 10 feet, 6 inches to win the pole vault. The Bucks also went 1-2 in that event, with Leah Bengough taking second at 10-0, a huge swing in the team standings and one of the meet’s strongest collective showings.

Buckeye also turned in several runner-up efforts. Sophia Regiec finished second in the 800 meters in 2:29.59, and Kaylee Limbert placed second in the 100 hurdles with a time of 17.81. Madison Gillin added a third-place finish in the high jump at 4-10, while Julia King cleared 4-8 for fifth in the same event. In the long jump, Emma Bostic soared to third with a mark of 16-6.5, another key contribution on a night when every point mattered.

The Bucks showed depth in the hurdle races and middle distances as well. Aubrey Keenan placed seventh in the 100 hurdles in 18.43, Erin Salazar took seventh in the 300 hurdles in 52.83, and Hayleigh Kreeger added an eighth-place finish in the 800 at 2:38.10. In the throws, Kerrigan Graves scored in both events, placing eighth in the shot put with a throw of 28-8 and eighth in the discus at 76-9.5.

Buckeye’s relay teams also chipped in important points. The 4x100 team of Kylee Kash, Avery Lewandowski, Emma Bostic and Ellen Steppenbacker placed fifth in 52.64. The 4x400 group of Erin Salazar, Herman, King and Regiec finished sixth in 4:32.71, closing the meet with another solid result against tough competition.

For the Bucks, the runner-up finish was a reflection of both front-end talent and lineup-wide resilience. Buckeye found points in sprints, hurdles, distance races, relays, jumps and throws, exactly the kind of balanced effort that can carry a team deep into the season. On a night shaped by rough weather and a competitive field, the Bucks still left Keystone with plenty to celebrate.