HUXLEY, IA – The Ballard Bombers kicked off their 2025 outdoor track season by hosting the Ballard Invitational on April 3, competing against a strong field of teams. Despite this being their first meet of the season, the Bombers showcased promising performances across multiple events, ultimately securing sixth place with 64 team points.

Strong Performances in Distance Events Leading the way for Ballard were three gold medal performances. The distance medley relay team of Elin Watson, Olivia Wacha, Kaylor Johnson, and Brynn Wilson took first place with a time of 4:40.31. Notably, Johnson impressed in her 400-meter leg, running 1:04.98 as a freshman, while Wilson brought home the win with a strong 800-meter anchor leg in 2:36.

Senior Annika Larson delivered a standout performance in the 1500 meters, claiming first place with a time of 5:00.20. This marks her second consecutive 5:00 performance, solidifying her place among the top runners in Class 3A.

Another dominant distance showing came from senior Ava Richardson, who won the 800 meters in 2:33.44. Richardson took control of the race early and held on for a strong finish, demonstrating the aggressive racing style that Coach Barth praised.

Podium Finishes & Event Highlights The 4x800 meter relay team of Raya Miller, Ava Richardson, Nora Showman, and Annika Larson secured a silver medal with a time of 10:36.38, finishing just behind a state-caliber squad from Bondurant-Farrar. With three runners already in the 2:30s this early in the season, this relay squad has significant potential moving forward.

In the 100-meter hurdles, senior Anya Jorgensen placed third with a time of 17.43 seconds, displaying her hurdling expertise. Freshman Makiya Culbertson also showed promise, finishing seventh in 18.43 seconds.

Freshman Emefa VanLoo had a strong showing in her varsity debut, finishing fifth in the 100 meters with a time of 13.46 seconds.

Additional top performances included:

• Kya Hermann (Sophomore): 4th in the 3000 meters (13:36.02)

• Nora Showman (Freshman): 4th in the 1500 meters (5:57.12)

• Raya Miller: 6th in the 400 meters (1:07.63)

• Discus: Kelsey Lewis placed 6th with a throw of 91-10

Coach Barth's Takeaways Coach Barth was encouraged by the team's performance, particularly given that all other teams in the field had already competed in at least one prior meet. He emphasized that Ballard placed in 14 of 19 events and finished just nine points out of third place.

"This was a solid performance to get going in the 2025 season," said Barth. "Now that we have competition times, we can start making adjustments to fine-tune our performances. With nearly 40% of our athletes being freshmen, growing pains are expected, but we will work through them and grow as a team."

Looking Ahead The Bombers will aim to build on their strong season opener as they head to Gilbert on April 8 for their next meet. With early standout performances and room for refinement, the Ballard women's track team is poised for continued success in the 2025 season.

Photo Credit: Kevin Rowedder