Kendall eyes big track season

Photo by Mike Wertman – Anchoring the lineup for the Kendall High girls track team this season are these veterans. In front are Maya Rutland and Taylor ReQua. In back are Tania Arellano, Jaimie Smith and Taylor Rutland.

Anchored by a good group of returning Genesee Region All-League meet and Section V Class C place finishers, the Kendall High girls track team is looking to challenge for top league honors this spring.

Sophomore Maya Rutland, who won the 100 and 800 and sophomore Taylor Rutland, who took first in the 200 and high jump and second in the 400 at last spring’s G-R All-League meet, heads Kendall’s veteran group.

Maya Rutland also took first in the 800 and second in the 100 and Taylor Rutland first in the 400 and second in the 200 at the Class C meet.

In the relays at the Class C meet Maya and Taylor Rutland and senior Jaimie Smith were members of the winning 400 team. Maya and Taylor Rutland and eighth grader Taylor ReQua were all on the 1600 quartet which placed fourth.

Also at the Class C meet, Smith placed fifth in the discus, junior Tania Arellano second in the triple jump and fifth in the long jump, sophomore Kristen Jacobs seventh in the long jump and Taylor Rutland fourth in the high jump.

The Lady Eagles only other senior is Alexa Young who competes in the relays and steeplechase.

“We’ve got lots of talent,” said coach Jennifer Legault. “We only have two seniors so we’re a bit young but we’re got a core of good athletes.”

Photo by Mike Wertman  – Veterans Caelan Welch and Justin Russell lead the Kendall boys track team.

The Kendall boys track squad is led by a core group of seniors headed by veterans Justin Russell and Caelan Welch in both the distance and pentathlon events.

The other seniors include Josh Allaart, Tim Elphicck, Justin Hards, Tyler Smith and newcomer Isaiah Brown.

“This season I hope to utilize every bit of our athletes’ strengths to put points on the leader board, have some personal records broken and to be competitive with other schools in the league and section,” said Coach Jessica Clark.

The Eagles were scheduled to open the Gensesee Region League season Wednesday with a home meet against Byron-Bergen but that was postponed due to the weather. The Eagles season now looks to open April 8 at Oakfield-Alabama.

Kendall’s Schedule is as follows:
April 2 – Byron-Bergen, ppd.
April 8 – at Oakfield-Alabama, 4 p.m.
April 23 – Pembroke, 4 p.m.
April 25 – at Brighton Invitational, 4:30 p.m.
May 7 – at Alexander, 4 p.m.
May 9 – at Marion Invitational, 4:30 p.m.
May 12 – at Holley, 4 p.m.
May 17 – G-R All-League meet at Byron-Bergen, 9 a.m.