Four from Creek Valley compete against 'best'

Creek Valley sent a small contingent of its girls team to the Best of the Midwest meet Tuesday in Sutherland.

The Storm representatives included Summer Mueller, Jerry Straber, Jessie Straber and Hannah Blackwelder.

Keegan Michel, from the boys team, was qualified in the high jump until Tuesday morning. He was bumped out at the last minute, however, when another athlete with a higher qualifying height decided to attend.

"It's always nice to come to an elite meet that you have to qualify for," said Storm Assistant Coach Todd Westover who accompanied the team. "It's a great opportunity to see what you can do against some elite company."

Despite qualifying for the event the Storm athletes were not especially excited about their performances. Mueller, however, brought home a third-place medal in the pole vault after tying her season-best height of 9-0.

Mueller is a veteran of state in the event.

Later in the meet Mueller ran the 300-meter hurdles. Unfortunately she ran a time that was a little short of her expectations. Her 50.9 left her in seventh place.

"I was tied for the third seed coming into the 300 so I was seeded to medal. That makes it a little disappointing to finish seventh," said Mueller. "I've been having trouble this year with my stride into the hurdle but that wasn't a problem for me today."

One issue for Mueller in the 300 was that she got started off on the wrong foot, both figuratively and literally. She had the starting blocks set with the wrong foot forward.

"I don't know how I could have done that," she said.

Mueller is also a relative novice at the 300-hurdle race. Last season she ran the mile well enough to qualify for state. She decided to take on a new challenge this season and hopes she can get all the pieces to fit together for districts on May 14 at Morrill.

The only other member of the Storm to compete in an individual event was Jerry Straber. She did battle in the triple jump but didn't have her best day. Her final mark of 30-02 is about two feet short of her personal best.

"It's not as good as I wanted," said Straber. "I was hoping for at least 31 feet. But my step was really off today. I wasn't hitting my board. I was taking off well behind it."

At the end of the meet the quartet united to run the 4x400-meter relay and finished seventh. For the Storm, however, it was not the usual lineup.

Ashley Burr, who had qualified for Best of the Midwest in the 800 meters and triple jump, was not able to attend because of blisters. She would normally have run in the relay as well.

"Without Ashley we had to switch things up and run different legs than we normally do," said Mueller. "Under the circumstances though, I think we did pretty well."

One of the changes for the relay team came in the first leg. Burr usually leads off the 4x400, but Mueller was inserted into that spot instead.

The Creek Valley team will be united again on Friday at the Bayard B-C-D Meet. The field events are scheduled to get underway at 9 a.m.