Four members of Oskaloosa High’s girls’ track team will be competing at the Drake Relays in Des Moines this week. Faith De Ronde will compete in the shot put and discus; you’ll remember she was third in the shot last year with a throw of 40 feet, one and a half inches.
“I haven’t quite hit that this season. We’ve been trying. I think I’ll hit a good one here soon. Drake would obviously be the perfect place to throw it. I’m not sure if I will throw it there or not, but I’m looking forward to it. You always throw it farther at the Blue Oval. And shot put, I’m just looking to throw the ball as far as possible. That’s my mindset going into that.”
DeRonde was 13th in the discus at last year’s Drake Relays.
Maleah Walker will compete in the long jump and 100 meters. The junior is ready for her events.
“This year for the 100, I feel like I’ve improved. I’ve been working on my starts more. I’ve been able to get out quicker, which is obviously improving my time. And for the 4 by 1, we’ve been working on handoffs and trying to perfect them to get the fastest time possible.”
De Ronde and Walker are also part of the Indians’ 4 by 100 meter relay team, along with Aby Thompson and Jordan Czerwinski. Those four were 30th at last year’s Drake Relays in that event. Czerwinski talks about having the same foursome compete in the relay.
“It definitely helps that we have the same exact people in our relay…. so we are really able to kind of pick up where we left off and continue to improve.”
Thompson was asked how the 4 by 100 relay team has improved over last year. “We’ve just been working hard on and off the track in lifting (weights) and just overall improving.”
DeRonde is the only one of the group who will compete at Drake Thursday (4/28)…in the shot put. The others will hit the Blue Oval on Friday (4/29).
