Ashton Thornsbury breaks hurdles record for Hillsdale track and field

Ashton Thornsbury clears the last hurdle in a 300-meter hurdles heat.

Weekend top performers

Chuck King Invitational

Hillsdale Academy boys and girls track teams followed up its SCAA championships with team wins at the Chuck King Invitational. Several athletes reached early state qualification alongside the Colts' standout results.

The meet featured Reading senior boys track sprinter Brayden Wright who earned first in the 100-meter dash (11.26) and anchored the boys 4x100 team of Aidan Clark, Gaven McKibbin and Will Elder to a state qualifying first place run of 44.05 — a new school record. The same team earned state qualification in the 4x200 with a first-place finish of 1:32.36.

Boys track results were capped by Hillsdale Academy wins in the 800 (Luke Molenkamp, 2:04.97), 1,600 (Williams Schlueter, 5:05.93 PB) and 3200 (Henry Rorick, 10:21.68). Senior Dawson Scharer, who broke school records for the Academy earlier in the week, placed first in both the 110 hurdles and 300 hurdles.

Hillsdale Academy's relay team took first in the 4x400 and 4x800. Josh King of the Academy took fourth in shot put with a throw of 39-feet, 3 inches. Reading senior Markis Tucker threw 34-feet, 8 inches in shot put (10th) and 119-feet in discus (third) for new personal best times. Mondale Knefpler had the best high jump finish, taking runner-up with a personal best 6-feet flat. Connor Hill took third in pole vault with a jump of 10-6. Jacob Drawe took runner-up in long jump with a distance of 18-8 1/2.

Over in the girls competition, junior Colt school record holder Lucy Cote took first in the 400-meter sprint, first in the 100 hurdles (15.49) and first with the 4x400 relay team of Kate Perry, Jane Whalen and Georgia Whalen (4:15.85).

Academy freshman Amelia Heath just beat out Reading sophomore London Trott (PB 52.12) in the 300 hurdles, winning with a time of 51.17. Academy senior Audrey Nehlsen took second in the 1,600 (6:04.27) Heather Morris took first in the 3,200 (13:07.13). Senior Elizabeth Caspar finished out the Colts top three runners with a second-place finish in the 800.

Pittsford sophomore Brielle Clark led the County with a fourth-place finish in the 200-meter sprint (28.0). Reading junior Caylee Whinnie was the top 100-meter dash runner with a seventh-place finish (13.73).

Clark helped lead Pittsford girls track to fourth-place finishes in the 4x100 and 4x200 relays to lead County teams. The team of Tania Williams, Jaycee Kerspilo, Ellie Bump and Clark earned times of 54.47 and 1:54.91.

The Academy 4x800 team of Caspar, Eliza Roberts, Mary Schlueter and Allie Miler took second (10:08.12).

In field events, Pittsford senior Laura LeMar took first in discus with a throw of 103-feet, 9 inches. Madison Pickford took fourth in shot with a throw of 29-4.

Amelia Heath of Hillsdale Academy took third in high jump with a PB of 5-feet flat.

Pittsford freshman Alivia Hoover took first in pole vault with a PB of 9-feet flat. Hillsdale Academy freshman Juliet King took second in long jump with a distance of 14-feet, 10 1/4 inches.

East Jackson Invitational

The East Jackson Dome Classic is the final chance many Division 3 teams have at early state qualification before regionals, and Jonesville was able to run down some impressive times to earn the team victory on the boys side of the event. The Comet girls track team took fifth place.

Jonesville junior Caleb Blonde ran down a personal best time of 1:56.42 to earn the 800-meter run win and an early state qualifying spot. Fellow junior distance runner Collin Fucile ran down a win in the 3,200 with a time of 9:58.12.

Junior Reece Rundquist ran down a personal best 41.31 to take first in the 300 hurdles. He took runner-up in the 110, and teammate Jorden Duque took second in the 300 with a PB time of 42.28. Charlie Spencer took fifth in the 100 (12.10). Harrison Packer ran down second in the 200 (23.75) and Mason Jordna took sixth in the 400 (54.55). Ashton Potwin took third in the 1,500 (PB 4:43.62).

Packer was the lead runner for the second-place finish 4x100 and 4x200 relay teams. He then led the team of Logan Stanton, Caleb Blonde and Briggs Baker to a first-place finish in the 4x400 relay (3:31.24). Blonde led the team of Ashton Potwin, Collin Fucile and Nicholas Fowler to a first-place finish in the 4x800 (8:08.46).

In field events, Lucas Stanton took fourth in discus (PB 115-8). Briggs Baker took sixth in pole vault (10-feet flat). Rundquist took fourth in long jump (18-2 1/2).

Rundquist led all results with a first-place finish in high jump with a height of 6-feet flat.

On the girls side of competition, senior Payton Nichelson continued to be the team's top performer, taking second in the 200 (28.03), fifth in the 400 (1:04.37) third with the 4x400 team and first in the high jump with a clearance height of 5-feet.

Kendahl Drake took sixth in the 800 (PB 2:37.68). Joleane Gulledge took fifth in the 1,600 (5:53.29), followed closely behind by Sophia Morgan (5:53.41). Gulledge took fourth in the 3,200 (PB 12:58.74) and Keira Knight took fifth (PB 13:10.91).

Harper James took sixth in the 100 (PB 20.31) and 300 hurdles (PB 58.49).

The 4x800 team of Kendahl Drake, Kira Van Kampen, Keira Knight and Sophia Morgan took third (10:33.69). Van Kampen took fourth in pole vault (7-6). Mia Langhann took fifth in long jump (14-6).

This article originally appeared on Hillsdale Daily News: Ashton Thornsbury breaks hurdles record for Hillsdale track and field