Penguins Track 2022

The Whitewater Penguins Track Team has returned five athletes with state experience in their 2022 campaign.

"I feel we have a solid foundation that has been built over the last 4 or 5 track seasons," Whitewater Head Coach Charlene Wasson said. " I feel confident in this group of high school athletes competing in their events this season, even for missing a year of track due to Covid (2020) they just know how to compete."

The team competed in the Glasgow Invitational, their first track meet of the season and the Lady Penguins took fifth as a team with 43 points.

This season, the Lady Penguins have a total of eight athletes; senior Hannah Hanley, juniors Kora LaBrie, Samantha Wisher, and Kendra Cummings, sophomores Paige Wasson, Kendall Scheffelmear, Ava Hanley, and freshman Shelbi LaBrie.

The Penguins boys team consists of junior Hunter Ellis and freshman Korbin Skubinna.

Skubinna led the charge for the boys team setting a time of 31.84 in the 200 meter run and 1:13.30 in the 400.

"Korbyn was super nervous, but competed great in his events and he likes competition and learning new things," Coach Wasson said.

Ellis set new bests in shot put and discus. He had a throw of 26-6 in shot put and a throw of 80-10 in discus.

The girls team was led by their long relay team, who took first place with a time of 4:39.66. The long relay team consisted of K. LaBrie, Scheffelmear, S. LaBrie, and Wasson.

Scheffelmear took second place in the triple jump with a leap of 30-5. She was also sixth in the 300 hurdles with a new personal best of 52.78.

Wisher was second in the 3200 with a new best of 13:02.93. Wisher was eighth in the 1600 with a best of 6:21.

Kora LaBrie took third in javelin with a throw of 92-7, a new best.

S. LaBrie took third place in the 1600 with a time of 5:47.83.

Shelbi, I believe, surprised herself in her mile with her time being under six minutes," Coach Wasson said. "She was just really nervous about the level of competition and how she was going to perform. She found out she has exactly what it takes."

Coach Wasson said that she felt that her athletes competed well in the first meet of the season.

"I am always a little nervous if we did enough to get them prepared but they are starting off pretty close to where they left off last season," Coach Wasson said.

The team has entered the season with a few nicks and bruises but the biggest loss this year came at the end of basketball season. Ava Handley will miss the year due to knee surgery.

"Kendra dealt with some blisters on her feet the past few weeks so when she gets them healed up we will see the confident runner back in her," Coach Wasson said.

Cummings finished the 1600 and 3200 races with times of 8:17.75 and 17.20.03 respectively.

Hannah Hanley ran a time of 15.01 in the 100, 32.47 in the 200, and 19.97 in the 100 hurdles.