State sprinter Janiya Moore will look to build on successful 2023
Richfield track and field will kick off the 2024 outdoor season April 12 at the Irondale Knights Under the Lights invite.
Girls head coach Beth Johnson enters her third season at the helm of the program and marks her 25th season with the Spartans this spring which should be filled with more personal bests and hardware as the season moves along.
“We are looking forward to a fantastic season filled with personal records and building on our performances from last year,” Johnson said as the squad will lead on senior captains including Paige Hanson, Janiya Moore, Ariet Onyongo and Parker Pollis.
“These four will lead us not only with their awesome attitudes and efforts but also in their individual events,” Johnson said as the program graduated a dozen seniors after the 2023 season.
Moore was one of top sprinters in the state, finishing second in the 100-meter final at the Section 3AA Championships in a PR of 12.49 before placing 13th at the state meet in 12.80.
In the 200m, Moore was also second in the section final in a PR of 25.55 and placed 10th at the state meet in 26.19.
While running for the Minnesota Flyers this winter, Moore was sixth at the USATF Minnesota Indoor Championships March 10 in 8.21 and seventh in the 200m in 27.74.
After the high school state meet, Moore, who plans to run at St. Thomas next season, continued to run for the Flyers where she ran a 13.11 in the 100m at the USATF Minnesota Association Junior Olympic Championships to place seventh in her 17-18-years-old division June 18. She was 10th at the USATF Region 8 J.O. Championships on July 16 in 13.20.
In the 200m, she ran a PR of 26.15 at the USATF Minnesota J.O. Championships in the prelims and followed up with a 26.38 to place fifth in the finals. She was 11th at the Region 8 meet in 27.53.
Onyongo made massive gains in the throws last season, adding over 16 inches to her shot put distance between the Tri-Metro Conference Championships and Section 3AA Championships. She reached 22-9 1/4 for a PR at sections.
In the discus she also set a PR at sections going 60 feet, 9 inches to place 28th after finishing 27th at the conference meet with a throw of 48-8, a gain of more than 12 feet.
Pollis will guide the distance group and add team points in the throws.
She was 15th in the 800m at the section meet in a PR of 2:38.20 after going sixth at the conference meet in 2:38.95.
In the 1,600 run she was seventh at the conference meet in a PR of 6:11.11 and 14th at sections in 6:20.33.
In the shot put she set a new PR of 29-4 1/2 to place ninth at the section meet.
Look for Hanson to add experience to the sprint group and pick up key team points along the way.
“We had a strong group of underclassmen last year that we are hoping will stay injury-free to really see their talents by the end of the season,” Johnson said.
Richfield will run on its home track at Spartan Stadium twice including the annual Spartan Invite Thursday, April 18, and a Tri-Metro Conference meet April 30. The Spartans will run at the Edina Invite May 3, Section 4AA True Team meet at Fridley High School May 9 and at the Tri-Metro Conference Championships at Columbia Heights High School May 14 and 16.
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