Union junior Brynn Albertsen leads the field during the 4x800 meter relay on Tuesday, April 15, in Hudson. The Knights took gold in the event, beating out Decorah by more than 10 seconds. This past Monday, the quartet finished in first again at the co-ed Hudson Relays with a time of 10:05. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

HUDSON — The Union girls’ track and field 4×800 team took gold twice recently at the Hudson High School track in less than a week’s time – first on Tuesday, April 15, during the girls relays and then again the following Monday, April 21, during the co-ed Hudson Relays.

On April 15, the relay team of Brynn Albertsen, Kate Carlson, Lily Lorenzen, and Amilia ‘Millie’ Condon clocked in at 10 minutes, 18.66 seconds for first place, beating out the nearest competitor Decorah by more than 10 seconds. The Knights got off to a fantastic start through the first and second legs; in the third, Decorah pulled ahead briefly before Lorenzen roared back on top.

This past Monday, the quartet (minus Condon and with the addition of Chloe Sadler) again crossed the finish first at Hudson with a time of 10:05 – a season best and just five seconds shy of the Union school record of 10 minutes flat set last year by the girls.

Other top-10 finishes for the Knights at Hudson on April 15 included:

*3-Distance medley, 4:38.00

PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

*4-Lily Lorenzen, high jump, 5 feet

*4-Katie Jackson, 400 hurdles, 1:12.96

*4-Addie Tudor, 3000 run, 12:44.10

*5-4×400, 4:20.49

*8-Shuttle hurdle , 1:18.32

Senior Kate Carlson runs the second leg of the 4x800 on April 15 in Hudson. Union finished in first with a time of 10:18.66. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

*8-Haylee Hegdahl (5-way tie), 4 feet, 4 inches

*9-Chloe Sadler, 400 dash, 1:05.43

*10-4×200, 2:01.98

The Knights finished ninth out of 16 scoring teams with 36.2 points; Decorah took home gold with 126 points followed by West Delaware with 97.5 points and Grundy Center with 82 points.

As of press time, Union was down at least one high-performing member with senior Jailyn Petersen out due to a foot injury, according to head coach Justin Parson; he does not anticipate her returning at any point this season.

In-between high jump rounds, senior Lily Lorenzen runs the third leg of the 4x800 on April 15 in Hudson. Union finished first with a time of 10:18.66. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

“We did have some kids scratch [at Hudson on April 15]. We are in the heavy part of the schedule where some legs are getting heavy, so we decided to err on the side of caution with a few events,” Parson told the newspaper. “Overall, this team is young, but we have overachieved and I feel like we have had a better season than I anticipated.”

Two nights later on April 17, the Knights were back on the oval at the Girls Mustang Relays at East Marshall High School in Le Grand where they took fourth with 74 points out of a dozen scoring teams. Union finished a mere whisper behind the hosts in third with 75 points, followed by Roland-Story in second with 90 points and Newton in first with 150 points.

Condon racked up a pair of gold medals in the 3000-meter run (11:13.36) and 800-meter run (2:30.29), while Carlson took silver in the 400-meter dash (1:03.31) just ahead of teammate Sadler in third (1:08.74).

Katie Jackson also earned a silver in the 400-meter hurdles (1:13.22).

Fourth place Union finishes included the 4×800 relay team of Albertsen, Sadler, Jackson, and Adeline ‘Addie’ Tudor (10:56.20); Albertsen in the 800-meter run (2:37.24); and the 4×400 relay team of Sadler, Jackson, Haylee Hegdahl, and Reese Anderson (4:30.15).

Lapping Dike-New Hartford in the process, Union senior Amilia ‘Millie’ Condon, right, leads as she runs the final leg of the 4x800 on April 15 in Hudson. Union took first with a time of 10:18.66. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

In terms of qualifying for the state track and field championships set for May 22-24 this season, Coach Parson said both the Knights’ high jump and long jump “look promising.”

“[The] 4×800, [distance medley], shuttle, and 4×400 relays have a shot in my opinion,” he added. “I believe we can get in the 3000, 1500, 800, and possibly a 400 if we continue to work in the right direction.

“Proud of all our kids for working to get better and for being flexible in other roles this season.”

Knights senior Lily Lorenzen competes in the high jump Tuesday, April 15, at Hudson. She took fourth with a leap of five feet. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

Union sophomore Adeline ‘Addie’ Tudor (2) leads the starting pack during the 3000-meter run on April 15 in Hudson. She went on to place fourth with a time of 12:44.10. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER