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Girls track looks back on strong season
by Norv and Mary Coblentz · Sports · May 25, 2017


The West Branch girls track and field team celebrated their terrific season May 21 at the high school with a meal.
The team sent five events for the state track and field meet held in Des Moines last week.

West Branch Co-head Coach Carol Lumpa thanked several people including those attending the banquet. She thanked the bus drivers, those who provided food after meets, helped at home meets, and those attending the meets. She thanked those who help with the 5k run during Hoover Days, and her co-coaches, Scott Kelly, Dan Duniga, and Nikki Koenig.

Lumpa and co-head coach Scott Kelly distributed letters to the athletes and spoke about each one.

First-year letter-winners were freshmen Jaylen Votroubek, Aubrey Baylor, Taylor Boelk, Kaiya Luneckas, Taylor Thein, Mackenzie Heise, Mikayla Prusha, and Grace Kerchner; juniors Hanna Tisinger and Taylor Tisinger; and seniors Kaylee Montgomery, Aurora Eilertsen, and Haley Mullinnix. Second-year letter-winners were sophomores Autumn Kolpin, Clare Muckler, Riley Vaughan, and Lexie Whede. Third-year letter-winner was junior Tatum Koenig. Senior Paige Miller was a four-year letter-winner.

Miller qualified for the state meet in 14 events over her four years on the team. She earned nine state medals and qualified for the Drake Relays three times.

“She is a fearless competitor and one of the best track athletes Carol (Lumpa) and I have ever worked with,” Kelly said.

The coaches recalled details of the state meet and noted the fantastic support for others that the girls displayed this season.