It was a historic and action-packed weekend for the New Prairie track and field program, as the Cougars showcased their depth and elite talent across two major events. The momentum began Friday night at the Carmel Distance Showcase, where two Cougars etched their names into the school record books. In a field of elite competition, Janice Felker delivered a stunning performance in the 3200m, clocking an 11:51.53. Her time officially ranks her 7th all-time in New Prairie history. Not to be outdone, Braden Bachmann also climbed the record boards in the boys' 3200m, posting a blistering 9:32.30 to secure the 6th-place spot on the NP all-time list. Fans can track these and other historic performances on the New Prairie Distance Records spreadsheet- https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1aVM63H2RBD-YZLgUFo_qlZjiEBLNKc8RUS0QWuEf4vg/edit?usp=sharing The excellence continued into Saturday as the full squad traveled to LaPorte for the Dick Deardurff Invitational, turning in a dominant day of performances across all disciplines. Boys’ Highlights The boys' side saw strength in the sprints and hurdles. Maddox Waltz and Leone Gennari battled in the 100m and 200m, while Evan Wiesmann (7th) and Sullivan Young (8th) led the way in the 400m. Noah Oberle provided a major highlight in the hurdles, claiming a runner-up finish in the 300m hurdles, while Graham Wiard added a 5th-place finish in the 110m hurdles. In the middle-distance events, Friday’s record-setter Braden Bachmann returned to the track to take 3rd in the 800m, followed by Ayden Carpenter in 8th. Aidan Jaronik also secured a podium spot with a strong 3rd-place finish in the 1600m, while Evan Thibodeau cracked the top 10. The 3200m saw gritty performances from Lukas Hannewyk and Ryese Lake. The boys’ relay teams and field athletes also piled up points. The 4x400m team (Bachmann, Wiesmann, Young, and Waltz) took 4th, the 4x800m finished 6th, and the 4x100m placed 7th. In the field, Grayson Goodman leaped to 4th in the long jump, while Landon Halderman (7th) and Robert Putz (8th) led the charge in the throwing rings. Girls’ Highlights The Lady Cougars were equally impressive, led by standout performances in the relays and distance events. The 4x400m relay team of Mikaela Wilson, Olivia Rice, Isla Wood, and Janice Felker powered their way to a brilliant 2nd-place finish. The 4x100m and 4x800m teams both secured 4th-place finishes to round out a great day for the relay groups. Individual success was found across the board. Janice Felker followed up her record-breaking Friday with a 2nd-place finish in the 800m on Saturday. In the 1600m, Elise Zelasko took 5th, while Natalie Klemczak and Jillian Firanek both placed in the top seven of the 3200m. In the sprints, Isla Wood took 4th in the 200m, and Mikaela Wilson mirrored that with a 4th-place finish in the 400m. Aubrey Schelstraete added to the medal count with a 3rd-place effort in the 300m hurdles. In the field events, Chloe Deutscher was a force in the throws, placing 4th in the discus and 5th in the shot put, with Emma Deutscher also competing well for the Cougars. From all-time records on Friday to a total team effort on Saturday, it was a weekend that proved the New Prairie Cougars are a force to be reckoned with this season. Congratulations to all our athletes!