By Colin McCaw
The Vicksburg Girls Track Team won the conference meet, posting 122 points, beating out the next closest team, Otsego, by 51 points.
They did so on the backs of star juniors, Gabbi Perrin, Michaela Oesterle, and Kacey Vanderbos. Oesterle, who is the daughter of head coach Susan Oesterle, put in a long night’s work placing third in the pole vault, second in the 100 meter hurdles, third in the 300-meter hurdles, and finally anchoring the 4×400 meter relay team which placed third.
Vanderbos, a state qualifier in the 100-meter hurdles, took first in both the 100-meter hurdles and 300-meter hurdles. Beyond that she was a member of the 4×400 meter relay team, and a member of the 4×200 meter relay team, which placed second.
The hurdlers were certainly a key to the Bulldogs’ success, but perhaps the most impressive, performance came from the distance runners. Junior runner, Gabbi Perrin, a state qualifier in both the 1600 meter, and 3200 meter events, swept the distance events, with winning times of 5:22 in the mile and 11:56.44 in the two mile. Not far behind, was freshman standout, Lana Steele, who placed second behind Perrin in both events.
Going into the season, Vicksburg girls track coach, Susan Oesterle, knew she was going to have a quality team. With many varsity lettermen returning to the squad, expectations were favorable for the Bulldogs.
“I knew we had a lot of strong runners returning this year,” she said. “They were good last year and they all knew that they needed to defend their position in the conference.”
With the Bulldogs wrapping up their season with a Wolverine Conference title, Coach Oesterle is pleased with the work her team put in this season.
“We started the year strong, but we were young,” she said. “They continued to work, despite the inclement weather we faced this spring, and they got much stronger.”
The Bulldogs look to be even tougher next season, as the team this year was predominantly junior laden.
“The juniors were the strength of the team,” Oesterle said. “They were the leaders.”