By Tim Taylor

Charleston senior Makenna McBride garnered two indoor personal records at the Last Chance indoor track and field meet Monday with times of 27:56 seconds for third place in the 200 meters and 8.17 for fourth in the 60 meters.

She has qualified to run in this weekend’s Top Times Illinois state indoor meet in Bloomington.

“I was really, really nervous,” McBride said, “but I am proud, and I just had to keep pushing myself.”

In a field of 36 teams at the Illinois Wesleyan Shirk Center, the Charleston and Mattoon girls track teams tied for 15th among a competitive field.

The top five teams in the final standings on the day were Kankakee, Mt. Zion, Sacred Heart-Griffin, University High (Normal), and Bloomington, respectively.

Charleston coach Chris Hawk stated that the meet was a “very good competition as athletes are making their final push to get invited to the prep top time indoor meet on Saturday.”

Charleston brought a small squad because of conflicts with soccer, music and work schedules, but the team still posted seven bests or PRs.

Mattoon’s Maya Cook placed third in the shot put with a heave of 10.31 meters, or almost 34 feet. Cook had a personal best in the high jump with a clearance of 1.42 meters, earning her 10th in the event.

Mattoon’s 4×400 relay team had a strong performance with an eighth-place finish. The team of MaKala Brown, CeZia Wade, Izzy Sanders, and Chloe Jobe clocked in with a time of 4:38.42.

Freshman Wade placed 13th with a distance of 8.74 meters in the triple jump. Charleston senior Hannah Taylor placed 10th in the triple jump with a leap of 9.10 meters, an indoor personal best.