Last Thursday’s track meet was unlike any other that Manhattan High will compete at this season. At Washburn Rural, where the meet took place, team scores were not given. The only things that mattered were the athletes’ individual score.

“Most of us were around the same level,” triple jumper Izumi Asano, junior, said. “So we had some good competition that wasn’t too much, especially for the first meet.”

Of course, the first meet of the season did not come without a problem. The girls didn’t get to pole vault due to a rip in the runway that was later deemed hazardous by officials and occurred when pole vaulter Montana Kubista, senior, prepared to take off.

“Considering it was my first meet of my senior year, honestly [I felt] a little upset,” Kubista said. “But there will always be another meet. So, I’ve just got to keep positive vibes going about the whole thing. I guess you can say I tore it up out there.”

Despite the pole vault incident, the meet went smoothly for high jumper Christian Carmichael, senior, who competed in his first track meet of his high school career.

“It was a different experience for me since I haven’t participated in a track meet since middle school and all the coaches really helped me out,” Carmichael said. “It was a good experience.” Carmichael placed fourth with a jump of six feet. ;p

The next meet will be at Lansing High School next Friday.

“Our next meet in Lansing will be much more competitive than our last one,” Asano said. “I hope we can all bring our own game and compete well and improve.”