MV's Howard, Rush set school records in track invitational

Howard eclipses pole vault mark; Rush breaks 3,200 record

Pole vaulter in mid-air above the bar at a track event.

Kennedy Howard broke the Mount Vernon school record in the pole vault when she vaulted 12-foot-6 at the Olentangy Berlin Invitational on April 10.

Mount Vernon Track

Published April 13, 2026 - 4:33 p.m.

Friday, April 10, was a record-setting performance for the Mount Vernon girls track team.

Kennedy Howard and Lucy Rush both broke school records as the Yellow Jackets finished third in the Berlin Invitational.

Howard cleared 12-foot-6 in the high jump to set a new school record, while Rush finished the 3200-meter run in 10:59.67, also a new school mark. Howard’s vault was also good enough to win the event title, while Rush finished second in her distance event.

Runner on track with spectators in the background. — Mount Vernon's Lucy Rush passes an official during a tri-meet with Newark and Northridge on April 7. Rush set the MV school record in the 3,200-meter run on April 10 at Olentangy Berlin.

The Yellow Jackets also got two first-place showings from Khloe Bradley, who won the shot put (39-9.75) and discus (117-2). That helped MV finish third with 91 points. Olentangy Orange won the event with 120 points with host Olentangy Berlin coming in second at 101.5.

MV had three others finish second in their individual events. Savannah Rose was runner-up in the 100 hurdles (16.68), while Nadia Nougi was second in the long jump (16-3.5) and Megan Packard was second in the 800 (2:30.22).

Three of the four relay teams finished in fourth, while the 4x400 was fifth. The 4x800 team of Callie Peugh, Charolette Smith, Nora De La Fuente and Amanda Misarti finished in 11:51.50; the 4x100 team of Juliet Boyd, Nougi, Rose and Danaisa Best crossed the line in 51.2; and the 4x200 team of Boyd, Kinsley Firebaugh, Ella Rickett and Best placed in 1:49.87.

The girls also participated in a tri-meet April 7 with Newark and Northridge, scoring 101 points to win. MV won 12 events overall.

Rush led the way with three individual event victories. She won the 400 (1:05.13), 1600 (5:26.83) and 3200 (12:51.53). Rose and Khloe Bradley each won two events; Rose won the 100 hurdles (16.05) and 300 hurdles (51.68); and Bradley the shot put (38-1.5) and discus (101-0). Nougi won the long jump (15-1), Khadija Ndow the high jump (4-0) and Howard the pole vault (11-0).

The 4x400 team of Boyd, Rose, Rickett and Nougi won in 4:53.13 and the 4x100 team of Fawcett, Firebaugh, Rickett and Clinedinst won in 56.26.

Mount Vernon’s boys team finished sixth at Berlin with 40 points.

Athlete in mid-air during long jump competition. — Mount Vernon's Ben Fitzpatrick leaps through the air during the long jump competition at a track meet at Mount Vernon recently.

Calvin Heithaus won the 3200, finishing in a time of 10:05.92. The Jackets also got third place finishes from Brady Mills (400 – 51.42) and Ben Fitzpatrick (long jump — 20-10).

In the tri-meet with Newark and Northridge, MV finished second with 63 points.

Heithaus won the 800 (2:10.61) and finished second in the 3200 (11:55.98) to pace the Jackets. Mills won the 400 (52.31) and Fitzpatrick the long jump (20-0), while the 4x100 relay team of Mills, Fitzpatrick, Cole Denney and Mason Richards won in 46.41.

Austin May placed second in the long jump (18-9.5) and high jump (5-4), while Joseph Butts was second in the 800 (2:20.59) and Jamison Oakes was runner-up in the 400 (54.91). The 4x400 team of Landon Barber, Jonah Eggert, Heithaus and Miller placed second.