Bluejays shine at 39th Otto Bacher Invitational

The Merrill Varsity Track and Field Program turned in a standout performance at the 39th annual Otto Bacher Invitational on May 8, 2026, collecting a gold medal, two silver medals, and three bronze medals on the night.
The highlight of the evening came from the girls 4x400 meter relay team, which closed out the meet with a gold medal and a season-best time of 4:19.76. Hannah Rell, Lauren Zuelsdorff, Rebekah Hagemeister, and Marie Hagemeister made up the gold-medal team.
The girls 4x200 relay team of Hannah Rell, Claire Jirovec, Brenna Jirovec, and Lauren Zuelsdorff earned silver with a time of 1:52.25.
Tyler Spade also claimed a silver medal in the long jump, leaping 20 feet, 5 inches.
Spade added a bronze to the Bluejays’ medal collection in the 400-meter dash, clocking in at 51.75 seconds.
The girls 4x800 relay team of Caroline Durbin, Amelia Weberpal, Kayla Klimek, and Charlotte VanDerNest also took third with a time of 11:25.09, earning a bronze medal, and Khloe Olson rounded out the medals with a bronze in the long jump at 15 feet, 4.75 inches.
“Last night was something special!” said Varsity Track Head Coach Alec Oestreich. “The 39th Otto Bacher was filled with great performances and a team atmosphere like nowhere else.”