PLYMOUTH — Plymouth girls track and field head coach Paul Patrick likes his team.
The Lady Pilgrims showed why with a 72-59 win over visiting Mishawaka at The Rockpile Tuesday.
Senior Holly Nifong swept the hurdles and helped Plymouth to wins in the 400 and 1600 relays to lead the way. Leslie Swihart, another senior, dominated the sprints with first-place times in the 100, 200 and 400, while senior distance runner Morgan Hite pulled away from Mishawaka’s Katelyn Eberhardt for a win in the 3200 meters after finishing runner up in the mile.

Freshman Haley Smart and sophomore Brandi Witmer were part of both of Plymouth’s winning relay teams, while junior Kelsey Houin won the pole vault.
“We’ve got three really good seniors in Morgan Hite, Leslie Swihart and Holly Nifong — as they go, we go,” Patrick said. “But we have some other girls that we need to score points. Haley Smart is a freshman who looks good. We need people like Brandi Witmer and Nicole MacLain at their best.
“I like these kids; I like this team,” Patrick said. “We’ve got good vaulters, good jumpers. We look good in the hurdles. We’ve got depth in the sprints. We’re an 800 runner away from being solid all the way through the races. “
The Pilgrims now take a nine-day break before heading to Elkhart Memorial for a three-way Northern Lakes Conference meet against the Chargers and NorthWood.
“That gives us a little time to take it easy (Wednesday) and then hopefully we’ll have two good days of practice this week and start next week with two more good days before we get ready for NorthWood and Memorial,” Patrick said. “We’ve been 5-2 in the conference the last two years; I’d love to get to 6-1 this season.
“It’s early in the season,” he said. “This is only our second dual meet of the season. It’s hard to tell what the rest of the conference has at this point. I’m excited about this team; I’m excited about what they’re capable of accomplishing.”
• PLYMOUTH 72,
  MISHAWAKA 59
At Plymouth
Shot put: 1. Bellosie Frazier (M) 39-7, 2. Lindsey Kuespert (M) 34-11.5; High jump: 1. Sarah Mott (M) 5-0, 2. Loren VanRassen (M) 4-10; Long jump: 1. Mott (M) 15-3, 2. VanRassen (M) 14-4.5; Discus: 1. Frazier (M) 115-4, 2. Erin McNeil (P) 89-5; Pole vault: 1. Kelsey Houin (P) 8-9, 2. Dani McPherron (P) 7-6; 3200 relay: 1. Mishawaka 10:29.5; 100 hurdles: 1. Holly Nifong (P) 17.10, 2. Houin (P) 17.20, 3. Brandi Witmer (P) 13.60; 100 meters: 1. Leslie Swihart (P) 13.20, 2. Witmer (P) 13.60; 1600 meters: 1. Katelyn Eberhardt (M) 5:23.70, 2. Morgan Hite (P) 5:27; 400 relay: 1. Plymouth 52.70 (Nicole MacLain, Nifong, Haley Smart, Witmer); 400 meters: 1. Swihart (P) 1:01.5, 2. Mott (M) 1:04.1; 300 hurdles: 1. Nifong (P) 51.20, 2. MacLain (P) 52.30; 800 meters: 1. Ashley Name (M) 2:30.90, 2. Smart (P) 2:31.10; 200 meters: 1. Swihart (P) 27.70, 2. Mott (M) 28.10; 3200 meters: 1. Hite (P) 11:43, 2. Eberhardt (M) 11:52.60; 1600 relay: 1. Plymouth 4:24.20 (Smart, Witmer, Yuki Morita, Nifong).