Cowboys do well in windy Craig meet

The Meeker High School boys’ and girls’ track teams traveled to Craig for the Clint Wells Invitational Track Meet on Friday and returned with mixed results. The Meeker girls finished second in a field of 10 teams and the boys placed third. Both were the top 2A-placing teams at the meet. The Cowboys will have one final meet Saturday in Kremmling before the regional tournament the following week.
“Friday was a day of mixed results as the wind blew hard enough to make most of the jumping and sprinting events wind-aided,” head coach John Strate said of the meet in Craig. But, he added, “The throwers were not bothered by the conditions.”
“After adding a foot to his distance last week, Noah Overton added more than another foot in the shot put, with a mark of 41-8,” Coach Strate said. “This should solidify him a spot in the top 18 and send him to the state meet in May.”
Strate also said Meeker senior Ohana Mataia “moved herself up in the rankings with her winning throw in the shot put of 33-10.5, and she also moved herself up in the discus, with her personal best of 103.” Mataia finished third in the discus.
Meeker had the fastest sprinters in Craig as freshman Halle Ahrens and defending 100-meter dash state champion, sophomore T.J. Shelton, each won their 100-meter dashes, both setting personal bests but both were wind-aided and the times will not count towards state rankings. Ahrens ran the 100 in 12.75 and Shelton ran a 10.92.
Ahrens, along with Linda Olivas, Aly Ridings and Madison Russell, won the 4×100 relay in a time of 51.86. Ridings also placed second in the 100 hurdles and long jump. Ahrens and her older sister, Taylor, along with Olivas and Peyton Burke finished second in the 4×200, and the 4×800 relay team of Loren Casias, Julia Eskelson, Reece Pertile and Maggie Phelan finished third.
The Meeker boys also put together two successful relay squads as the 4×800 team finished second and the 4×400 team placed third.
Josh Cochran, Bailey Mantle, Marshal Pool and Austin Russell placed second and Aaron Cochran, J.C. Henderson, Jake Phelan and Anthony Watt finished third in the 4×400.
Henderson also had a personal best in the long jump, leaping a distance of 18-4, and Aaron Cochran placed third in the 800. Senior Jeremy Musgrave placed third in the triple jump, with a hop, skip and jump of 39-3.5.
The top 18 times and distances qualify for the state meet, and Coach Strate said the rankings can be viewed at maxpreps.com.
“The athletes will have two more chances to post marks that can place them in the top 18,” Coach Strate said. “This Saturday at West Grand and then the regional meet in Grand Junction May 9-10.”