MEEKER — The bus left at 5:15 a.m. last Saturday on the way to Kremmling where West Grand High School hosted the 2008 Western Slope League Meet.
The Meeker men’s team looked like they might win the championship but were bumped to third with two events left in the meet.
The Cowboys did have many all conference performances; senior Tyler Howey showed heart and determination by winning his first 110-meter high hurdle race of the year with a time of 17.83, 1/100 of a second ahead of the second place finisher.
Trenton Schindler, who finished the baseball season and came out to help the track team, surprised everyone in the 100 by also winning in a photo finish.
Johnny Wix is all conference in three events; coming from behind in the discus in finals for a throw of 137-1. He won the shot put by almost 6 feet with a throw of 47-4.
The 4×100 relay team of Trenton Schindler, Caleb Ball, Terrence Casias and Wix ran a season best of 46.1 to claim all conference honors.
Sophomore Brock Campbell won the 800 with teammate Sam Love just a few steps behind for third place. Marki Cook made all conference in three events as well, easily winning the 100 in 13.19 and the 200 in 27.32. She also led off the 4×100 relay team of Kelsey Rundberg, Timbre Shriver and Janae Kindall who won in a season best time of 52.59, very close to a pre-qualifying time for the state meet.
The women’s team showed depth as well scoring 96 points in the meet. Timbre Shriver jumped the gun in the 100 hurdles but came back in the 300-meter low hurdles to take fourth place. The 4×200 relay of Marki Cook, Kelsey Rundberg, Shriver and Janae Kindall ran a season best of 1:52.0 but were beat at the tape by a Soroco team who also cut time. Jess Mullins had her best time of the year in the 1,600 and Adea Comau had personal records in the 100, 200 and 400.
Kelsey Kendall placed seventh in the 800, led off the 4×400 relay (fourth), and anchored the medley relay (fifth). Gabie Goettel lead off the medley and also scored seventh in the triple jump with a PR along with a PR in the high jump for seventh.
Sydney Cook scored points in the medley, the 4×400 and the high jump (fourth). Meg Neislanik triple jumped to second place and took sixth in the high jump.
Janae Kindall picked up more field event points by long jumping to second place and triple jumping to third.
The girls did well in the throwing events as well with Jamie Gillis making finals with a PR of 27-2 and freshman teammate Chanler May throwing to a PR of 29-4 for fifth place. Shawnie Gerloff had a great discus throw for the second week in a row with another PR of 87-2 for fourth place.
The men’s 4×800 team of Terrence Casias, Sam Love, Seth Boesch and Brock Campbell ran a season best but lost to a strong Paonia team to place second. Bubba Mazolla, Jared Doll, Joseph Galvan and Jake Neislanik had a hand-off problem but came in fifth. Carlin Daggett and Cameron Stranathan came in seventh and eighth respectively in the 1,600-meter run. Terrance Casias ran a PR 55.1 in the 400 for fifth place and teammate Jared Frantz also had a PR of 58.1.
Tyler Howey ran to another PR in the 300 IM hurdles to place sixth, less than a second behind the leader and newcomer Jared Doll (baseball) placed ninth in his first hurdle effort. Trenton Schindler ran in a slow heat of the 200 and placed fifth, just 4/10 behind the winning time. Logan Sanderson, Jared Frantz and Tyler King all had personal records with their 200-meter efforts. Carlin Daggett and Cameron Glasscock ran strong 3,200 races and the 1,600-meter relay team of Terrence Casias, Sam Love, Seth Boesch and Brock Campbell ran a season best time and placed fourth.
High jumpers Dakota Rowlett and Joseph Galvan teamed up to earn 10 points in the high jump. Dakota went 6 for second place and Joseph jumped a season PR 5-8 for fifth. Marc Shultz threw to a PR of 39 to place sixth in the shot put and Jarrett Waldref just missed making the finals with his best ever throw.
Jake Neislanik had a PR in the triple jump going 37-7 to place sixth. The teams will travel to Grand Junction for the regional meet this Friday and Saturday.