Cowboys place in top 5 at regional track meet

MEEKER — The Cowboy track teams competed in a field of 20 2A Western Slope teams last Saturday in the regional track meet at Stoker Stadium in Grand Junction.
To qualify for the state meet an athlete must obtain a qualifying standard during the season or place in the top three at the regional meet.
MHS qualified 10 athletes in nine events.
Terrence Casias, Sam Love, Seth Boesch and Brock Campbell placed third to go in the 4×800 relay. Senior Tyler Howey ran a splendid 110-meter high hurdle race in the prelims and would have easily made finals but tripped and went down on the last of his 10 hurdles.
Trenton Schindler made finals in both the 100- and 200-meter sprints but ended up in eighth and seventh place in the very tight finals.
Marki Cook won the 100 and placed a close second in the 200.
The 4×200 relay of Bubba Mazzola, Campbell, Jarod Doll and Jake Nieslanik ran to an eighth place finish.
The girls 4×200 of Cook, Kelsey Rundberg, Timbre Shriver and Janae Kindall had the second fastest time in the state behind a very strong Soroco team.
Cameron Stranathan ran to a personal record of 5:22 in the 1,600-meter, and Carlin Daggett almost broke 12 minutes in the 3,200-meter for the best race of his four-year career.
The same quartet of girls who ran the 4×200 won the 4×100 with great handoffs and is close to a school record.
The guys 4×100 of Schindler, Caleb Ball, Casias and Johnny Wix ran a great race but ended fifth in a photo finish. Schindler also ran to a personal record 54.41 to steal a fifth place in the 400. Shriver ran to another PR in the 300-meter low hurdles in 55.36 to place seventh. Love also ran a very strong race and another PR of 2:09 in the 800-meter run for sixth place.
The Cowboy’s scored points in the field events with Johnny Wix leading the way placing second in both the shot put and discus behind state leader Stryker Lane of Norwood.
Kindall also qualified for state in the long jump going more than 15 feet, and teammate Meg Nieslanik placed eighth. Nieslanik, Kindall and Gabie Goettel all made finals in the triple jump with Nieslanik placing fourth and Kindall seventh overall. Nieslanik also took fourth in high jump with Sydney Cook placing seventh.
Dakota Rowlett is taking another trip to state in the high jump going 6 feet and Joseph Galvan placed seventh. Freshman Jake Nieslanik almost went 38 feet in the triple jump to take sixth.
Meeker boys team finished in fourth place, in a field of sixteen teams, behind champion Paonia, runner-up Rangely and Dolores finished third.
Meeker girls team finished fifth, with 57.5 points behind champion West Grand, with 89 points, Mancos, Grand Valley and Paonia.
The state qualifiers will head to Pueblo today to compete on Friday and Saturday. There are 10 athletes competing in nine events.