“Going to two meets gave us a great opportunity to really focus on what we wanted to work on each day,” said head coach John Strate of last week’s back-to-back track meets.
The season has now reached the point where the kids are trying to solidify state qualifying.
The weekend opened Friday at Coal Ridge, the girls 4×800-meter relay of Hailey Knowles, Julia Dinwiddie, Briar Meszaros and Tatumn Kennedy ran “a great race,” according to Strate. Their time of 11 minutes 21 seconds has them in qualifying position. “We will have to keep an eye on that one to see if it will stick as a qualifying time,” commented Strate.
The girls 4×100-meter relay also ran on Friday. The team of Gracie Bradfield, Megan Shelton, Kenzie Turner and Sarah Kracht ran their season best time of 52.38 seconds and they are currently sitting fourth in the state.
Bradfield ran a new, non-wind aided personal best in the 100-meter dash with a time of 12.75 seconds. She placed second only 0.2 seconds behind the first place finisher.
In girls’ field events, Shelton had an excellent day in the discus with her throw of 127 feet, beating her own school record by 3 feet and setting a new meet record.
The boys’ also continue to set personal bests and improve, Kelton Turner ran his personal best time in the 100 dash at 11.64; placing fourth. Tevin Pelloni won the pole vault clearing 11 feet 9 inches and trying his personal best height. Colby Clatterbaugh had a big day in the high jump setting a new personal best of 5 feet 7.5 inches for fifth place. This height currently has Clatterbaugh at 19th in the state “it will be fun to watch him try and qualify as we near the end of the season,” commented Strate.
Also placing in the top six was Turner, girls’ pole vault, (9-3, third place), Shelton, girls’ shot put, (33-5, sixth place), Turner, boys’ pole vault (11-3, third place) and Jeremy Woodward, boys’ triple jump, (38-5.50, fifth place).
It was another sun-filled day for a meet in Rangely which, “also went well in terms of moving kids up into the top 18,” said Strate.
Dinwiddie ran a season best time in the 100-meter hurdles with her time of 18.16 seconds. Strate, looking to state commented that, “Her work ethic is really paying off for her as she looks to qualify in more than one event this year.”
Bradfield ran an excellent 400-meter dash, in her career best time of 59.12 seconds to take first. This time breaks the school record she set last year at the state meet, and broke a meet record that was set over four decades ago in 1973.
Lady Cowboys finishing in the top six include, Bradfield in the 100 dash (12.75, first place), Savannah Mendenhall, 200 meter run (28.49 seconds), Briar Meszaros, 3,200 meter run (14:17.95 seconds, fifth place), Emma Knez, high jump (4-7, third place), Kirsten Brown, triple jump (32- 3.25, fourth place), Shelton, shot put (33-4.5, second place), Shelton, discus (123-9, first place), Knez, discus (96-10, fifth place), and Hailey Knowles, discus (96-, sixth place).
The boys’ sprinters also had a good day. Running a 4×100 relay, for the first time this season together, Andy Kracht, Woodward, Porter Hossack and Turner won the meet with their time of 46.02. This time will qualify them for the state meet. The boys 4×400-meter relay of Woodward, Clatterbaugh, Tannen Kennedy and Spud White “ran a really tough race, winning the meet, and most likely qualifying for the state meet with their time of 3:40.67 seconds,” commented Strate, adding, “Just like last week we are seeing exciting improvement from our young boys’ team.”
Other top six place finishers for the boys at the Rangely track meet are: Turner, 100 dash (11.82, sixth place), Brayden Woodward, 110 hurdles (19.38 , sixth place), Brandon Blaisdell, 300 meter hurdles (45.86 seconds, third place), Clatterbaugh, high jump (5-5-, fifth place), Woodward, long jump (18-11, fifth place), Kracht, long jump (18-10, sixth place), Ryan Phelan, triple jump (35- 7.75, third place), Woodward, triple jump (35-, fifth place),
Friday the team is back on the road, a bit closer to home, in Craig, for a meet that will begin at approximately 10 a.m.
By TIFFANY JEHOREK
Special to the Herald Times
