MHS tracksters prepare for state

MEEKER | The final track and field meet of the regular season was held at Grand Valley High School last Saturday and the Meeker Cowboys used it to prepare for the upcoming 2017 Colorado State Track and Field Championships, which start today in Denver.
The Meeker girls’ team won the Grand Valley meet and their coach expects them to compete for the state team title this weekend, while the boys finished second in Grand Valley and have several athletes who could make the podium at the state meet.
Maggie Phelan triple jumped 34 feet 2 inches into the wind, moving her from fifth to third in the state. She won the meet. Megan Shelton was able to get a good throw in the discus and qualify for state and freshman Tevin Pelloni had a big day clearing 10-2 (third place) in the pole vault and putting himself in the state meet.
Meeker girls Peyton Burke, Sydnie Main and Kenzie Turner all pole vaulted Friday and although Burke established a new school record this season and Main cleared 7-8 last Friday, none qualified for the state meet.
According to head coach John Strate, Meeker senior Delenn Mobley had a big day placing fifth in the 3,200-meter run, sixth in the 300-meter hurdles and eighth in the 1,600 meter run, while classmate Nishiko Thelen was third in the 3,200 and sixth in the 800 and freshman Madison Kindler finished sixth in the 3,200. Sarena Goedert placed fifth in the 300 hurdles, Julia Dinwiddie placed fourth in the same event, was third in the 100-meter hurdles and she placed fourth in the high jump. Karlee Nielsen placed fifth in the triple jump and Makenna Burke was sixth in the 400.
The 4×100 boys relay team of Jorgen Stagg, Andy Kracht, Cole Brown and Casey Turner (who ran in his first meet after getting cleared from shoulder surgery) won the meet and finished two-tenths away from a trip to the state meet.
Coach Strate said Matthew Beck scored team points with a third place finish in the 1,600 and fifth in the 3,200, the same race Ridge Williams placed seventh in, while Brayden Woodward placed third in the 300 meter hurdles and Clay Anderson was seventh in the 1,600.
Meeker High School will be represented by 22 athletes, including five girls’ relay teams and eight girls competing in eight different individual events, while the boys qualified one relay team and four individuals competing in eight different individual events starting today.
The girls will be led by Meeker senior Maggie Phelan, who currently has the third best triple jump in 2A, qualified in the 400-meter dash and is a member of two relay teams. Sophomore Sydnie Main has the third best discus throw in 2A and classmate Megan Shelton has the fourth best shot put in 2A. Both Meeker throwers qualified in both events.
Senior Julia Eskelson qualified in the 3,200 and senior classmate Peyton Burke will represent the Cowboys in the 100-meter hurdles. Freshman Kirsten Brown qualified in the triple jump, while senior Loran Casias qualified in the 100 dash and sophomore Gracie Bradfield will represent in the 200, both are on three relay teams.
The Meeker girls qualified teams in the 4×100, 4×200, 4×400, 4×800 and 800-meter medley relays, which include seniors Madi Russell and Loran Casias both in the 4×100, 4×200 and 800 medley, along with Tori Lasker, Gracie Bradfield, Sierra Williams, Avery Watt and Maggie Phelan. Senior Julia Eskelson is also on the 4×400 and 4×800, as is Karlee Nielsen, Briar Meszaros and Williams.
The Meeker boys’ team will be led by seniors Austin Russell, Cole Brown and Caleb Bradford. Russell qualified in the 3,200, the 1,600 and 800-meter runs, while Brown will run in the 100- and 200-meter dashes and Bradford will compete for medals in the shot put and discus.
Pake Burke, Josh Cochran, Kale Burke and Tannen Kennedy will represent the Cowboys in the 4×800 meter relay and Pelloni in the pole vault.
“We were really excited to have such good numbers qualify on the girls side and such high quality on the boys side,” coach Strate said. “All season long our girls’ team has felt like they can compete in the overall team competition at the state meet. It should be a tight race as there are five teams that appear to be in the mix.”