MEEKER I Last week was busy and packed full of meets for the Meeker Cowboy track team. Tuesday the pole vaulters attended the High Country Pole Vault meet in West Grand where Aspen Merrifield and Owen Hanneman both had superior performances and secured good positions for making it to state in pole vault this year. Merrifield and Hanneman both vaulted all time personal records over the weekend, Merrifield 8 feet 10 inches and Hanneman 10’ 7”.
The rest of the team got in two full meets between the JV meet Wednesday, varsity in Coal Ridge Friday and then the whole team Saturday in Rangely.
The Coal Ridge meet started out with good weather but it turned in the afternoon just as the discus finals were set to begin.
Placing in the top three at the Coal Ridge Invitational were:
Reese Clatterbaugh, Triple Jump, third place and right now it looks like this will be a state qualifying jump.
Merrifield first in Pole Vault
Hailey Knowles first in discus with a personal record of 113 feet 6 inches.
Coal Ridge as a school sits above Meeker in both size and classification and the competition at the meet was tough, but the tough competition means the kids are getting used to competing against times similar to what they will see at state.
“We are still working the kids pretty tough in practice,” commented co-head coach Hallie Blunt, “As a coaching staff we have met and gone through the times and will make some adjustments as well as fill our relays. The kids will start to taper off in their practices next week before out league meet and start getting ready for the final push of the season.”
The Rangely Invitational followed Saturday and as a team the boys finished third and the girls finished fourth.
Placing in the top three were:
The men’s 4×800 meter relay finished third and it was only the second time the Cowboys have run this race this year
In the 4×100 meter relay the mens and womens both finished second.
Sarah Kracht and Brendan Clatterbaugh each had excellent 200 meter runs, Kracht finished second and Brendan finished third.
Dayton Ridgeway placed once again in the top three in long jump, this time in second and is looking strong at making it to state.
The throwers had a good showing again, Zach Eskelson took first in shot put while Judd Harvey took third, and Knowles placed second in discus and has now placed in each and every meet she has competed in as well as this week she pr’d on both Friday and Saturday.
This week the Cowboys travel to Craig for the Moffat County Invitational on Friday. They will host Thursday pole vaulting for this meet at Starbuck Stadium.
Special to the Herald Times