Rangely boys win Panther Invitational

RANGELY I For the second year after a several-year hiatus, Yeager Field in Rangely was the site for the Panther Invitational track meet Saturday, where the boys’ home team won the meet and the girls’ team, comprised of just five girls, finished second.
“We are still in the process of rebuilding (the Panther Invitational) to its former glory, and last weekend was a step in the right direction,” head coach Stephanie Kahler said. “Although it was still a relatively small meet, we increased our number of participating teams from three last year to six this year.”
The Panther boys won the meet with several top three individual finishes, including Andrew Morton’s first place finishes in the 110-meter hurdles and triple jump and Connor Phelan’s win in the 400-meter. Morton also finished second in the long jump and added 4 inches to his personal best in the high jump, clearing 6-2.
William Scoggins returned from an injury in championship form, winning the 800-meter and 1,600-meter runs, as well as being on the first-place 4×400-meter relay team with Colton Coombs, Mitchell Webber and Ethan Allred.
“William is back and ready to go,” Kahler said of the senior’s first competition of the season.
Allred finished second behind Scoggins in the 800-meter and Dale Nielsen was fourth. Coombs finished second in the 100- and 200-meter dashes and fifth in the long jump
Webber was second in 300-meter hurdles and third in the 110 hurdles while Marshal Way finished fourth in the same event. Way also placed fourth in the 110 hurdles and triple jump and sixth in the long.
Colt Allred placed second in the shot and discus, events Chance Shepard also entered, and the 4×800-meter relay team’s (Tanner and Dale Nielsen, Kaycee Freeman and Ethan Allred) second place finish helped win the team trophy.
“It was awesome to have the boys win the trophy,” assistant coach Cody Brunton said. “They were neck and neck with Meeker the whole way and stole the win from them at the very end, with the relays, Colt’s seconds and Andrew’s triple jump win.”
Rangely’s girls scored enough team points to place second. Senior Holli Lepro continues to lead her team, winning the shot and discus events on her home field. Tessa Slage won the 800-meter run and was second in the 3,200-meter run while Aimee Hogan was second in the 1,600-meter.
Senior Brittany Babineaux was second in the 100-meter and 200-meter and fourth in the long jump. Classmate Leslie Hernandez also ran both sprints, placing third in the 100.
The coaching staff would like to give a huge “thank you to all of our high/middle school staff and community members who came and volunteered their time as meet workers to make this event possible.”
The Panthers will compete in Montrose on Saturday.