RANGELY | The Rangely High School track and field team delivered a standout weekend, notching personal records (PRs) and event wins across two meets.
On Friday, three Panther distance runners competed at the Phil Wertman Invitational in Grand Junction. Taya Wren placed second in the girls 3,200-meter run with a PR of 11 minutes, 28.34 seconds. James Talbot matched her in the boys race, also placing second in 9:54.99. Kellen LeFevre took eighth with a big PR of 11:27.52, shaving over a minute off his previous best.
The rest of the team competed Saturday at the Demon Invitational in Glenwood Springs, where more standout performances followed.
The boys 4×800-meter relay team of Clay Allred, Chance Allred, Joseph Valdez and Talbot took first in 8:43.00. Freshman Taylor Fouch won the girls shot put with a throw of 31-5. Aubrianna Tapia placed third (30-2.5), and Amber Castillo threw 14-9.
In boys discus, Chase Cochrane finished fifth (119-10). Cutler Mergelman placed eighth with a PR of 103-7, and Jaren Blankenship threw 73-4.
Senior Ashlynn Ducey debuted in the 100-meter hurdles, placing second in 17.19. Robert Murray led the boys 100-meter dash with a PR of 12.03. Davon Lucero ran 12.64, and Izaiah Moody clocked 13.02.
The girls 4×200-meter relay of Miah Wren, Rachel Elder, Tylee Fielder and Ducey placed third in 1:52.48. The boys team (Murray, Moody, Lucero, Peterson) finished seventh in 1:42.90.
Jordan Irwin won the boys triple jump with a PR of 41-6. Christian Fortunato (33-5.5) and Chance Allred (30-10.5) also jumped well. Tapia recorded a PR in the girls triple jump (30-1), and Ducey won the long jump with a PR of 16-2. Logan Peterson (17-9), Fortunato (16-9) and Murray (16-2.5) posted solid marks.
Tavan Morgan and Aaron Savage both set PRs in the boys mile with times of 5:26.66 and 5:48.21. Cochrane finished seventh in shot put (36-6.5), with Mergelman close behind (36-0). Fouch and Tapia placed seventh and eighth in girls discus; Castillo threw 62-2.
The boys 4×100-meter relay (Murray, Fortunato, Moody, Peterson) placed eighth in 49.60. In the 400, Clay Allred edged brother Chance, 59.54 to 59.76. Miah Wren placed third in the 300 hurdles (50.94).
In the 800, Haiden Garcia (3:00.04), Addison Thayn (3:00.10) and Courtney Casto (3:06.21) went 9th–11th. On the boys side, Morgan ran a PR of 2:21.44, followed by Savage (2:48.75). Rachel Fielder clocked 30.98 in the 200.
Freshmen Faith Preito (16:18.70), Kyler Fouts (12:46.54) and Gage Nielsen (15:23.64) made their 3,200 debuts.
Both 4×400-meter relay teams ran season bests. The girls (Miah Wren, Taya Wren, Fielder, Ducey) placed third in 4:21.72; the boys (Irwin, Peterson, Valdez, Talbot) took fourth in 3:42.94.
Pole vault wrapped up the meet with more highlights. Miah Wren won the girls event at 9-4, with Elder (6-10) and Fielder (6-4) in fifth and sixth. Irwin cleared 12-4 for second in the boys event, while Kacey Allred set a PR of 11-4. Clay Allred cleared 9-4.
“This was probably our best week of the year so far,” said head coach Beth Scoggins. “Everywhere I looked, kids were setting PRs and competing hard.”
The Panthers will host the Rangely Panther Invitational on Saturday, April 19.
