Led by boys' all-around winner Dakota Dalin, the Camas County Musher boys dominated Thursday's Northside Conference track and field finals at Derrick Parke Memorial Field in Carey.
But there were some surprises and at least one school record during the annual seven-school meet.
The Bliss Bears, for example, were delighted to earn a second-place team trophy for their boys' finish behind Camas. The Mushers earned 97 points in the field events to beat Bliss' runners and hurdlers 166-107—as senior Dalin had 36 points.
While Camas County was winning the boys' title for the third consecutive year, the Richfield Tigers pieced together 51 distance points and 52 field points to replace three-time defending champion Carey as the girls' team winner.
Richfield's girls amassed 145 points for the afternoon and Carey's girls (36 hurdles, 32 field, 34 relays) improved to 116 for second place.
Girls' all-around winner was Shoshone's Katie Strunk (40 points), who swept the three individual sprinting events and won the high jump. Richfield's Brooke Norman (38 points) captured the 800-meter, 1600m and 3200m distance runs.
The host Carey Panthers made strides in the conference finals.
Carey won the girls' and boys' 4x400m relays and added individual victories by junior Whitney Peck in the discus and sophomore Serene Bingham in the triple jump. Camas County's Beth McLam won both hurdles events, but Carey's girls dominated most of the hurdle places..
Coach Lane Kirkland said, "The hurdles helped us get a lot of points—the girls are coming along. Overall, the team spirit and effort really picked up. I think we're going to peak at the right time."
Whitney Peck's winning discus throw of 97 feet was nearly 12 feet better than her throw of the previous week. Her toss also set a new school record, eclipsing Jennifer Kelsey's mark of 95-2 set in 1987. For the day, Whitney finished with 36 points.
"Coach (Liz) Young told Whitney to stop analyzing it to death and to just throw it," said Kirkland about Peck's discus achievement. "Bonnie Olsen (81-6) also set a personal best in the discus by 15 to 20 feet."
Teaming up to win the girls' 4x400m relay were Brooke McAfee, Melissa Peck, Serene Bingham and anchor Whitney Peck. McAfee (32 points on the day) got the early lead and Bingham (34 points) stretched it to 12 lengths in the third leg.
For Carey's boys, Scott Ellsworth was feeling a little under the weather but it didn't stop the young Panther runner from placing third in the 400-meter dash and anchoring the winning 4x400m relay team with Brad Hunt, Allen Peck and Tadd Green.
Blake Whitby placed second with a strong finish in the 1600m run and Tyler Parke was second high jump. In the team totals, Camas won six individual events and Bliss four. The Northside schools are competing this week—yesterday, Tuesday and Thursday, May 12—in the state-qualifying Fourth District 1A/2A track and field meet on the ISDB track in Gooding. The top five individuals and top two relay teams from the 1A Northside and Southside conferences qualify for the State 1A track meet May 19-21 in Boise.
Thursday's conference results:
BOYS
Top team standings: 1—Camas County 166 (31 sprints-28 hurdles-0 distances-97 field-10 relays). 2—Bliss 107 (29S-20H-26D-8F-24R). 3—Carey 89 (7S-10H-30D-18F-24R). 4—Dietrich 49. 5—Shoshone 45. 6—Richfield 40. 7—ISDB 20.
1sts—Mike Blodgett (CC) 400m (54.82); Dakota Dalin (CC) 110m high hurdles (15.61) and triple jump (37-11); Chase Lee (CC) high jump (5-10); Mark Wilson (CC) shotput (37-7); C.W. Stewart (CC) discus (109-9);
Camas 4x100m relay Josh Shroyer, Tony Gonsales, Mike Blodgett, Chase Lee (48.25); and Carey 4x400m relay Brad Hunt, Allen Peck, Tadd Green, Scott Ellsworth (4:01.93).
2nds—Blake Whitby (C) 1600m (5:13.20); Tyler Parke (C) high jump (5-8); Dakota Dalin (CC) 100m (11.74) and 300m intermediate hurdles (44.36); Mike Blodgett (CC) long jump (18-6 ½); Josh Shroyer (CC) triple jump (37-9); J.D. Jewett (CC) discus 103-2;
Carey medley Cody Baird, Nathan Foster, Tadd Green, Allen Peck (4:07.89).
3rds—Scott Ellsworth (C) 400m (57.40); Brad Hunt (C) 300m intermediate hurdles (48.46); Allen Peck (C) 3200m (11:03.00); Devin Simpson (C) shotput (35-5); Josh Rast (CC) triple jump (36-2); Travis Van Gelder (CC) high jump (5-8); Ben McLam (CC) 100m (11.75), 200m (24.50) and 110m high hurdles (17.99);
Carey 4x100m relay Jesus Ocampo, Mark Adamson, Tyler Cook, Nathan Foster (52.28).
4ths—Kade Peterson (C) 1600m (5:18.70); Blake Whitby (C) 3200m (11:04.00); Cody Baird (C) long jump (17-7 ½); Jordan Lemons (CC) triple jump (36-1 ½); Chase Lee (CC) 110m high hurdles (18.23); J.D. Jewett (CC) shotput (35-0 ¾); and Tony Gonsales (CC) discus (95-10).
5ths—James Carlson (C) 110m high hurdles (18.93); D.J. Simpson (C) 300m intermediate hurdles (49.91); Allen Peck (C) 800m (2:21.60); Tyler Parke (C) 1600m (5:30.74); Kade Peterson (C) 3200m (11:15.20); Travis Van Gelder (CC) triple jump (35-6); C.W. Stewart (CC) shotput (33-9); and Tony Gonsales (CC) discus (95-10).
6ths—Nathan Foster (C) 100m (12.19); D.J. Simpson (C) 110m high hurdles (19.71); Kade Peterson (C) 800m (2:22.50); Tyler Parke (C) 3200m (11:33.80); Josh Rast (CC) long jump (16-5 ½); Trevor Dalin (CC) triple jump (34-3); and Tony Gonsales (CC) shotput (33-5).
GIRLS
Top team standings: 1—Richfield 145 (12 sprints-6 hurdles-51 distances-52 field-24 relays). 2—Carey 116 (2S-36H-12D-32F-34R). 3—Camas County 80 (17S-20H-0D-19F-24R). 4—Shoshone 74 (30S-0H-20D-24F-0R). 5—Dietrich 63. 6—Bliss 16. 7—ISDB 4.
1sts—Whitney Peck (C) discus (97-0); Serene Bingham (C) triple jump (30-8 ½); Beth McLam (CC) 100m high hurdles (17.79) and 300m intermediate hurdles (53.20);
Camas 4x100m relay Kasey Lemons, Kandace Boggs, Kayme Backstrom, Rose Schwarzbach (56.38); and Carey 4x400m relay Brooke McAfee, Melissa Peck, Serene Bingham, Whitney Peck (4:42.50).
2nds—Serene Bingham (C) 100m high hurdles (19.00); Brooke McAfee (C) 300m intermediate hurdles (54.66);
Carey 4x100m relay Cassie Weaver, Amanda Hill, Brooke McAfee, Lacey Peterson (58.14); Carey 4x200m relay Amanda Hill, Melissa Peck, Whitney Peck, Lacey Peterson (2:03.00); and Carey medley relay Cassie Weaver, Bonnie Olsen, Melissa Peck, Whitney Peck (2:11.50).
3rds—Brooke McAfee (C) 100m high hurdles (19.38); Serene Bingham (C) 300m intermediate hurdles (56.31); Lacey Peterson (C) high jump (4-2); Rose Schwarzbach (CC) 100m (13.67), 200m (29.01) and shotput (28-5); and Camas 4x400m relay (5:11.50).
4ths—Cassie Weaver (C) 100m high hurdles (19.47); Allison Shaffer (C) 800m (2:53.45) and 1600m (6:50.20); Melissa Peck (C) 3200m (15:27.20); Amanda Hill (C) long jump (13-10 ¼); Beth McLam (CC) 100m (13.88); Kira Menck (CC) shotput (26-1 ¾); Camas 4x200m relay (2:05.50) and medley relay (2:30.90).
5ths—Amanda HIll (C) 400m (1:16.33); Cassie Weaver (C) 300m intermediate hurdles (1:01.93); Bonnie Olsen (C) discus (81-6); Kayme Backstrom (CC) long jump (12-7 ½).
6ths—Jennifer Cenarrusa (C) 100m high hurdles (21.10) and 300m intermediate hurdles (1:03.40).
