Nine athletes from Hailey's Wood River High School have qualified to compete in the 88th annual Idaho High School State Track and Field Championships May 19-21 at Lyle Smith Field, Bronco Stadium.
The Wolverine contingent is led by senior field performer Syringa Stark, who qualified in all four of her events during Thursday's Great Basin Conference 4A meet for the Fourth and Fifth districts at Century High School in Pocatello.
With the top five individuals and top two relay teams making state from the seven-school meet, Stark was second in shotput (30-11 state seeding mark), third in discus (98-3 ½), fourth long jump (14-11) and fifth triple jump (33-2 ½).
When the state field events begin Thursday, May 19 in Boise, Stark will likely have to add two more feet in long jump, one foot in triple jump, six feet in shotput and 20 feet in discus to have place in the top eight.
The three other Wolverine girls for coach J.C. Nemecek are Rachael Richards, Casey Fahey and Ruth Anderson. The five boys headed to state for coach Jeannie Bradshaw are Scott Bartlett, Carl Browning, Corbin Miniard, Craig Werley and Micah Floyd.
Browning, Richards and Fahey each qualified in two events.
Browning, a junior, finished fourth in the 100-meter dash (11.68) and fifth discus (128-11 ½). Richards, a senior, was third in the 3200m (12:35.6) and second at 1600m (5:37.5) just five seconds behind reigning State 4A 3200m champion Stephanie Johnson of Burley.
Richards has some of Wood River's best chances for points since she's seeded seventh at 3200m 40 seconds behind junior Johnson, and fifth in the 16-runner 1600m field. Last year in the State 3A meet, Richards placed fourth in the 3200m and seventh at the 1600m distance.
Fahey, a senior, placed third at 100m (13.54) and fourth at 200m (28.14) at the conference meet. She had Wood River's best state finish with a silver medal in last year's State 3A 200m dash. Also, Ruth Anderson, a sophomore, qualified for state in the 3200m (12:40.9).
Senior Werley qualified by placing third in the discus (137-3), Miniard, a sophomore, was fourth shotput (45-2) and junior Bartlett finished second long jump (20-0 ½). Miniard needs to add about five feet in shotput and Bartlett one foot in long jump to improve state chances.
One more state qualifier was freshman Micah Floyd in the 300m intermediate hurdles (44.34). He was fifth at the conference run-off.
Century (201.5) won Thursday's boys' meet with Wood River (41) seventh. In the girls' standings, Pocatello (197) raced past Jerome (139) and Wood River (56) was sixth.
Last year's State 4A team champion were Bishop Kelly by nearly 60 points over Emmett and Vallivue in the girls' race, and Madison of Rexburg 88-83 over Century.
