Personal records were the order of the day for the Wood River High School track and field team when seven schools converged at Minico High School last week for the Great Basin Conference final meet.
But it was also gratifying for Wolverines coaches Jeannie Bradshaw and J.C. Nemecek that seven of the Hailey athletes qualified for this weekend's 89th annual Idaho High School State Track and Field Championships in Boise.
Seniors Jesse Stark (6-0 high jump) and Scott Bartlett (21-7 ¾ long jump) did the most damage for Wood River at the regional meet, winning their regional championships and leading the state parade.
The coaching staff calculated that there were 40 personal bests achieved by the Wolverines at regionals.
Accordingly, distance coach Monte Brothwell of Bellevue will run 40 laps today, Wednesday during after-school track practice—one lap for each personal-best earned in Rupert.
At Minico last week, the top five individuals and fastest two relays from the Fourth and Fifth districts qualified for state track Thursday and Friday, May 18-19 at Bronco Stadium's Lyle Smith Field.
Prelims and some field events are Thursday. The 4A finals are set for Friday night.
Based on their placings, those joining Stark and Bartlett at state are senior Margii Driscoll, juniors Corbin Miniard and Micah Floyd, plus freshmen Delaney Fox and Sloan Brandon.
Only Bartlett, Miniard and Floyd return from last May's Hailey state track contingent.
Bartlett has perhaps the best chance for a state medal since his winning regional long jump gave the senior the third-best seeding jump.
Last year's 4A team champions were Emmett's girls and Bishop Kelly's boys. Bartlett's sixth place in long jump was the best state finish recorded among returning athletes.
Placing second at last week's regionals were Driscoll in the 200-meter dash (26.80) and Miniard in shotput (47-7). Driscoll has the eighth-best state seeding time and Miniard the eighth-best throw. Floyd was third in the 300m intermediate hurdles (43.20).
Fox was fourth in the 400m dash (1:03.70) and fifth at 200m (27.80). In her first state track meet, college-bound soccer player Driscoll also qualified with fifth in the 100m dash (13.30) while Brandon was fifth in the girls' triple jump (31-3).
In other news, Allie Freund set a new school record of 6-7 in the pole vault Wednesday.
Century of Pocatello (boys) regained its regional title with a well-balanced 155.5 points Thursday and the Jerome girls (135 points including 73 field) had enough in the bank to beat Century (127) and defending champion Pocatello (112).
Wood River (43) was sixth of seven schools in the girls' rankings and seventh in boys (50).
The following are regional team finishes, plus Wood River placings from the Fourth/Fifth District track championships May 10-11 in Rupert:
Boys' team: 1—Century 155.5 (32 relays, 24 sprints, 53 distances, 10 hurdles, 36.5 field). 2 (tie)—Preston and Pocatello 106 apiece. 4—Jerome 101. 5—Burley 77. 6—Minico 72.5. 7—Wood River 50 (3 relays, 7 sprints, 0 distances, 6 hurdles, 34 field).
Girls' team: 1—Jerome 135 (22 relays, 14 sprints, 19 distances, 7 hurdles, 73 field). 2—Century 127. 3—Pocatello 112. 4—Burley 109. 5—Preston 91. 6—Wood River 43 (6 relays, 25 sprints, 3 distances, 3 hurdles, 6 field). 7—Minico 42.
1sts at regionals—Jesse Stark high jump (6-0); and Scott Bartlett long jump (21-7 ¾).
2nds—Margii Driscoll 200m (26.80); and Corbin Miniard shotput (47-7).
3rds—Girls' medley relay with Ellen Ard, Margii Driscoll, Charlene Fields, Delaney Fox (1:56.90, just missed qualifying by .21 seconds); and Micah Floyd 300m intermediate hurdles (43.20).
4ths—Delaney Fox 400m (1:03.70).
5ths—Margii Driscoll 100m (13.30); Delaney Fox 200m (27.80); Sloan Brandon triple jump (31-3); and boys' 4x400m relay with Scott Bartlett, Spencer Flade, Micah Floyd, Grayson Thompson (3:43.20).
6ths—Allie Freund 100m high hurdles (18.00); Rosie Gilchrist 3200m (13:01.20); Scott Bartlett 100m (11.80) and 400m (55.00); and boys' medley relay with Carl Browning, Spencer Flade, Gerardo Garcia, Matt Libert (4:08.00).
7th—Delaney Fox 100m (13.50); Elissa Baker 400m (1:07.20); Charlene Fields triple jump (30-6 ½); Jesse Stark long jump (19-7 ½); and Carl Browning shotput (42-0) and discus (124-8).
8ths—Grayson Thompson 400m (58.00);
9ths—Rosie Gilchrist 1600m (6:11.10); Allie Freund pole vault (6-7); and Charlene Fields long jump (14-11).
10ths—Sloan Brandon long jump (14-6). 11ths—Trish McLaughlin 800m (2:52.10). 12ths—Bronwen Raff 800m (3:00.00); Tess Dahlgren 1600m (6:29.80); Noilyn Corrales long jump (13-5 ¼); and Corbin Miniard discus (114-10).
13ths—Ruby Nava 800m (3:00.70); Julia Bowman 1600m (6:31.10); Matt Libert long jump (18-2 ¼); and Tyler Stocks shotput (36-0 ½). 14ths—Hannah McNees 1600m (6:34.60); Allie Freund long jump (13-4 ¼); and Bryce Moulton 800m (2:27.10).
15ths—Trish McLaughlin 1600m (6:41.70); Julia Bowman triple jump (27-10); Sam Colesworthy 800m (2:33.50) and 1600m (5:27.40). 16ths—Bo Brown pole vault (9-7). 19ths—Tyler Stocks discus (94-5). 21sts—Ellen Ard long jump (12-4).
22nds—Julia Bowman long jump (12-0 ¾). 25ths—Morgan Brashears long jump (16-1). 26ths—Kat Pettengill long jump (11-1 ½). 33rds—Bo Brown long jump (13-9 ¼). 34ths—Jed Prall long jump (10-7 ¾).
