It doesn't carry the significance of the May 9-10 Northside/Southside track and field meet in Gooding, where small school athletes from north and south of the Snake River will compete for state track berths.
But Thursday's Northside Conference meet at Carey's Derrick Parke Memorial Field comes with bragging rights. It crowns 2007 team winners and high-point athletes from the six Northside track schools.
For the past four years the sprinters and field performers from Fairfield's Camas County High School have owned the Northside Conference title. But Carey's sheer numbers are likely to change that Thursday.
Carey boys' coach Lee Cook said, "I believe we'll win the conference. We have good numbers, good speed and five legitimate distance runners."
Cook's Panther boys have won all three of their weekly track meets by surprisingly large margins this spring. That's because they've got depth and point-getters in just about every event.
Last Wednesday's 13-school Northside/Southside meet at ISDB was a good example.
The Panthers (131.5 points) parlayed 37 points in the distances, 27.5 in field events plus 34 in relays and 20 hurdles into a 45-point victory over Oakley.
Panther senior Cody Baird won the 300-meter intermediate hurdles (43.8 seconds) by over a second and Carey newcomer Jeffrey Ellingson captured his first gold in the discus (126-8), winning by 16 feet. Carey added two relay wins in the 4x100m and 4x400m events.
Cook said, "Cody is a just a good runner and we're working on his technique in hurdles."
The coach added that Ellingson, a freshman from Oregon, set a new Carey ninth-grade record in discus—breaking Andy O'Crowley's 25-year-old mark. Ellingson moved into #3 on the all-time Panther list.
Besides Ellingson's discus effort, Cook said he was pleased with Brad Hunt's second place in long jump last Wednesday.
Camas County's Chase Lee won the high jump (6-2) by six feet as the Mushers (47.5 points field) finished a close third to Oakley with 77 points.
If the girls' team race at last Wednesday's Gooding meet was any indication, the Northside Conference girls' title this coming Thursday will be a dogfight between Camas County, 2005 winner Richfield and 2004 champion Carey. Shoshone captured last year's girls' meet.
The Camas Mushers, seeking to become the fourth different Northside girls' champion in four years, tied Richfield with 96 points at Gooding but officially won the meet because the Mushers had five first-place finishes to Richfield's three.
Coach Lane Kirkland's rebuilding Carey girls were a little behind with 73.5 points—34 coming in the relays—but they recorded four first places.
Taylor Whitby took the 400m dash (1:04.1) and the Panthers added relay wins in the 4x100m, medley and 4x400m events. A couple of Camas disqualifications in the 4x100 and medley helped Carey's winning cause.
Lindsey Peterson, Camas County's fine sprinter, won the 100m (13.4) but had a serious challenge winning the 200m (28.6) from Richfield's Moe Hubsmith. Hubsmith was unchallenged in winning the gold in the long and triple jump.
And Camas' Toni Wear swept the two hurdles.
Said Carey coach Kirkland about Thursday's conference meet, "Camas and Richfield are going to battle it out and we'll do our best to see if we can knock one of them off."
Here are team standings and results of Carey's point getters from last Wednesday's weekly meet at ISDB:
BOYS
Team standings: 1—Carey 131.5 (13 sprints, 20 hurdles, 37 distances, 34 relays, 27.5 field). 2—Oakley 86 (20 sprints, 14 hurdles, 9 distances, 26 relays, 17 field).
3—Camas County of Fairfield 77 (14 sprints, 8.5 hurdles, 0 distances, 7 relays, 47.5 field). 4—Dietrich 61.
5—Castleford 53. 6—Hagerman 38. 7—Shoshone 22. 8—Murtaugh 19. 9—Richfield 15. 10—Hansen 12. 11—Bliss 9. 12—Jackpot (Nev.) 0.5. 13—ISDB 0.
1st places—Cody Baird 300m intermediate hurdles (43.8); Jeffrey Ellingson discus (126-8); 4x100m relay with Connor Rivera, Cody Baird, Heith Adamson and Gonzalo Zarate (46.7); and 4x400m with Cody Baird, Scott Ellsworth, Brad Hunt and Gonzalo Zarate (3:46.9).
2nds—Blake Whitby 3200m (10:31.5); D.J. Simpson 800m (2:13.3); Tyler Parke high jump (5-8); Brad Hunt long jump (19-1); medley relay with Connor Rivera, James Carlson, Brad Hunt and D.J. Simpson (3:57.5).
3rds—Blake Whitby 1600m (5:05.2); D.J. Simpson and James Carlson 300m intermediate hurdles (46.5 each); and 4x200m with Connor Rivera, Cody Baird, Heith Adamson and Gonzalo Zarate (1:38.7).
4ths—Heith Adamson 100m (11.97) and 200m (24.9); Gonzalo Zarate 400m (54.8); Blake Whitby 800m (2:18.6); Kade Peterson 1600m (5:06.7) and 3200m (10:50.4).
5ths—Allen Peck 3200m (11:15.8); Nathan Lichuk 110m high hurdles (20.6); and Allen Peck high jump (5-4).
6ths—Scott Ellsworth 400m (55.3);
Dillon Simpson 3200m (11:21.6); and Brad Hunt triple jump (38-2.5).
GIRLS
Team standings: 1—Camas County 96 (24 sprints, 36 hurdles, 8 distances, 8 relays, 20 field). 2—Richfield 96 (28 sprints, 2 hurdles, 0 distances, 18 relays, 48 field).
3—Carey 73.5 (10 sprints, 9.5 hurdles, 7 distances, 34 relays, 13 field). 4—Castleford 59.5. 5—Shoshone 54.5. 6—Oakley 44. 7—Dietrich 34. 8—Jackpot (Nev.) 31.
9—Hansen 14. 10—Hagerman 4.5. 11—Murtaugh 2. 12—Bliss and ISDB 0.
1st places—Taylor Whitby 400m (1:04.1); 4x100m with Shelby Hansen, Kayla Bailey, Jennifer Cenarrusa and Candace Hennefer (1.00:4); medley with Shelby Hansen, Bailey, Hennefer and Taylor Whitby (2.02.4); and 4x400m relay with Serene Bingham, Jessica Parke, Bailey and Taylor Whitby (4:41.5).
2nds—None.
3rds—Serene Bingham 100m high hurdles (18.81); Allison Shaffer 3200m (15:03.0); and Jessica Parke high jump (4-6).
4ths—Serene Bingham triple jump (28-10.5); and 4x200m with Jessica Parke, Kayla Bailey, Candace Hennefer and Kelsey Green (2:06.6).
5ths—Jennifer Cenarrusa 100m high hurdles (19.51); and Kelsey Green triple jump (28-4.75).
6ths—Emily Andrews discus (78-6.75); Brooke Bingham 100m high hurdles (19.6); Kelsey Green 800m (2:50.0); and Serene Bingham 300m intermediate hurdles (56.5).
