Team depth, crucial points in the sprints, a couple of second-place relay finishes and junior Jack Cenarrusa's victory in high jump helped the Carey School boys to the Monte Andrus Invitational team title Thursday in Twin Falls.
Carey (90 points) slipped past the Hagerman Pirates (87) by three points in the final standings of the 15-team boys' race that featured 2A and 1A small schools from southern Idaho. Raft River's girls edged the runner-up Carey girls 78-73 in the final team standings.
The 5-6 high jump of Cenarrusa was Carey's only boys' gold medal of the afternoon, although the Panthers earned individual silver medals by senior Jacy Baird in the 400m (53.50 seconds) and senior Joe Laidlaw in 300m intermediate hurdles (44.70).
Carey got 26 points in relays and 38 in the field, but the Panthers needed 15 more in the sprints to push past Hagerman (25 sprints, 33 relays, 14 field). Laidlaw's third-place in the 100m dash (11.60) was an important factor in the difference.
In the relays, Cenarrusa led off Carey's second-place finishes in the 4x400m (Cenarrusa, Shane Bingham, Baird and Laidlaw in 3:44.80) and 1600m sprint medley (Cenarrusa, Lynn Mecham, Laidlaw and Glen Andrews in 4:08.50).
Castleford senior sprinter Kale Weekes sparked the Wolves to a third-place total of 80 points with his wins in 200m and 400m dashes and second in 100m. Weekes ran the third 400m leg of Castleford's winning sprint medley, so Weekes accounted for 30.5 points alone.
In the girls' competition, the Raft River Trojans had balanced scoring across the board, but pulled ahead of Carey with 26 relay points including wins in 4x400 and medley. Carey had 20 distance points, 30 in relays and 17 in the field events.
Carey sophomore Jaide Parke enjoyed a prosperous day with comfortable victories in the 1600m (6:09.50) and 3200m (13:06.20). Junior Micaela Adamson was second in triple jump (32-8.5) and third in the 200m dash (28.30).
The Panthers enjoyed relay success with second places in 4x100m (Daphne Kirkland, McKayla Mecham, Arriana Nielson, Angelica Zarate in 55.70), 4x200m (Zarate, Mecham, Lilly Rivera, Adamson in 1:59.10) and medley (Zarate, Mecham, Rivera, Adamson 2:02.30).
Next: Carey hosts its second track meet of the 2011 spring season Thursday, April 21 at 2 p.m. at Derrick Parke Memorial Field.
Some 12 schools are expected including Northside Conference powers Camas County of Fairfield and Richfield, plus Castleford, Hagerman and Shoshone.
Other Carey placings from Thursday's Monte Andrus:
3—4x400m girls' relay (Erika Zarate, Angelica Zarate, Jessica Richardson, Lilly Rivera in 4:55.50). 4—4x100m relay (Christian Zarate, Lynn Mecham, Luis Garcia, Tori Alvarez in 48.50) and 4x200m relay (Jack Cenarrusa, Christian Zarate, Shane Bingham, Lynn Mecham in 1:41.70).
4—Lorene Andrews discus (86-11); Luis Garcia long jump (19-0); and Blair Peck discus (115-4). 5—McKayla Mecham discus (81-4.5) and Charlie Rivera triple jump (38-11.5). 6—Charlie Rivera high jump (5-4) and long jump (18-1); Caleb Cenarrusa triple jump (37-0).
7—Dillon Cenarrusa 110m high hurdles (18.10); Jacy Baird high jump (5-4); and Luis Garcia triple jump (36-11). 8—Shane Bingham 110m high hurdles (18.50); Lynn Mecham 200m (24.40); Francisco Gamino shotput (37-9).
