Baseball seniors to be saluted in Friday's finale
Not much went right for the Wood River High School baseball team in five lopsided losses by a combined 59-14 score last week, but the Wolverines are hoping to catch a winning wave and ride it into next week's Great Basin Conference meet.
Wood River's "Senior Night" is Friday, April 29 at 4:30 p.m. in a league game against the Canyon Ridge Riverhawks at Hailey's Founders Field. The Wolverines visit Canyon Ridge in Twin Falls Saturday for a 12 noon double-dip that will settle the final two GBC seeds.
Tuesday's home make-up against Burley ended Wood River's three-game series with the 'Cats. The GBC tournament opens Tuesday, May 3. Wood River and Canyon Ridge will battle this weekend for the fifth and sixth seeds, and likely first-round tourney visits to Burley and Jerome next Tuesday.
Wood River (3-15, 1-10 league) had little success with reigning GBC champion Twin Falls (16-3, 10-2) last weekend, losing three games 8-0, 11-0 and 13-3. The outcomes stretched the Wolverine losing streak to eight entering Tuesday's home contest with Burley (11-7, 8-3).
Last Tuesday, 18 errors doomed Wood River in a 14-8 and 13-3 twinbill loss at Burley.
Hailey highlights were a grand slam homer by Zach Israel and two-run bomb by Alex Padilla in the 14-8 setback. Kevin Jensen, Israel and Connor Braatz (triple) ripped extra-base hits in the 13-3 nightcap.
The Great Basin tournament field is shaping up.
Twin Falls won the season series with Minico two games to one, Spartan ace Casey Christiansen throwing a nine-inning two-hitter at Twin in last Tuesday's 2-1 Minico victory. Christiansen followed that outing with a one-hitter Saturday in a 10-1 Spartan win over Jerome (10-8, 6-6).
So it looks like Twin Falls will carry the #1 seed into next week's tournament and wait for the winner of Tuesday's first-round game between the No. 4 and No. 5 seeds. Minico hosts Burley Friday for three games that will settle the No. 2 and No. 3 Great Basin seeds.
Wood River will seek to knock Canyon Ridge (6-12, 1-11) into the sixth seed this weekend and visit No. 4 Jerome next Tuesday. The Wolverines have played their best league games against Jerome this spring including a 2-1 loss and 9-8 home win. If the Wolverines are sixth seed, they'll probably have to travel to Burley Tuesday.
Eight Wolverines travel to Boise Relays
The effort of its distance medley relay teams (1200 meters, 400m, 800m, 1600m) was the focus for the Wood River High track and field teams during Friday's 42nd annual Boise Relays/Pat Bieter Invitational at Boise's Bronco Stadium.
Wood River traveled with four boys and four girls to the big meet. On a cold but windless night the Wolverine girls set a new school record in distance medley at 14:54.67. That placed Wood River seventh overall in a competitive field.
Dani McLaughlin (4:35) ran the 1200m, Corrine Smith followed with the 400m (best 400 time by a WRHS girl this season in 67 seconds), Alison Town (2:47) did 800m and Jade Atkinson (a personal-best 6:23) finished the relay with the 1600m.
Hailey's medley boys missed their record by 11 seconds, clocking 11:02.30 for fourth place 10 seconds behind the winners from Elko (Nev.). They were Chase England 1200m (3:33), Ian Keys with a personal-best 400m in 56 seconds, Ben Stout 800m (2:04) and James Paris 1600m (4:31).
The Wolverines also did the open 1600m at the Boise Relays.
Corrine Smith ran a personal-best 6:00.50 for 14th place, Jade Atkinson came up with a personal-record 6:30.08 for 22nd and Dani McLaughlin was 23rd in 6:35.26. All are juniors.
In boys' 1600m won by Vallivue junior Morgan Choate in 4:29.81, Wolverine senior James Paris placed second in 4:32.13 and junior Ben Stout was fourth 4:39.14 (PR).
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Canyon Ridge meet
Wood River athletes and those from the five other Great Basin Conference schools faced strong, gusting winds during Thursday's Pre-District GBC gathering in Twin Falls at Canyon Ridge High School.
Twin Falls won the boys' and girls' team races over Canyon Ridge, 196-108 in boys and 227-112 in girls. Wood River had 23 points to place fourth of six schools in girls' ranks.
Junior Cheyenne Swanson won discus (100-0) by a full 13 feet and placed second in shotput (32-9.5). Nicole Pratt was fourth in triple jump (28-9.5) and sixth in the 300m intermediate hurdles (58.6 seconds). Pratt's 13.9-second time in the 100m dash was a personal-best, and so was Morgan Brimstein's 14.0 for 100m.
Ian Keys placed fourth in 100m (11.08 PR) and fourth in 200m (22.98 PR). Andrew Pfeiffer was third at the 3200m distance (11:07.4) and Ben Stout finished fifth in his first open 400m at 56.36 seconds, 1.79 seconds off the top time.
Others with personal bests were John Bartoletta, Josh King, Chris Isaacs, Brian Trejo, Valentine Verneg and Taylinn Lake. The next competition is the Mini-Cassia Invitational Friday, April 29 in Rupert.
Wind, rain and cold: Spring golf in Idaho
Wood River High School golfers traveled to Idaho Falls last week for boys' and girls' tournaments held on separate days. Thursday's boys' meet had "lots of wind and chilly temperatures, but the guys hung in there and finished out," said coach Bill Petzke.
The Wolverine boys' scores at Sand Creek Golf Course were Tyler Spence 91, Cody Richmond 97, James Petzke 99, Zach Thomas 100 and Rickie Jeneson 102. Medalist was Shelley's Will Higham with 71 for 18 holes. Twin Falls won the meet with 299. Wood River had 388.
At the girls' Falls Classic April 19, Wood River's Jennie Williams carded her best-ever competition score with an 86. Williams tied for seventh place, with Mandi Myers of Idaho Falls (75) the medalist.
Girls' coach Chet Olson said about Williams' round of 86 at Sage Lakes Golf Course, "She was very happy to say the least." Her teammates Alma Stosius (134) and Amanda Stelling (125) also finished their rounds during the meet that drew golfers from 16 teams.
On Monday, Wolverine boys battled lots of rain and some wind during the Dale Mowrer Invitational meet for golfers from 15 schools at Jerome Country Club. Medalist was Kyle Miley of Twin Falls, 68.
Wood River rounds were Walker Royston 91, Cody Richmond 94, Sage Sauerbrey 94, Zach Thomas 101 and Pablo Lopez 114. The team score was 380, for 13th place. Twin Falls' boys prevailed with 290.
Barrels give Taylor a lift at Jerome
Wood River High School junior Haillie Taylor had a slow start and a fast finish last weekend during the 5th District High School rodeo circuit two-day stop at Jerome.
Taylor had a forgettable first go-round Friday night with only a third-place pole bending ride of 21.756 seconds to boast about. But she came on like gangbusters Saturday.
Placing third in breakaway roping Saturday with a quick 5.470-second time, Taylor was also second in pole bending at 21.386 seconds at Jerome and won the second go-round of barrel racing by nearly one second in 18.041 seconds.
After two rodeos and with three remaining before May's district finals, Taylor (90 points) stands in third place in the overall girls' standings behind last year's girls' champion Valene Lickley of Valley (93) and current leader Darby Fox of Glenns Ferry (125).
Taylor collected 27 points Saturday night alone after taking just 11 points Friday. The 38-point weekend total lifted her up to 90 but Fox (plus 57) and Lickley (plus 58) made bigger moves—Lickley climbing from fifth place to second.
In the individual event standings, Taylor is tied for first place in barrels with Shoshone's Shiann Williamson, each with 28 points ahead of Fox's 27. Fox leads Taylor 40-30 in pole bending, and Taylor is tied for third in breakaway roping with 22 points—Fox leading the way with 26.
Leading the men after two rodeos is Brogan Bennett of Gooding (74 points). Tied for second are Jared Parke of Gooding and Brock Mason of Jerome, each with 42 points.
Here is the district schedule, all Friday rodeos 7 p.m. and Saturday evenings 5 p.m.:
April 29-30 at Gooding; May 6-7 at Shoshone; May 13-14 at Blaine County Fairgrounds in Carey; and district finals Friday, May 27 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, May 28 at noon in Shoshone. State high school rodeo is June 14-18 in Pocatello.
