Spring sports at Blaine County public schools got rolling as mild weather returned last week. The Spring Break holiday represented a pause. Here is last week's update:
Stout, Keys pace runners
Gold medal performances by seniors Ben Stout and Cheyenne Swanson, junior Ian Keys and sophomore Haley Montgomery were highlights of Wood River High School's track and field effort in Thursday's Jerome Invitational.
Keys set a new school record winning the 100-meter dash in 10.79 seconds. It translated into an 11.04 Fully Automatic Time (FAT), fourth best in the state. He added the 200m victory in 22.9 and was second at 400m with a personal-record 55.7.
Stout tripled by winning the 8000-meter run (2:05.0), the 1600m (4:43.0) and the 3200m (personal-best 10:06.0). "Ben had a great day," said coach Monte Brothwell, whose Hailey boys finished third with 34 points behind Jerome (76) and Minico of Rupert (69).
In the throws, Swanson captured the girls' shotput in a personal-record 35-6.5 and added the discus win by about six inches in 115-1. Montgomery aced the 1600m (5:53.0) and placed second in the 3200m (personal-best 12:29.0).
The Jerome girls won the meet with 84 points. Minico had 57 and Wood River 35.
Other top efforts among the 26 Wolverines at Jerome:
Junior Chase England 2nd 3200m (personal-record 10:13.0) and 3rd 1600m (4:57.0); senior Corrine Smith 2nd 800m (2:43.0) and 2nd 1600m (6:03.0); senior Jade Atkinson 3rd 3200m (PR 13:35.0); freshman Kenya Schott 3rd 800m (2:44.0) and PR 1:10.8 at 400m; senior Dani McLaughlin 4th 3200m (14:20); and soph Janel Passey 4th 800m (2:44.0);
Wood River's 4x200m girls' relay team of soph Emilia Bingham, freshman Olivia Thornton, senior Lauren Bryant and junior Nicole Pratt finished second in 2:08.3.
Riverhawks send message in GBC softball
Seeking its first State 4A tournament berth, the Canyon Ridge high school softball program in Twin Falls had a disappointing finish last spring.
The Riverhawks won the Great Basin Conference regular-season title with 13 wins in 15 games, but lost to Twin Falls twice 4-1 and 7-1 in the league tournament and saw Jerome and Twin Falls make state.
With great pitching, Canyon Ridge (20-5) whipped Wood River four times by a combined 47-16 score including the narrow 5-3 conference tournament triumph that kept the Wolverines (12-13) home after three consecutive state trips.
In 2012 Canyon Ridge returns great pitching in the form of ace Lauren Shotwell, and the Riverhawks (4-0, 2-0 league, 41-10 runs-against) have already proved themselves as masters of a young Wood River squad.
Thursday, Shotwell (16 strikeouts) tossed a five-hit complete-game shutout for host Canyon Ridge in its 3-0 opening-game victory. In the second game when the Wolverines rallied from behind 7-1 to 9-6, Shotwell threw two frames of scoreless relief for the save in the 12-6 'Hawks win.
Errors continued to be a thorn in Wood River's side.
The Wolverines (1-4, 0-2 league) have committed 22 errors in five games, to six for their opponents. In the 3-0 loss at Canyon Ridge, two errors led to two unearned runs.
Playing its second game without shortstop Kaitana Martinez (knee injury), Wood River's coaching staff was encouraged to see freshman pitcher Brittney Bradley (6 innings, 3 hits, 1 earned run, 5 K, 5 BB) strand six Riverhawks runners. Bradley threw her best game of the season along with catcher Ciceley Peavey.
Wood River (5 hits) got two hits from center fielder Haylee Thompson and a double by left fielder Devan Atkinson. But the visitors sent a baserunner to third only once—in the seventh when Shelby Cooper's leadoff single was followed by Atkinson's two-bagger. Shotwell, who didn't walk a batter, then enticed the final two outs.
Junior pitcher Favi Ruiz (9 hits, 8 earned runs, 4 BB) tossed four-plus innings of the nightcap and pitched well, but the 'Hawks (14 hits) were too hot at the dish and got hits from every starter.
First baseman Sydney Tidwell (3 hits, 2 runs) drilled an inside-the-park homer and third sacker Kori Paradis (2 hits, 2 runs) cracked a triple to highlight Hailey's 9-hit attack. Other hitters were Thompson (double, 2 RBI), shortstop Ashley Hicks, Cooper and Bradley.
Wood River and Canyon Ridge reunite for the third game of their series Tuesday, April 3 at 4:30 p.m. in the opening action of the season at South Valley Sports Complex softball field in Hailey.
Carey teams are back on the track
Carey School's track and field team bagged 11 gold medals including four relay victories during the eight-school ISDB Invitational track and field meet March 21 in Gooding.
Senior Micaela Adamson swept the long jump and triple jump for Carey's girls, won the 300-meter intermediate hurdles and anchored the winning 4x200-meter relay that dominated by over nine seconds.
Carey added wins by junior McKayla Mecham in the 200m dash and the 4x100m relay with Daphne Kirkland, Arriana Nielson and Angelica Zarate. Second places went to Kirkland 100m dash and Jaide Parke in 1600m and 300m hurdles.
All day the Carey boys chased the sprinting-dominant Hagerman Pirates led by sophomore Kade Kress. He won the 100m and 200m dashes, shotput and also anchored the winning 4x400 relay squad.
Carey's Jack Cenarrusa (high jump), Luis Garcia (long jump) and Charlie Rivera (triple jump) earned golds, as did the Carey 4x100m and sprint medley relay teams. Carey's 4x200m boys' relay finished a close second to Castleford.
Meanwhile, senior Katelyn Peterson had a 40-point effort as Camas County of Fairfield went up against 2A and 3A athletes during the nine-school Gooding Invitational March 22.
Peterson won the 300m hurdles, high jump (5-4), long jump (16-7.5) and triple jump (35-9.5). Junior teammate Stephanie Moore picked up another 17.5 points including second place in triple jump (31-4.75) and second in long jump (14-10.5).
For the Camas boys, junior Davey Knowlton was third at 800m (2:11.53). Junior Jordan Robles placed third in discus (125-5) and fifth shotput (38-0).
Carey hosts its first Northside Conference home meet Thursday, April 5 at 2 p.m. Carey results from Gooding:
Boys' results
Teams: 1—Hagerman 151 points. 2—Carey 108. 3—Castleford 100. 4—North Valley Academy 42. 5—Bliss 39. 6—Dietrich 33. 7—Richfield 17. 8—ISDB 2.
100m: 4—Charlie Rivera 12.0. 200m: 6—Christian Zarate 25.3. 800m: 2—Jake Purdy 2:20. 110m high hurdles: 3—Dillon Cenarrusa 18.9.
High jump: 1—Jack Cenarrusa 5-2. Long jump: 1—Luis Garcia 18-5.25. 2—Tori Alvarez 18-4. Triple jump: 1—Charlie Rivera 42-9. Shotput: 2—Francisco Gamino 40-2.
4x100m relay: 1—Carey (Tori Alvarez, Jordan Dilworth, Luis Garcia, Christian Zarate) 48.2. 4x200m relay: 2—Carey (Dillon Cenarrusa, Chance Chavez, Charlie Rivera, Jack Cenarrusa) 1:41.1.
Medley relay: 1—Carey (Dillon Cenarrusa, Jordan Dilworth, Christian Zarate, Jake Purdy) 4:13.04. 4x400m relay: 2—Carey (Luis Garcia, Jordan Dilworth, Jake Purdy, Christian Zarate) 4:08.0.
Girls results
Teams: 1—Carey and Richfield 92 points. 3—Castleford 85. 4—Hagerman 79. 5—Bliss 53. 6—Dietrich 42. 7—North Valley Academy 27.
100m: 2—Daphne Kirkland 14.0. 3—Arriana Nielson 14.4. 5—Evelyn Gomez and Annie Cline 15.2. 200m: 1—McKayla Mecham 29.5. 5—Arriana Nielson 31.1. 1600m: 1—Jaide Parke 6:00.0.
300m intermediate hurdles: 1—Micaela Adamson 55.3. 2—Jaide Parke 55.56.
Long jump: 3—Micaela Adamson 14-4. 5—Daphne Kirkland 12-2.5. Triple jump: 1—Micaela Adamson 32-11.75.
4x100m relay: 1—Carey (Daphne Kirkland, McKayla Mecham, Arriana Nielson, Angelica Zarate) 55.5. 4x200m relay: 1—Carey (Daphne Kirkland, McKayla Mecham, Angelica Zarate, Micaela Adamson) 1:56.3.
Another GBC win for WRHS tennis
Unveiling a strong lineup for the first time this spring, the Wood River High School tennis team made short work of a young Jerome Tigers squad Thursday in a Great Basin Conference match-up on the Jerome courts.
Wood River (2-0 league) won 24 sets without a loss and amassed a 12-0 victory over Jerome, 6-0 in the boys' accounting and 6-0 for the girls. The Wolverines dropped only 15 of 159 games on a mild afternoon.
Coach Vicki Johnston's Wolverine resume action Tuesday, April 3 in Twin Falls against Canyon Ridge and Gooding. Their first scheduled home meet is Thursday, April 5 with the Minico Spartans in Hailey.
WR 12, Jerome 0
Boys' singles: 1—Karl Wilander (WR) 6-0, 6-0 over Travis Mapes (J). 2—Chase Hutchinson (WR) 6-0, 6-1 over Austin Gilbert (J). 3—Andrew Graves (WR) 6-0, 6-1 over Justin Humbaugh (J).
Girls' singles: 1—Lily Richards (WR) 6-0, 6-3 over Coy Pilkenton (J). 2—Tate Morell (WR) 6-0, 6-0 over Cecilia Cadena (J). 3—Rachel Crippa (WR) 6-2, 6-0 over Lizabeth Caliz (J).
Boys' doubles: 1—Raleigh Grossbaum-Charlie Grabow (WR) 6-2, 6-0 over Brennan Mapes-James Powell (J). 2—Josh Morell-Cole Caminiti (WR) 6-1, 6-0 over Jose Grandados-Jamie Valdez (J).
Girls' doubles: 1—Sloan Storey-Erin Murphy (WR) 6-1, 6-2 over Karla Gonzalez-Brenda Villa (J). 2—Margaret Reutter-Haley Cutler (WR) 6-0, 6-0 over Joanie Mapes-Yesenia Couchas (J).
Mixed doubles: 1—Stephen Pfeiffer-Hannah Baybutt (WR) 6-1, 6-1 over Bruno Garay-Alex Vogt (J). 2—Quentin Dowdle-Audrey Brassil (WR) 6-0, 6-0 over Edgar Juarez-Morgan McCarthy (J).
Baseball team prepares for home debut April 3
Wood River High School baseball coach Matt Nelson is hoping the mild weather continues allowing his varsity baseball team to debut its home season on schedule against the Canyon Ridge Riverhawks for a doubleheader Tuesday, April 3.
The young Wolverines (1-5, 0-1 league) opened their Great Basin Conference campaign Thursday, March 22 with a 14-4 five-inning loss to Canyon Ridge in Twin Falls. Wood River manufactured three runs cutting its deficit to 8-4 in the fifth, but the 'Hawks tallied six in the home fifth.
"We played bunt baseball—every run we scored, we manufactured," said Nelson, who pitched Finn Isaacson and Nic Brunker. "We're young and very raw. But I like this team. Every guy out there wants to play. They never quit."
Prior to Thursday's Twin Falls trip, the Wolverines hadn't played since splitting a non-conference doubleheader at Buhl March 15—dropping the first game 4-3 and run-ruling Buhl in the second 11-0.
Righthander Tim Boyle tossed a four-hit shutout in the second game for Wood River's first win. Nelson said, "Tim had great location and kept Buhl off balance. None of their balls were hit hard."
Senior Austin Hafer reached base in each trip to the plate during the Buhl twinbill and scored four of the 11 runs. Junior Ben Williams added a bases-clearing double. In the closely-played opening game, Brunker (7 K) went the distance but Buhl rallied from a 3-1 deficit for the 4-3 home triumph.
