For the week of May 14 - 20, 2003

‘Cats take conference, Wolverines make strides

Prep track hits homestretch

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The sprint-happy Filer Wildcats swept the girls’ and boys’ divisions of Thursday’s Sawtooth Central Idaho Conference track and field meet on the ISDB track in Gooding.

But Wood River High School’s cinder squad—strong in field events, distances, sprints and relays—kept making progress with several personal- and season-best performances.

Senior Mike Sinnott (2:04.5) won the boys’ 800-meter run in another photo finish with senior teammate Dylan Welcome (2:04.54). Junior Matt Pruett won his first 100-meter dash of the season in 11.6 seconds.

Besides two individual golds, Hailey won a relay gold at Gooding when the boys’ medley of Robert Slough, Chad Hayward, Pruett and Welcome won the 200/200/400/800 test by nearly three seconds in 3:42.3.

Their time was 2.3 seconds faster than their winning medley at the Bob Shay Invitational in Hailey May 1.

Christian Blackman’s 43-0 shotput throw for second place was more than two-and-a-half feet better than the senior’s previous-best toss. The Hailey boys added a second-place 1600m relay in 3:39.5 with Pruett, Welcome, Zach Bloomfield and Slough.

Soph sensation Syringa Stark earned seconds in the triple jump and long jump. Her personal-best 33-6 triple jump was about an inch shy of the school record. Her long jump was six inches farther than the Shay meet.

A season-best 34-3 throw lifted Wolverine junior Jessica King to second place in the girls’ shotput. The Hailey girls had 32.5 points in the field and 27 in the distances—Kelsea Ballantyne taking second at 800m and Rachael Richards second at 3200m.

Filer’s boys (48 field, 32 sprints, 32 relays) won the boys’ race 141 to 111.5 over Declo. Wood River (66.5) was fifth. In girls’ team, the Wildcat girls (134 to 118.5 over Gooding) won three relays, all three jumps and all three sprints. Wood River’s girls finished fourth with 93.5 points.

"Now comes the real thing in the next two weeks," Wood River girls’ coach J.C. Nemecek said.

The state-qualifying SCIC District 3A meet will be held over two days—today, Wednesday and Thursday, May 15 at 3 p.m. on Minico High School’s track in Rupert.

Qualifying for the State 3A meet May 23-24 in Boise will be the top three individual finishers and the winning relay teams, plus the next-best relay teams with the fastest times when other districts are compared.

"We have several people who are strong contenders to qualify for state," said Nemecek. "Our distance people are improving leaps and bounds. Coach James Foster is doing a tremendous job with them."

Nemecek added, "Caitlin Blanton, out two weeks, hopes to help the team. Syringa Stark is coming fully to the surface as an excellent all-around athlete. Jessica King is becoming very consistent. And Charlene Fields is a pleasant surprise in the 100m."

Wood River boys’ coach Bruce Tuxhorn said he was impressed with the progress. He’ll tinker with a few things at the upcoming district meet.

 

Here are Wood River’s point getters at last Thursday’s SCIC meet:

1sts—Mike Sinnott 800m (2:04.5); and Matt Pruett 100m (11.6).

Boys’ medley relay 3:42.3 (Matt Pruett, Chad Hayward, Robert Slough, Dylan Welcome).

2nds—Dylan Welcome 800m (2:04.5); Christian Blackman shotput (43-0); Syringa Stark TJ (33-6) and long jump (15-5 ½); Jessica King shotput (34-3); Kelsea Ballantyne 800m (2:37); and Rachael Richards 3200m (13:37).

Boys’ 1600m relay 3:39.5 (Matt Pruett, Dylan Welcome, Zach Bloomfield, Robert Slough).

3rds—Rebecca Schwartzenberger 200m (28.4); Rachael Richards 1600 (6:19); and Charlene Fields 100m (13.8).

Girls’ 1600m relay 4:37 (Jennifer Spinelli, Kelsea Ballantyne, Charlene Fields, Rachael Richards); girls’ medley relay 2:01.9 (Charlene Fields, Jennifer Spinelli, Rebecca Schwartzenberger, Kelsea Ballantyne);.

4ths— Jessica King discus (103-4); Aleah Wiesen 3200m (14:14); and Dylan Welcome long jump (18-3).

Boys’ 400m relay 47.5 (Nate Douthit, Joshua Jones, Steven Fields, Carl Browning); and girls’ 400m relay 54.7 (Charlene Fields, Noilyn Corrales, Rebecca Schwartzenberger, Jennifer Spinelli).

5ths—Matt Pruett 200m (24.8); Steven Fields 100m (12.0); Syringa Stark shotput (30-11) and discus (86-0); Lindsey Niedrich 1600m (6:52); and Maddie Thies 300m intermediate hurdles (55.7).

6ths—Chad Hayward 110m HH (17.3); Jimmy Hoffman high jump (5-6); Whitney Richards 400m (1:11.4); Hanna Richards 800m (2:53); and Alyssa Pejsa high jump (4-4).

 

Team standings

·  Girls: 1—Filer 134. 2—Gooding 118.5. 3—Declo 116. 4—Wood River 93.5 (16 relays, 29 distances, 2 hurdles, 13 sprints, 33.5 field). 5—Buhl 50. 6—Kimberly 41.

·  Boys: 1—Filer 141 (32 relays, 2 distances, 27 hurdles, 32 sprints, 48 field). 2—Declo 111.5. 3—Kimberly 101. 4—Gooding 98.5. 5—Wood River 66.5 (22 relays, 18 distances, 1 hurdles, 13.5 sprints, 12 field). 6—Buhl 33.5.

 

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