Sweet Home is winding down its track and field season this week with a junior varsity district meet Monday, May 6, and the varsity districts Thursday and Saturday, May 9 and 11, at Sisters.
The Huskies on Tuesday, Sept. 30, hosted their last home meet, a low-key competition with a variety of smaller schools called the “Last Chance Meet” because, in the past, it served as a final opportunity to qualify for the Meet of Champions.
“It was not a JV meet, but it was a chance for those kids to get their confidence up for the JV Districts,” Coach Dakotah Keys said.
The JV Districts meet was held at Stayton.
As has become typical this year, the Huskies produced a slew of PR’s – 36 in all, at the Last Chance Meet.
Top finishers for Sweet Home, which did not have entrants in every event, were Lance Hanson, first in the 400 (54.06) and second behind teammate Noah Moore (37-8) in the shot put in 36-5, both personal bests for Hanson. Sevin Carson’s 33-9½ made it a 1-2-3 finish for the Huskies in that event.
Also winning was freshman Paul Amrein in the high jump, with a PR of 5-6, Tristan Calkins in the long jump (21-1¼) and Brad Wolthuis, who PR’d in the pole vault to win with a leap of 11-0. Freshman Aiden Shamek was the winner in the triple jump, going 35-3, Jake Swanson threw 150-6 to lead a 1-2-3 finish in the javelin, ahead of Noah Moore (141-9) and Robbie Yunke (134-9). Yunke won the 300 hurdles in 48.64.
For the girls, Crystal Wolf won the long jump with a PR of 14-6 and Megan Hager was first in the shot with a throw of 31-9. Freshman Meagan Baham was first in the 300 hurdles in 1:03.31, also a PR, and Katen Edwards won the javelin with a throw of 101-5.
Going into the district meet this Thursday, Keys said Sweet Home coaches will have to decide how best to position their athletes to give them the best chance to get to state.
The Huskies are deeper than they were last year – over 80 athletes currently after about 60 in 2018 and team numbers in the 30s in his first year at the helm, 2017, but they don’t quite have the experience and depth necessary to outscore the Philomath or Sisters girls, or Newport on the boys side.
“Some people might be like, ‘Oh, if we put more people in this area, we could have…’ But those kids are elsewhere. They’re doing something else, where we think they actually have an opportunity to make it to state, where we could possibly have a title run, or at least a finish run.”
The last time that happened for the boys was 2010, when they won their third team title in the row, and in 2011 when the girls finished sixth.
“That’s what we’re trying to build back to,” Keys said. “We’re still down 30 bodies on the team from back then. It takes time. Hopefully, it keeps growing and the kids will realize how much of an opportunity this is for them.”
The Huskies have athletes ranked in the top eight in the Oregon West going into the meet on the boys side in the 200 (Calkins and Casey Tow), 400 (Tow), 800 (Tristan Saultz and Austin Sills), 110 and 300 hurdles (Noah Dinsfriend and Tow), shot put (Moore), high jump (Tow and Amrein), pole vault (Wolthuis), long jump (Calkins, Sills and Tow) and triple jump (Hanson), as well as both relays – the 4×100 has the second-fastest time and the 4×400 team of Tow, Disnfriend, Hanson and Calkins has posted the fastest time among the seven teams by seven seconds (3:31.90) and is threatening the school record of 3:28.27, which has stood since 1976.
“We’re deep this year,” Keys said.
Sweet Home has girls ranked in the top eight in the league in the 100 (Jessy Hart and Kate Hawken), 200 (Hawken), 400 (Hawken), 300 hurdles (Hart), shot (Megan Hager, Shelbey Nichol), Discus (Hager, Kennedi Waldrop), javelin (Edwards, Natalie Rodgers, Torree Hawken), pole vault (Mercedes Burks), triple jump (Nichol) and the Huskies have the second-fastest time, behind Philomath, in both relays going into districts.
“This team is really young,” Keys said. “We’re just going to be losing a few seniors this year. I’m looking forward to (districts).
“What I’ve been telling the kids all year is train hard enough and just make it,” Keys said. “Once you’re part of that (district) team, anything can happen. Do what you’re supposed to do, what you’ve been doing all year. Literally anything can happen. There are upsets left and right at districts.”
Sweet Home Last Chance Meet
Top 3 and Sweet Home Finishers
Boys Results
Team Scores – (1) Sweet Home 181; (2) Oregon School for the Deaf 94; (3) McKenzie 86; (4) East Linn Christian 67; (5) Central Linn 49; (6) Kennedy 40; (7) Delphian 25; (8) Alsea 19; (9) Regis 13; (10) Gervais 2.
*Personal Best
100 – (1) Daniel Quirk (McKenzie) 11.58; (2) Alexander Garcia (OSFD) 11.64; (3) Seiper Emuch (OSFD) 11.98; (10) Jorel Leyba (SH) 12.73*; (12) Alexander Springer (SH) 12.97*; (14) Jonoah Williams (SH) 13.00; (15) Vince Drake (SH) 13.02*.
200 – (1) Daniel Quirk (McKenzie) 23.95; (2) Alexander Garcia (OSFD) 24.13; (3) Seiper Emuch (OSFD) 25.33; (6) Jorel Leyba (SH) 26.16*; (7) Jonoah Williams (SH) 26.64*; (10) Jaren Adams (SH) 27.12*; (11) Alexander Springer (SH) 27.13*; (14) Vince Drake (SH) 27.43.
400 – (1) Lance Hanson (SH) 54.06*; (2) Caleb Thompson (McKenzie) 56.83; (3) Owen Rappoport (Delphian) 57.19; (5) Nathaniel Coleman (SH) 1:02.05*; (8) Jaren Adams (SH) 1:04.12.
800 – (1) Nick Riedman (Kennedy) 2:23.52; (2) Ethan Hurst (East Linn Christian) 2:28.29; (3) Owen Rappoport (Delphian) 2:35.13; (7) Jarett Owen (SH) 2:44.82.
1500 – (1) Larry Huertas-Segura (OSFD) 5:20.46; (2) Kobe Aimsback (OSFD) 5:32.64; (3) River Thompson (OSFD) 5:35.69; (5) Jarett Owen (SH) 5:51.53*; (6) Tristan Lemmer (SH) 5:56.63; (9) Tyler Lemmer (SH) 6:19.42; (13) Jacob Kennedy (SH) 6:52.96; (14) Marc Kanngiesser (SH) 7:06.00.
300 Hurdles – (1) Robbie Yunke (SH) 48.64.
Shot Put – (1) Noah Moore (SH) 37-8; (2) Lance Hanson (SH) 36-5*; (3) Sevin Carson (SH) 33-9½; (7) Charles Crawford (SH) 31-10¼; (11) Keegan Fox (SH) 30-5; (13) Marc Kanngiesser (SH) 29-9¼; (17) Tanner Waldrop (SH) 27-5½*; (22) Jake Fanning (SH) 25-7; (23) Jesse Burford (SH) 24-3; (15) Paul Amrein (SH) 22-9; (27) Hunter Calderwood (SH) 21-4; (28) Colby Gazeley (SH) 20-7.
Discus – (1) Giovanny Serna (Central Linn) 111-0; (2) Jake Swanson (SH) 105-7*; (4) Tanner Waldrop (SH) 104-10*; (9) Charles Crawford (SH) 88-5; (3) Noah Estes (Alsea) 105-0; (10) Keegan Fox (SH) 85-5; (12) Sevin Carson (SH) 83-7*; (14) Paul Amrein (SH) 81-0*; (16) Jake Fanning (SH) 70-10*; (19) Jesse Burford (SH) 69-8; (20) Colby Gazeley (SH) 67-6; (21) Marc Kanngiesser (SH) 67-4; (28) Tyler Lemmer (SH) 58-5*; (29) Tristan Lemmer (SH) 56-5*.
Javelin – (1) Jake Swanson (SH) 150-6; (2) Noah Moore (SH) 141-9; (3) Robbie Yunke (SH) 134-9; (4) Parker Lemmer (SH) 120-1; (9) Vince Drake (SH) 93-4; (14) Jesse Burford (SH) 79-6; (18) Marc Kanngiesser (SH) 74-10; (19) Hunter Calderwood (SH) 73-7; (26) Tristan Lemmer (SH) 62-4; (28) Tyler Lemmer (SH) 59-8*.
High Jump – (1-tie) Paul Amrein (SH), Caleb Thompson (McKenzie) 5-6*; (3) Jorel Leyba (SH) 5-0*; (4) Aiden Shamek (SH) 5-0*.
Pole Vault – (1) Brad Wolthuis (SH) 11-0*; (2) Owen Devidson (East Linn Christian) 10-6; (3) Nick Riedman (Kennedy) 9-6; (5) Parker Lemmer (SH) 8-6.
Long Jump – (1) Tristan Calkins (SH) 21-1¼; (2) Austin Sills (SH) 18-4¾; (3) Auburn Hills (East Linn Christian) 17-11½; (4) Gavin Walberg (SH) 16-11; (6) Aiden Shamek (SH) 16-9½; (12) Jorel Leyba (SH) 15-2¼.
Triple Jump – (1) Aiden Shamek (SH) 35-3; (2) Laughlin Vetter (Regis) 34-6½; (3) Kaden Kewish (McKenzie) 34-6½; (5) Nathaniel Coleman (SH) 31-4*.
Girls Results
Team Scores – (1) Sweet Home 166.5; (2) Kennedy 101; (3) Central Linn 62; (4) McKenzie 55; (5) Alsea 32; (6) East Linn Christian 31.5; (7) Delphian 19; (8) Oregon School for the Deaf 17; (9) Gervais 11.
Winner and Sweet Home Finishers
*Personal Best
100 – (1) Jessica Carlisle (Alsea) 13.49; (2) Dalia Kozina (Gervais) 14.30; (3) Aiyana Alford-Grimes (SH) 14-44*.
200 – (1) Jessica Carlisle (Alsea) 27.76; (2) Zoe James (SH) 28.78; (3) Aiyana Alford-Grimes (SH) 29.57*.
100 Hurdles – (1) Jade Hayes (McKenzie) 19.84; (2) Meagan Baham (SH) 22.20*; (3) Crystal Wolf (SH) 22.21*.
300 Hurdles – (1) Meagan Baham (SH) 1:06.31*; (2) Madelyn Bowler (East Linn Christian) 1:09.08.
Shot Put – (1) Megan Hager (SH) 31-9; (2) Chloe Erdahl (McKenzie) 31-5¼; (3) Kelsea Phillips (Central Linn) 29-2; (4) Shelbey Nichol (SH) 28-10¾; (5) Kirsten Watkins (SH) 27-10½; (7) Kennedi Waldrop (SH) 26-10½; (15) Jessica Maynard (SH) 19-2½*.
Discus – (1) Jenna O’Deay (OSFD) 103-7; (2) Megan Hager (SH) 100-7; (3) Kennedi Waldrop (SH) 87-7; (4) Kirsten Watkins (SH) 82-5; (6) Brooke Dodge (SH) 76-0*; (8) Jessica Maynard (SH) 61-7.
Javelin – (1) Katen Edwards (SH) 101-5; (2) Torree Hawken (SH) 91-7; (3) Jillian Lynn (SH) 88-3; (4) Natalie Rodgers (SH) 87-10; (7) Kailey James (SH) 77-6; (!0) Jessica Maynard (SH) 68-8.
High Jump – (1) Jade Hayes (McKenzie) 4-4; (2) Kalyssa Kleinschmit (Kennedy) 4-2; (3) O’Rian Offutt (SH) 4-2.
Pole Vault – (1) Victoria Ferrioli (East Linn Christian)( 7-6; (2) Mercedes Burks (SH) 7-0; (3) Jade Hayes (McKenzie) 7-0; (4) Crystal Wolf (SH) 6-6; (8) Meagan Baham (SH) 5-0*.
Long Jump – (1) Crystal Wolf (SH) 14-6*; (2) Kalyssa Kleinschmit (Kennedy) 14-1; (3) Hannah Powell (SH) 13-5; (6) Aiyana Alford-Grimes (SH) 12-6½; (8) Meagan Baham (SH) 11-11¾*.
Triple Jump – (1) Jessica Carlisle (Alsea) 34-7½; (2) Shelbey Nichol (SH) 31-8; (3) Kalyssa Kleinschmit (Kennedy) 28-7½.