Things get serious this week for Sweet Home’s track and field squads, as the Huskies head for Sisters Thursday, May 10, and Saturday, May 12, for the meet that counts: the district championships.
They’re confident, Coach Dakotah Keys said.
“Everybody’s feeling fast, he said. “That’s what I love about the championship part of the season.”
Sweet Home wound up the regular season Friday, May 4, with a tune-up event, the Regis Twilight Invitational, which featured 26 boys teams and 23 girls, most of them 3A or lower.
Although the Huskies did not finish high in the team standings, that was partially due to the fact that many of them were competing in events they don’t necessarily specialize in and the emphasis was on having some fun.
Sweet Home’s only winner at Regis was the girls 4×100 Relay team of Bethany Gingerich, Jessy Hart, Zoe James, Kate Hawken, who finished in 51.58.
“It was getting those kids ready,” Keys said. “I think everyone there is going to districts, getting kids confident in what they’re doing. We’re tapering right now and we didn’t want them overloaded.”
Earlier in the week, on May 1, some Huskies got one last chance to raise their game, or, in some cases, try their hand in events that weren’t their usual, at the Cottage Grove JV Invite.
Hart, a freshman, won the 800 in 2:44.58, and fellow freshman Tristan Calkins was second in the long jump in a PR of 18-7.
Sophomore Katen Edwards won the girls javelin in a PR of 101-9 and was second in the high jump in 4-6, also a PR.
“She has really come alive,” Keys said of Edwards. “She’s really showing some confidence.”
He said that just before the Cottage Grove meet, Edwards took a shot at the high jump and got his attention. He told her she’d jump at Cottage Grove, in both the high and long jump events.
“There she goes and PRs in everything. She’s adding some depth to the women’s team where there wasn’t any.
“It’s awesome. Really cool.”
Junior Robbie Yunke won the boys javelin in 142-11.
Senior Chase Blanco was third in the 100, in 12.63, and second in the 200 (25.54). Gavin Walberg was second in the 800 in a PR of 2:18.82, with Calkins finishing third in 2:23.28, also a PR.
Keys said he’s “really excited” by what he’s seen from Calkins and others.
“We’ve had some really good PRs, really good season records. It shows that everybody is ready to get after it.”
Going into this weekend’s districts, which will be held at Sisters High School starting at 11 a.m. on Thursday and on Saturday, the Huskies have a number of athletes poised to challenge for trips to state, which generally go to the top two finishers in each event at the league championships.
Finals on Thursday include the boys pole vault, discus, shot and long jump, and the girls high jump, javelin and long jump. All the other finals will be on Saturday.
On the boys side, junior Austin Stevens is ranked second in the long jump and can challenge in the 100 if he is healthy, and the boys 4×100 team, with Stevens, Blanco, Hayden Nichol and Lance Hanson has the second-fastest time in the league thus far this season.
The boys 4×400 team of Jake Swanson, Hanson, Noah Taraski and Casey Tow are ranked No. 1 in the league, and Swanson is far and away the leader in the javelin if he can duplicate his PR of 172-4 set at the Meet of Champions this year. In the 300 hurdles, junior Noah Dinsfriend is No. 1, and he is a close third in the 110 hurdles.
Senior Eric Blanchard, Sweet Home’s top finisher at state last year, is a threat to return after clearing 11-6 twice, most recently at the Regis meet last week. That height is well under Blanchard’s PR of 13-6¼, which he set at state last year.
On the girls side, senior Bethany Gingerich could qualify in as many as six events, including the 200 and 400, in which she’s competed twice before at state, but she’s ranked No. 1 in both hurdles and is a member of the top-ranked Husky girls 4×400 team, with Hart, James and Hawken. Those four also are ranked third in the 4×100 relay, despite some shaky hand-offs, which if improved could move them up significantly, Keys said last week.
Sophomore Megan Hager is ranked top in the discus and second in the shot, after making state last year with a massive PR in the former, and other threats could be rookies Natalie Rodgers in the javelin and Becky Belchere in the discus.
Keys said he’s emphasized to his team the importance of having fun and trusting themselves and their preparation when they get to the meet.
“Anything can happen once you’re there,” he said. “That’s really what this meet’s going to be about. I just want to see confidence, the willingness to go out there and compete and have fun, just be part of the team.
Regis Community Twilight Invitational
Team Scores – (1) Clatskanie 78.5; (2) Salem Academy 78; (3) Stayton 50; (4) Dayton 45; (5) Monroe 43; (6) Santiam Christian 40; (7) Scio 31; (8) East Linn Christian 29; (9) Sweet Home 27; (10) Central Linn 24.5; (11-tie) La Pine, Regis 22; (13) Oregon Episcopal 21; (14) Waldport 20.5; (15) Chemawa 18; (16) Portland Waldorf 16; (17) Santiam 15.5; (18-tie) Harrisburg, Westside Christian, Damascus Christian 14; (21) Faith Bible Christian 13; (22) Blanchet Catholic 10; (23) Kennedy 6; (24) Crosshill Christian 5; (25) Riverdale 3; (26) Horizon Christian 2.
Sweet Home Boys Results
100 – (21) Rawlins Lupoli (SH) 12.27.
200 – (23) Tristan Calkins (SH) 25.00; (24) Lance Hanson (SH) 25.04.
400 – No Sweet Home entrants.
800 – (7) Casey Tow (SH) 2:06.05l (19) Lance Hanson 2:12.79.
1500 – (20) Tristan Saultz (SH) 4:38.31.*
3000 – (14) Ricky Yunke (SH) 10:31.58*; (16) Cameron Taber (SH) 10:34.00.*
110 Hurdles – (19) Robbie Yunke (SH) 20.04.
300 Hurdles – (13) Robbie Yunke (SH) 48.47.
4×100 Relay – (7) Sweet Home (Noah Dinsfriend, Austin Stevens, Hayden Nichol, Lance Hanson) 46.25.
4×400 Relay – No Sweet Home entrants.
Shot Put – (7) Noah Moore (SH) 40-3½; (26) Austin Griffin (SH) 32-11½.
Discus – (25) Jake Swanson (SH) 96-8.
Javelin – (2) Jake Swanson (SH) 159-1; (4) Noah Moore (SH) 154-8.
High Jump – (16) Connor Russell (SH) 5-0.
Pole Vault – (3) Eric Blanchard (SH) 11-6 (12) Brad Wolthuis (SH) 10-0.
Long Jump – (10) Connor Russell (SH) 18-7; (11) Tristan Calkins (SH) 18-6½.
Triple Jump – (5) Casey Tow (SH) 39-0*; (13) Jake Swanson (SH) 36-4.
Sweet Home Girls Results
Team Scores – (1) Santiam Christian 70; (2) Monroe 67.5; (3) Blanchet Catholic 66; (4) Central Linn 58; (5-tie) Oregon Episcopal, Kennedy 39; (7) La Pine 34.5; (8) Riverdale 31; (9) East Linn Christian 30; (10) Faith Bible Christian 29; (11-tie) Salem Academy, Stayton 26; (13) Sweet Home 24; (14) St. Paul 20; (15-tie) Dayton, Westside Christian 14; (17) Clatskanie 13; (11-tie) Santiam, Horizon Christian 11; (20) Regis 10.5; (21-tie) Damascus Christian, Harrisburg 7; (23) Oak Hill 5.5.
100 – (16) Madison Merrill (SH) 14.25*; (19) Hailey Green (SH) 14.49
200 – (5) Kate Hawken (SH) 27.96; (14) Madison Merrill (SH) 29.40.
400 – (9) Jessy Hart (SH) 1:04.13; (11) Kate Hawken (SH) 1:05.32.
800 – No Sweet Home entrants.
1500 – (30) Sicily Neuschwander (SH) 6:39.42.
3000 – No Sweet Home entrants.
100 Hurdles – (3) Bethany Gingerich (SH) 16.18*; (17) Madelyn Neuschwander (SH) 20.28.
300 Hurdles – No Sweet Home entrants.
4×100 Relay – (1) Sweet Home (Bethany Gingerich, Jessy Hart, Zoe James, Kate Hawken) 51.58.
4×400 Relay – No Sweet Home entrants.
Shot Put – (9) Megan Hager (SH) 32-7; (12) Shelbey Nichol (SH) 31-8½*.
Discus – (8) Megan Hager (SH) 102-7; (38) Kirsten Watkins (SH) 70-4.
Javelin – (7) Natalie Rodgers (SH) 100-8; (9) Jillian Lynn (SH) 98-4*.
High Jump – (7) Zoe James (SH) 4-8; (8) Katen Edwards (SH) 4-6.
Pole Vault – No Sweet Home entrants.
Long Jump – (21) Shelbey Nichol (SH) 13-2½; (25) Jessi Thomas (SH) 12-9½.
Triple Jump – (10) Shelbey Nichol (SH) 31-1½*; (23) Hannah Powell (SH) 27-2.
Cottage Grove JV Invite
Sweet Home Boys Results
Personal Record*
Team Scores – (1) Triangle Lake 133; (2) Cottage Grove 77; (3) Elmira 69; (4) Sutherlin 67; (5) Sweet Home 54; (6) Junction ity 47; (7-tie) Lowell, Monroe 32.
100 – (3) Chase Blanco (SH) 12.63; (10) Logan Raborn (SH) 13.44*; (18) Trace Marler (SH) 14.46.
200 – (2) Chase Blanco (SH) 25.54.
400 – (16) Shawn Reed (SH) 1:10.20*.
800 – (2) Gavin Walberg (SH) 2:18.82*; (3) Tristan Calkins (SH) 2:23.28*; (12) Shawn Reed (SH) 2:42.99*.
1500 – (10) Mason Hook (SH) 5:25.55*; (15) Soma Watanabe (SH) 6:04.73.
110 Hurdles – No Sweet Home entrants.
300 Hurdles – Robbie Yunke 51.09.
Shot Put – (5) Logan Raborn (SH) 32-6*; (19) Marc Kanngvesser (SH) 28-0; (25) Jesse Burford (SH) 24-4*; (26) Jake Fanning (SH) 23-11*; (27) Adam Oberg (SH) 22-10; (32) Hunter Calderwood (SH) 20-6.
Discus – (12) Levi Baird 75-4*; (25) Jake Fanning (SH) 62-6; (26) Marc Kanngvesser (SH) 61-11; (30) Jesse Burford (SH) 56.05; (31) Adam Oberg (SH) 55-01.
Javelin – (1) Robbie Yunke (SH) 142-11*; (4) Tristan Calkins 126-0; (7) Parker Lemmer (SH) 122-1*; (15) Levi Baird (SH) 95-0; (23) Jesse Burford (SH) 74-2; (29) Hunter Calderwood (SH) 62-3*.
High Jump – No Sweet Home entrants.
Pole Vault – No Sweet Home entrants.
Long Jump – (2) Tristan Calkins (SH) 18-7*; (9) Owen Towry (SH) 14-10*; (10) Parker Lemmer (SH) 14-1½.
Triple Jump – (9) Robbie Yunke (SH) 30-9*.
Sweet Home Girls Results
Personal Record*
Team Scores – (1) Sutherlin 101; (2) Cottage Grove 99; (3-tie) Triangle Lake, Junction City 60; (5) Lowell 49; (6) Monroe 40; (7) Sweet Home 35; (8) Elmira 25.
100 – (10) Hikari Kawai (SH) 16.15*; (14) Nadia Chumsri (SH) 18.51; (15) Annie Kennedy (SH) 20.12*.
200 – (9) Hikari Kawais (SH) 33.79*; (13) Nadia Chumsri (SH) 38.89.
400 – (11) Kirsten Watkins (SH) 1:37.51*.
800 – (1) Jessy Hart (SH) 2:44.58; (6) Kirsten Watkins (SH) 3:42.96.
1500 – No Sweet Home entrants.
3000 – No Sweet Home entrants.
100 Hurdles – No Sweet Home entrants.
300 Hurdles – No Sweet Home entrants.
4×100 Relay – No Sweet Home entrants.
4×400 Relay – No Sweet Home entrants.
Shot Put – (4) Katen Edwards (SH) 25-11; (9) Makayla Griffin (SH) 24-4*; (16) Shelby Goodwin (SH) 20-7; (19) O’Rian Offutt (SH) 17-7.
Discus – (7) Katen Edwards (SH) 70-8*; (9) Shelby Goodwin (SH) 63-8; (22) Makayla Griffin (SH) 47-9.
Javelin – (1) Katen Edwards (SH) 101-9*; (20) O’Rian Offutt (SH) 50-6.
High Jump – (2) Katen Edwards (SH) 4-6*.
Pole Vault – No Sweet Home entrants.
Long Jump – (12) O’Rian Offutt (SH 10-7¾.
Triple Jump – (5) Jessy Hart (SH) 25-9¼*.