Sweet Home’s track teams started their 2018 season Thursday, March 22, at the Regis Relays in Stayton, which basically served as a “fun” warm-up meet for the Huskies, Coach Dakotah Keys said.
Although the field events were run in fairly typical manner, the distance runners competed in one race, a genuine mile, to start things off and the sprinters and hurdlers ran a wide variety of sprint medley relays that included teams of both boys and girls.
“It was a great track meet for the kids,” Keys said. “It kind of takes away that pressure of the first meet, even for the veterans, of having having to come back at the level they finished at last year.”
Since none of the running events were timed, athletes could just run, he said.
“The kids were just going out and having fun, in a male/female relay. We had kids making up their own relay teams. They were just excited to run.”
He said he was happy with the levels at which he saw his runners and jumpers performing.
“We had a lot of kids close to PR’s.”
Some were more than close, which was notable in that the weather delivered intermittently savage downpours amid steady wind gusts throughout most of the event.
Freshman Owen Towry was the top finisher for Sweet Home in the mile, taking fourth behind Clement Afterbuffalo and Isaac Corn of Chemawa Indian School, and Andrew Hill of Blanchet Catholic.
Junior Noah Moore won the javelin with a five-foot PR of 137-4 and was second in the shot in a personal best of 39-3.
Junior Jake Swanson was second in the discus in a PR of 97-4; with first-timers Sevin Carson and David McMullen, both sophomores, fifth and sixth respectively, with throws of 77-1 and 75-11.
Sophomore Casey Tow won the high jump in 5-4 on misses over Chemawa’s Clement Afterbuffalo.
Freshman Becky Belchere was second in the discus, throwing 95-3.
“The whole team all together were stepping up to the challenge,” Keys said. “They all competed.”
After Spring Break this week, the Huskies will be at Elmira Thursday, April 5, and then will host their first home meet Monday, April 9.
Regis Relays
Boys Top 3 and Sweet Home Results
Mile – (1) Clement Afterbuffalo (Chemewa); (2) Andrew Hill (Blanchet Catholic); (3) Isaac Corn (Chemewa); (4) Owen Towry (SH); (7) Tristan Saultz (SH); (8) Austin Sills (SH); (15) Cameron Taber (SH); (17) Evan Davis (SH); (19) Shawn Reed (SH).
Shot Put – (1) Kirkland Scott (Regis) 44-2; (2) Noah Moore (SH) 39-3; (3) Nick Suing (Kennedy) 35-6½; (7) Hayden Nichol (SH) 31-10; (8) Sevin Carson (SH) 31-6.
Discus – (1) Macoy Christman (Cascade) 105-7; (2) Jake Swanson (SH) 97-4; (3) Nick Suing (Kennedy) 96-10; (5) Sevin Carson (SH) 77-1; (6) David McMullen (SH) 75-11.
Javelin – (1) Noah Moore (SH) 137-4; (2) Jake Swanson (SH) 134-0; (3) Elijah Nolan (Cascade) 131-1; (4) Casey Tow (SH) 118-5.
High Jump – (1) Casey Tow (SH) 5-4; (2) Clement Afterbuffalo (Chemawa) 5-4; (rest of field no-heighted).
Pole Vault – (1) Michael Crowell (Regis) 9-6; (2) Kevin Kuenzi (Cascade) 9-6; (3) Devin Privratsky (Cascade) 9-0; (8) Rawlins Lupoli (SH) 6-0.
Long Jump – (1) Austin Stevens (SH) 17-9; (2) Luke Hall (Kennedy) 17-4; (3) Ruben Ruiz (Cascade) 16-8; (4) Connor Russell (SH) 16-5; (7) Parker Lemmer (SH) 14-9.
Triple Jump – No Sweet Home entrants
Girls Top 3 and Sweet Home Results
Mile – No Sweet Home entrants
Shot Put – (1) McKayla Massey (Kennedy) 32-8; (2) Kalea Salang (Blanchet) 31-0; (3) Lilly English (Kennedy) 29-8; (5) Shelbey Nichol (SH) 27-7½; (6) Becky Belchere (SH) 27-7; (11) Katen Edwards (SH) 25-6½.
Discus – (1) Kalea Salang (Blanchet) 101-4; (2) Becky Belchere (SH) 95-3; (3) Lilly English (Kennedy) 88-8; (12) Katen Edwards (SH) 55-3; (13) Kirsten Watkins (SH) 53-6.
Javelin – (1) Kaelyn Worst (Cascade) 105-0; (2) Anya Gehley (Cascade) 89-11; (3) Natalie Rodgers (SH) 88-5; (4) Hannah Powell (SH) 86-6; (6) Katen Edwards (SH) 79-2.
High Jump – (1) Hallie Sprauer (Kennedy) 5-0; (2) Zoe James (SH) 4-8; (3) Sara Vetter (Regis) 4-2.
Pole Vault – No Sweet Home entrants.
Long Jump – (1-tie) Hailey Arritola (Kennedy), Lily Persons (Regis) 13-8; (3) Jessy Hart (SH) 13-7; (11) Jessi Thomas (SH) 10-6; (13) Kailey James (SH) 10-5.
Triple Jump – No Sweet Home entrants.