In their first home meet of the season, Sweet Home’s track and field teams showed they aren’t going to lie down in front of anyone – not with hidden talents continuing to emerge for a team that looked pretty thin at the beginning of the season.
The Husky boys scored 81 team points to beat Philomath (53.5) and Stayton (40.5) in the boys competition, while the girls finished a close second behind Philomath (76) with 67 points, well ahead of Stayton (35).
“Our kids performed real well,” said Coach Billy Snow.
Winners for the girls were Hannah McClaskey in the discus (103-07) and Erika Snow, who cleared 8-0 to win the pole vault on misses. She just missed clearing 8-6.
It was a good days for the Keys brothers, who accounted for five individual victories and two second-place finishes for the Huskies.
Dakotah Keys led the Husky boys in individual wins with three, in the 110 high hurdles (16.45), the 330 intermediate hurdles (43.02), and the javelin (164-08). He also placed second in the pole vault (12-0).
“I thought Dakotah had another good meet,” Snow said. “His time in the 110 hurdles was really good for a freshman.”
Jess Keys won the 3000, in a personal-best 9:56.63, and the high jump (5-8). He also finished second in the triple jump (38-8 1/2).
“Jess Keys had a great meet,” Snow said. “His 5-8 should have been a 5-10 and he dipped under 10 minutes in the 3000 for the first time.”
Another athlete who contributed significant points was Land Florek, who won the 200 (24.26), the 400 (53.03) and passed two runners on the home stretch of the 4×400 relay to anchor the Huskies to victory in that race too, in a time of 3:41.91.
Nathan Whitfield won the shot (45-11 1/2) and Rob Callagan led from start to finish to take the 800 in 2:07.28. Teammate Ramiro Santana, who has been recovering from an injury, finished third in 2:10.35.
Snow noted that the Husky boys won despite the absence of Brandon Weist, who is nursing an ankle injury and “who would have scored some sure points,” particularly in the triple jump and the high jump.
Other notable performances came from freshman Sam Macklin in the 100 (second, 12.33), Mark Callagan in the 400 (fourth, 57.87), freshman Byron Sanders in the 3000 (10:42.01) and junior Aris Somatis in the 1500 (4:53.76) and the 3000 (10:39.04).
“That’s a great double for a kid who doesn’t have any track experience,” Snow said of Somatis, who recently joined the team. Snow said Somatis’ times were a 20-second PR in the 1500 and a 40-second personal best in the 3000.
He also praised the efforts of Callagan, who normally specializes in the weight events – the sophomore took fourth in the shot and the discus – but who has been running the 400, an event he “discovered” during the Sweet Home decathlon and in which he has been dropping his times steadily in the last few weeks.
“He’s starting to contribute,” Snow said.
On the girls side, Snow praised the efforts of the relay teams, which “looked really good.” He also noted the performance of Cassandra Schumacher, who finished second in the 3000 in 11:25.68, behind the state 4A leader Hayley Belli of Philomath, who ran 10:24.59 in the race that combined the girls and boys. Belli finished seventh overall in that race. She is working on endurance after being beaten in the girls 3A state final last year by Henley freshman Taylor Wallace, who has run 10:59.5 thus far this year.
Snow also praised the efforts of Amanda Basham, who took third in the 300 intermediate hurdles and ran legs on both relays.
The Huskies will be back in action Thursday against Newport and Taft at Newport, then will travel to Centennial Saturday.
Sweet Home vs. Philomath, Stayton
Boys Winners and Sweet Home Finishers
100 – (1) Drew Church (S) 11.60; (2) Sam Macklin (SH) 12.33; (5) Brandon Elliott (SH) 12.50; (9) Terran Burgess (SH) 12.87; (12) Jason Driver (SH) 13.73.
200 – (1) Land Florek (SH) 24.26; (4) Brandon Elliott (SH) 25.66; (8) Jason Driver (SH) 28.76.
400 – (1) Land Florek (SH) 53.03; (4) Marc Callagan (SH) 57/87.
800