The Sweet Home boys proved they are bringing some speed to the track this year with some telling performances Wednesday in their first meet of the season.
In a nonscoring meet against Cascade and 6A North Salem, the Huskies came away with several wins, including one in the boys 4×400 that was the fastest opener for the Huskies in recent history, according to Coach Billy Snow.
Snow didn’t have North Salem’s time for second, but the Huskies were 15 seconds ahead of Cascade as the team of Dakotah Keys, Brinden Sanders, Ramiro Santana and Land Florek ran 3:38.6.
“I don’t think we’ve ever opened under 3:40,” Snow said.
“I thought our guys had a great day on the track and on the field there were things happening that were good to see. We were very pleased.”
Part of the reason the Sweet Home coaches were happy was because they were missing several key athletes who were performing in the winter choir concert, on the boys side, and “about half our team” on the girls, between the choir and those who hadn’t had adequate practice sessions.
“We’re going to be thin, like I thought, but the girls are going to be competitive,” Snow said.
In the sprints, junior Sam Macklin picked up where he left off last year, winning the 100 (11.7) and taking second in the 200 (24.6). In his first outing on the track for Sweet Home, Amos Parmenter placed third in the 100 (12.0).
“Sam had a great day,” Snow said, “And any time you can add a kid like Amos, who has talent and a work ethic, that’s going to be plus for the group.
Florek, who is coming off an injury, ran 53.0 to win the 400.
The boys 4×100 relay team of Parmenter, freshman Tim McDowell, Macklin and Santana took second behind North Salem.
“Speedwise, we have enough speed and bodies on the track,” Snow said. “(Sprints coach) Jim (Kistner) has a problem every coach would like to have – who are going to be the kids on the short relay team with six or seven to choose from.”
Sophomore Dakotah Keys led the Huskies with three individual wins, in the javelin (192-10), the 110 hurdles (15.2) and the 300 hurdles (40.3), all of which drew praise from Snow.
Junior Nikki Smith picked up where he left off last year in the pole vault, clearing 10-0 for fifth place and maxing out on the pole he was using. McDowell jumped 5-3 in the high jump for third.
In the throws, Kelsey Fisher whipped the javelin out to 144-10, while freshman Zach Jackson threw 136-3 in his first time with the javelin. Parmenter (119-5) and senior Marcus Delong (115-2) went third and fourth in the discus behind two North Salem throwers.
In the distances, Santana took first in the 800 in 2:12.0, while sophomore Dustin Collman led a 2-3-4 finish by the Huskies in the 1500.
“We haven’t had a strong distance crew for a while, but this year we have some depth for a change, which will be nice, especially on the girls side,” Snow said.
Senior Amanda Basham kicked off her distance career on the track, going 5:21.7 in the 1500 for a win in that event.
Ashley Danielson broke the 100-foot mark her first time out in the javelin to finish second with a throw of 100-01, behind Cascade’s Katrina Amsberry, a state placewinner last year, who threw 112-8. What was encouraging to the Husky coaching staff, Snow said, was that Sweet Home’s Amanda Hoover was third with 92-04, and rookie Josie David threw 71-11.
Freshman Maria Kropf showed she has the potential to be one of the fastest girls in the state, winning the 100 in 12.8. But she injured her hamstring in the 200, running the curve in the second lane, Snow said. He said the severity of the injury is still being determined.
Jessica Snow got off to a good start in the 400, taking second in 71.6.
“Up and down the line, the veterans stepped up and picked up from last year,” Billy Snow said. “We don’t want to spend half the year getting back to where we were last year.
“Plus, we have the new kids like David Walters, Zach Jackson, Tim McDowell, and Brinden Sanders, who’s out for his first year of track. And (distance runner) Josh Rice wasn’t a varsity kid last year.”
Boys Results Top Three plus Sweet Home times
100 Meters – (1) Sam Macklin (SH) 11.7; (2) Dustin Remesnik (C) 11.8; (3-tie) Amos Parmenter (SH) 12.0; Robbie Federico (C) 12.0; Jake Comstock (SH) 13.1; David Rinehart (SH) 13.5; Donnie O’Brien (SH) 14.3.
200 Meters – (1) North Salem; (2) Sam Macklin (SH) 24.6; (3) Joey Gilliland (C) 24.7; Jake Comstock (SH) 27.1; Donnie O’Brien (SH) 29.7.
400 Meters – (1) Land Florek (SH) 53.0; (2) North Salem; (3) Joey Gilliland(C) 54.4; Tim McDowell (SH) 58.9; Zach Jackson (SH) 61.8.
800 Meters – (1) Ramiro Santana (SH) 2:12.0; (2) North Salem; (3) Jakson Clark (C) 2:15.0; Brinden Sanders (SH) 2:15.5; David Rinehart (SH) 2:47.8; Alex Stupin (SH) 2:49.3.
1500 Meters – (1) North Salem; (2) Dustin Collman (SH) 4:48.0; (3) Josh Rice (SH) 4:52.1; (4) Byron Sanders (SH) 4:52.5; John Trahan (SH) 5:08.3; Chris Thompson (SH) 5:10.4; Joe Stroud (SH) 5:13.3.
3000 Meters – (1) North Salem; (2) Jakson Clark (C) 10:35; (3) Byron Sanders (SH) 10:37.3; John Trahan (SH) 11:10.0; Chris Thompson (SH) 12:12.5.
110 High Hurdles – (1) Dakotah Keys (SH) 15.2; (2) North Salem; (3) David Dodge (C) 18.3.
300 Int Hurdles – (1) Dakotah Keys (SH) 40.3; (2-3) North Salem.
4×100 Relay – (1) North Salem 45.83; (2) Sweet Home (Amos Parmenter, Tim McDowell, Sam Macklin, Ramiro Santana) 47.0. (3) Cascade (Dustin Remesnik, Aaron Bicknell, Dakota Kittleson, Colt Brown) 47.1.
4×400 Relay – (1) Sweet Home (Dakotah Keys, Brinden Sanders, Ramiro Santana, Land Florek) 3:38.6; (2) North Salem; (3) Cascade (Robbie Federico, Aaron Bicknell, Joey Gilliland, Dakota Brown) 3:53.
JV 4×400 Relay – (1) Sweet Home (David Walters, Josh Rice, Dustin Collman, Josh Ward) 3:53.5.
Shot Put – (1-2) North Salem; (3) Anderson (C); (5) Marcus Delong (SH) 38-00; Ethan Rowe (SH) 37-06; Scotty Wagers (C) 37-3; Kelsey Fisher (SH) 34-08; Eric Munts (SH) 29-05; Nick Whitmore (SH) 27-00; Kyle Holmes (SH) 26-08.
Discus – (1-2) North Salem; (3) Amos Parmenter (SH) 119-05; (4) Marcus Delong (SH) 115-02; Ethan Rowe (SH) 105-02; Josh Ward (SH) 96-02; Kelsey Fisher (SH) 96-02; Brinden Sanders (SH) 95-08; Eric Munts (SH) 86-10; Kyle Holmes (SH) 68-00; Stacey Fisher (SH) 64-06; Dylan Parrish (SH) 64-03; Nick Whitmore (SH) 63-03; Zach McClure (SH) 53-00.
Javelin – (1) Dakotah Keys (SH) 192-10; (2) Kelsey Fisher (SH) 144-10; (3) Paul Federico (C) 138-1; Zach Jackson (SH) 136-3; Bud Daniels (SH) 114-05; Josh Ward (SH) 103-10; Kyle Holmes (SH) 84-04; Eric Munts (SH) 82-01; Stacey Fisher (SH) 75-06; Dylan Parrish (SH) 75-06; Nick Whitmore (SH) 68-00.
High Jump – (1-2) North Salem; (3) Tim McDowell (SH) 5-03; (4) Nick LaMonica (C) 5-03.
Pole Vault – (1) Ryan Parker (C) 11-00; (2) David Dodge (C) 10-6; (3) North Salem; (5) Nikki Smith (SH) 10-00.
Long Jump – (1-2) North Salem; (3) Sam Macklin (SH) 19-04; Nick LaMonica (C) 18-6; Joey Gilliland (C) 18-3; David Rinehart (SH) 13-06.
Triple Jump – Dustin Remesnik (C) 35-10.
Girls Results Top Three plus Sweet Home times
100 Meters – (1) Maria Kropf (SH) 12.8; (2) Ashley Taylor (C) 13.1; (3) Brittany Roberts (C) 13.8; Natasha Perry (SH) 14.7; Leah Dauley (SH) 15.0; Tanesia McDowell (SH) 15.0; Kelika Kaniaupio (SH) 15.3; Sami Webb (SH) 16.0.
200 Meters – (1-3) North Salem; (4) Sascha Tudela (C) 30.5; Natasha Perry (SH) 32.5; Sami Webb (SH) 34.8.
400 Meters – (1) North Salem; (2) Jessica Snow (SH) 71.6; (3) Llexa Magnusson (C) 72.1.
800 Meters – 1-3 places North Salem; (4) Christina Ciampi (C) 2:54.0; (5) Jill Mahler (SH) 2:54.7; Jenna Kistner (SH) 3:12.2.
1500 Meters – (1) Amanda Basham (SH) 5:21.7; (2) North Salem; (3) Emily Everetts (C) 5:46.3; (4) Carissa Swanson (SH) 5:50.3.
3000 Meters – (1-2) North Salem; (3) Hannah Burks (C) 13:28.
100 High Hurdles – North Salem 1-4 places; Kelika Kaniaupio (SH) 21.2.
300 Low Hurdles – (1-3 North Salem); (4) Amanda Basham (SH) 56.1; Leah Dauley (SH) 57.3; Kim Lucas (C) 65.1.
4×100 Relay – (1) North Salem 53.34; (2) Cascade (Sascha Tudela, Brittany Roberts, Samantha Moll, Ashley Taylor) 53.4; (3) Sweet Home (Natasha Perry, Leah Dauley, Tanesia McDowell, Maria Kropf ) 54.4.
4×400 Relay – (1) North Salem; (2) Sweet Home (Ashley Danielson, Amanda Basham, Jessica Snow, Jill Mahler) 4:42.6; (3) Cascade (Brittany Roberts, Sascha Tudela, Llexa Magnusson, Kinney Ashley) 4:45.1.
Shot Put – (1) Samantha LaMonica (C) 37-8; (2) North Salem; (3) Sharayah Kenady (C) 35-7; Tee Whaley (SH) 26-02; Amanda Hoover (SH) 26-1; Josie David (SH) 24-10; Katelyn Anderson (SH) 21-09. Discus – (1) Sharayah Kenady (C) 117-1; (2) North Salem; (3) Samantha Lamonica (C) 107-5; Amanda Hoover (SH) 61-01; Tee Whaley (SH) 60-07; Katelyn Anderson (SH) 53-06.
Javelin – (1) Katrina Amsberry (C) 112-8; (2) Ashley Danielson (SH) 100-01; (3) Amanda Hoover (SH) 92-04; Josie David (SH) 71-11.
High Jump – No Sweet Home contestants.
Pole Vault – No Sweet Home contestants.
Long Jump – (1-3) North Salem; Kelika Kaniaupio (SH) 12-5.75; Tanesia McDowell (SH) 11-02; Samantha Driver (SH) 11-01.5.
Triple Jump – No Sweet Home contestants.