Veterans stepped up Thursday, March 15, for the Sweet Home track and field squad as the Huskies opened their 2007 campaign at Marist in a meet that included Sisters and Junction City.
“I thought we had a good meet for the first one,” said Coach Billy Snow. “In general, the experienced kids started where they left off last year. That was a good sign.”
Winners for the Huskies were senior Hannah McClaskey in the girls shot put and discus, and sophomore Land Florek in the 400, senior Nathan Whitfield in the javelin and Jess Keys in the high jump.
Florek also placed third in the 200 and ran legs in both relays for the Huskies.
Keys also placed fourth, in 10:19.4 in the 3000, and fifth in the 1500, in 4:33.1 after taking off too fast, Snow said,
Ashley Danielson posted “a good mark” to place second in the javelin (98-11) and Ashley Bertucci had a good day as well, finishing second in the discus (82-10) and third in the triple jump (28-3), in which she added about three feet after adjusting her starting mark, Snow said.
Brandon Weist placed second in the boys triple, showing consistency on his efforts in reaching 39-3.
“I don’t know if he was ever consistent last year,” Snow said of Weist’s rookie year in track that still took him to the state meet.
Freshman Dakotah Keys appeared a little nervous, Snow said, but managed a fourth place in the javelin (150-5) and a third in the pole vault (12-0), both freshman class records.
“He ran a good leg on the 4×400 relay as well,” Snow said. “He’ll settle down and figure out how to control his energy.”
Erika Snow topped out at 7 feet in the pole vault after event officials decided to let some girls who’d returned from other events drop the height back down. A group of competitors were left in at that point, but all but one missed after sitting out while the bar came back up, Snow said.
Both the boys and girls 400 relays showed promise, Snow said. The team of sophomores Sam Macklin and Robert Callagan, freshman Dakotah Keys and junior Florek ran 3:43.4, which “is a good time for us this early in the season,” Snow said. “Our 4×400 relay may end up having six or seven guys we could plug in there.”
He also liked the girls 4×400 effort, in which returnees Danielson and Amanda Basham, with freshmen Jesse Snow and Jill Mahler, ran 4:37.2.
“That was a good little foursome,” Snow said.
Basham also finished second in the 300 low hurdles.
The Huskies will be back on the track Thursday at Pleasant Hill in a 12-team meet.
Meanwhile, it’s all about training, Snow said.
“Hopefully we can take up where we left off and work on our conditioning,” he said. “We just need to get them faster, get them higher and get them farther.”
Sweet Home Boys
Varsity Results
100 – (5) Sam Macklin 12.3; Brandon Elliott 12.7. 200 – (3) Land Florek 24.1; Sam Macklin 25.3; Brandon Elliott 26.3. 400 – (1) Land Florek 53.2. 800 – (4) Robert Callagan 2:09.6; 1500 – (5) Jess Keys 4:33.1. 3000 – (4) Jess Keys 10:19.4; (6) KC Hanscam 10:44.4; Peter VanDerlip 11:11.1. 110 HH – (3) Dakotah Keys 16.9. 300 IH – (4) Brandon Weist 45.5. 4×100 Relay – (6) (Brandon Elliott, Sam Macklin, Kyle Dauley, Land Florek) 47.5. 4×400 Relay – (4) (Sam Macklin, Robert Callagan, Dakotah Keys, Land Florek ) 3:43.4. Shot Put – (2) Nathan Whitfield 42-08; (4) Marc Callagan 40-03; Marcus Delong 37-09. Discus – (4) Marcus Delong 108-06; (6) Nathan Whitfield 103-11; Marc Callagan 87-07. Javelin – (1) Nathan Whitfield 164-01; (4) Dakotah Keys 150-05; Kelsey Fisher 108-04. High Jump – (1) Jess Keys 5-10; (3) Brandon Weist 5-8. Pole Vault – (3) Dakotah Keys 12-0; KC Hanscam 10-0. Long Jump – No Sweet Home varsity competitors. Triple Jump – (2) Brandon Weist 39-3.75; KC Hanscam 33-10.5.
Sweet Home Girls
Varsity Results
100 – No Sweet Home varsity competitors. 200 – No Sweet Home varsity competitors. 400 – Jessica Snow 70.7. 800 – (6) Ashley Danielson 2:37.9. 1500 – (3) Cassandra Schumacher 5:30.9. 3000 – (2) Cassandra Schumacher 11:51.1. 100 HH – No Sweet Home varsity competitors. 300 LH – (2) Amanda Basham 53.2. 4×100 Relay – No Sweet Home varsity competitors. 4×400 Relay (Ashley Danielson, Amanda Basham, Jessica Snow, Jill Mahler) 4:37.2. Shot Put – (1) Hannah McClaskey 35-02.5; (5) Tee Whaley 27-0; Vianney Santana 23-03.5. Discus – (1) Hannah McClaskey 101-00; (2) Ashley Bertucci 82-10; (5) Tee Whaley 69-11. Javelin – (2) Ashley Danielson 98-11; Sabra Perry 67-08. High Jump – No Sweet Home varsity competitors. Pole Vault – (2) Erika Snow 7-00. Long Jump – No Sweet Home varsity competitors. Triple Jump – (3) Ashley Bertucci 28-3.