Area track teams still trying to find themselves, working out kinks

Area track teams still trying to find themselves, working out kinks

April 10, 2001

CODY BEAVER (second from left) of the Dolores High School track and field team leaps over a hurdle during the 300-meter event on Saturday at the Shiprock Invitational Track and Field Meet at SHS Stadium. Beaver came in second, just missing out to the Shiprock runner (third from left), by a hair.

BY JIM THOMAS
Journal Sports Editor

SHIPROCK, N.M. — If it’s not one thing, it’s another.

It seems like all the area track and field teams are having a tough time getting all their kids together for one meet. Perhaps, this week will be it.

For the small schools, they will head to the Pine River Invitational, a huge meet set this Friday, April 13, in Bayfield. It will be a State qualifying meet with some 350 or more athletes attending. Dolores, Dolores County, and Mancos will be joined by host Bayfield, Ignacio, Durango, Pagosa Springs, Alamosa, Monte Vista, Del Norte, and several more.

The Panthers will travel to Window Rock, Ariz., also this Friday. Montezuma-Cortez High School and host Window Rock will be joined by Chinle and Page, Ariz., Gallup, and Zuni, N.M.; Tuba City, Ariz., Monument Valley (Kayenta, Ariz.) and Shiprock to name a few.

But this past weekend, all the teams were still not at full strength. In fact, Dolores and Dolores County left early that day because of Prom that night.

Mancos girls had their best meet of the season by placing third in the eight-team field.

"Since we only have a handful this year, I thought we did real well," MHS head coach Tim Dunham commented. "I especially thought Amanda (Kennedy) did very well for us."

Kennedy was named the Outstanding Female Athlete at the Shiprock meet. All she did was set a new state record in the 100-meter dash with an electronic time of 12.26 seconds (that computes to 12.46 handheld). She eclipsed one of the oldest, if not the oldest record over time, at MHS. She beat the 12.67 time held by Tanya Ewing (Young) set back in 1975. Her effort also was good enough for a new stadium record. Kennedy got a good jump and then just blew away the field.

She also captured first place in the 200, an event she does not like to run, with a time of 26.93. When she rounded the corner, she was way out front.

Kennedy, who only took up triple jumping this season, captured first place with a leap of 30 feet, 11 inches. She also was on the second-place 4X400 relay team which clocked 4 minutes, 36.53 seconds. Joining her on that team were Kerri Morgan, Lacey Morris, and Jori Yeomans.

Rachel Russell had a good day. She captured first place in the shot put with a heave of 31-2. She finished seventh in the discus with a so-so effort of 78-1 1/2. But she threw the javelin, an event not contested in Colorado, 76-3 for sixth.

Yeomans placed in the 1600 run with a time of 5:40. Katie Paxton threw the discus 85-5 for third. Morgan took in second in the triple jump with a hop, skip and jump of 30-8. The 4X100 relay also came in second place.

"I was real pleased with our girls. We have such a small team this year. But to see them do so well was great," he added.

Shandra Johnson and Alyssa Redshaw of Dolores County continue to be impressive. Johnson came in fifth in the long jump with a leap of 14-4. She also placed sixth in the 100 hurdles in 18.91. She finished third in the 100 dash in 13.0. Redshaw came in second in the 100 in 12.31. She won the 400 in 1:04.40. The 4X800 relay team came in sixth in 11:47.36.

Dolores girls also had a few good efforts on the day. Its 4X800 relay team came in eighth in 12:55.44. The 4X100 placed fourth in 50.70.

The Mancos boys, who took fourth place, also showed off some talent.

Travis Clark took first in the discus with a toss of 133-4. Teammate Kelley Smith came in sixth at 106-7. Josh Seymour finished fifth in the javelin with a throw of 120-1/8th. Smith came in seventh with a toss of 117-10 3/4.

Jesse Rousset grabbed fourth in the shot put with a heave of 39-9. Jakob Tallent placed fifth in the 400 in 56.18. Sven McNeil came in second in the 800 in 2:11.96. Rousset grabbed sixth in the 200 in 23.65 while Philip Wilson placed seventh in 24.07.

The 4X800 relay team came in fifth in 9:54.58. The 4X400 relay squad of Wilson, Doyle Edgerton, McNeil, and Rousset came in first in 3:45.71.

Dolores boys are serving notice they have a good team and will be right in there come the San Juan League meet later this season.

Derek Thompson tossed the discus 100-7 for seventh. Cody Beaver finished sixth in the high jump as he cleared 5-4. Beaver won a good race in the 100 hurdles in 15.02. He came in second in the 300 hurdles in 41.31. Garrett Nielson came in fifth in the 200 in 23.29. He also placed third in the 100 dash in 11.36. The 4X100 relay came in sixth in 48.81.

Dove Creek’s boys had some good performances. Lyle Joe came in sixth in the discus with a toss of 99-1. Bru Meyer placed seventh in the shot put with a heave of 36-11. Meyer also came in sixth in the 400 with a time of 56.86.

Shiprock boys won the team standings with 148 points while Bayfield was distant second at 68, Thoreau, N.M., placed third with 67 while Mancos had 65. Bayfield girls won the division with 148 while Shiprock took second with 125 and Mancos third with 80.

"This meet (Window Rock) will be the first one in which we will have everyone at," MCHS head girls coach Doug Anderson said. "This is good meet to go and we enjoy going there."

"The girls who went to Page did real well," he added. "We didn’t have any firsts but we did have some other placers."

Tasha Toles finished third in the 100 in 13.26 and third in 200. Her time of 28.6 was a best for her. Connie Berger grabbed second in the high jump at 4-8 and third in the long jump at 13.11. Kristi Christensen was fourth in the 300 hurdles in 55.6. She also took fourth in the 100 hurdles in 18.09. Christine Tilton placed fourth in the shot put with a heave of 31-8.

The 4X100 relay team of Kendra Taylor, Hannah Mortensen, Kristi and Julie Christensen placed fourth in 4:47. The 4X800 relay team of Hannah Mortensen, Holly Smith, Chelsea Mortensen and Julie Christensen also was fourth in 12:32.

In a very unorganized meet at Moab, Utah, several Panthers did place, according to Anderson. Ashleigh Wilson placed sixth in 100 hurdles. The 4X100 relay team of Dawn Keck, Kendra Taylor, Wilson and Toles took fourth in 55.4. Berger tied for eighth at 4-6 in the high jump. Caitlin Claxton took fifth in the shot put at 28-9 1/2.

Durango won the meet, Page finished second and MCHS took third on th girls’ side. A total of 10 teams participated.

The Panther boys also did well at Page, despite not having a full team. Durango won, Page finished second and MCHS grabbed third.

Colin Tansey finished third in the discus with a throw of 123-11 1/2. Jeff Yarbrough continues to be impressive in the high jump with a first-place effort of 6-1. Josh Lee took third in the long jump with a leap of 20-0. James Durnin came in second in the triple jump with a hop, skip and jump of 39-4.d Levi Hill came in fifth in the 110 hurdles in 17.1. Lee also took fourth in the 100 in 11.49. Walt Pape grabbed third in the 400 in 43.3. Lee came in second in the 200 in 23.2. Yarbrough grabbed second in the 300 hurdles in 47.9. Tansey placed third in the shot with a throw of 41-8. Nick Patterson finished eighth in the shot with a toss of 38-3. Jeff Anderson came in sixth in the high jump as he cleared 5-8.

The 4X100 relay team of Hill, Tansey, Nate Foster and Yarbrough came in third in 47.1. The 1,600 relay team of Lee, Yarbrough, Durnin and Pape came in fourth. Jordan Davis came in seventh in the 800 in 2:09.

"Had it not been for the pole vault (MCHS does not compete in that event), we would have probably taken second," MCHS head boys coach Bob Archibeque reported. "We weren’t at full strength. We were missing two of our throwers in Derique Duran and Brian Balfour. High jumper Jerome Tryon was not there as well. But we should be at full strength except for Balfour at the Window Rock meet."