Mooberry Marks Take A Step Up
Prep track
Anthony Gardner jumps best in warm weather. Apparently he isn’t the only one.
Greeted by almost ideal conditions for the first time this year, athletes responded with some of the strongest performances of the season at the Mooberry Relays track and field meet at Rogers High School on Saturday.
“That’s the only time I jump good, when it’s warm weather,” Gardner, the Rogers senior, said after his area-best triple jump of 44 feet, 8 3/4 inches on the 65-degree day.
He teamed with John Herbert (42-10 1/2) to win the “triple jump relay” in the meet, in which points are scored by teammates pairing up in field events and has more unusual relays than traditional meets.
Another pair of winning jumpers, University’s Adrienne Wilson and Richland’s Tony Lechelt, were voted outstanding athletes.
Wilson went 18-3 in the long jump, teaming with Kalie Cossette (15-11 3/4) to win that event. She also ran on the 400 relay team that tied the meet record (49.5 seconds), was second individually (34-8) for the winning triple-jump team (Eleni Damascus, 31-4) and ran on the Titans’ runner-up 800 relay.
Lechelt set a meet record in the long jump (22-10), won the 100 (11.0) and anchored the winning 800 relay team (1:31.4)
The Mead boys used their talented distance runners to defend their title with 94 points. The Panthers set a meet record in the 3,200-meter relay (7:53.8), the second-fastest in Washington high school history for the rarely contested event.
In an amazing display of the Panthers’ talent, Skiy DeTray, usually a 1,600 and 3,200 runner, ran a pair of sub-1 minute, 55-second 800-meter legs in the distance medley relays. He turned a 50.6-second 400 as anchor of the winning 1,600 relay team.
Second was Richland with 83 points, followed by Ferris at 52 and Gonzaga Prep at 46.
The Mead girls also used their depth to beat University 93-69, followed by Richland with 61 and Pasco at 46.
Lechelt wasn’t at all bothered when he didn’t get a chance for four wins when the Bombers’ 400 relay was short-circuited by a false start.
“I don’t care, as long as it’s not important,” Lechelt said. “It kind of stinks it happened, but I don’t dwell on it.”
Wilson proved she was a consistent 18-foot long jumper and a big-time triple jumper.
“I thought I may go 35; I’m a little disappointed,” said Wilson, whose first triple jump on Thursday produced a school-record effort of 34-11. “I’ve got to work on my second phase. I don’t have a middle phase, I just kind of step and jump.”
If Wilson shows the same kind of improvement as triple-jump winner Star Olson, she could be dangerous. Olson, of East Valley, went 34-11.
“I’ve made goals for each month,” Olson said. “My goal this month is 35 feet. I have three more. But I looked at my results for each meet last year and I’m higher, and every meet I’ve been in (this year) is a (seasonal) PR.”
Olson went 35-4 last year at state when she placed sixth, and hopes to break 36 feet this year.
“This was really hard,” she said. “I was so close to 35. I wasn’t really disappointed but I wish I could have got it. But, I’m really excited I beat Adrienne because I knew she’d be good.”
Another good-but-not-great effort came from Richland’s Kevin Moore. He threw the discus 179-11, an inch farther than his state-winning effort of a year ago, and put the shot 54-9.
Though he was easily the top individual, he had much higher goals.
“I didn’t get to warm up for the discus. That kind of hurt,” he said after the Bombers’ late arrival kept him from nearing his 187-foot best. “In the shot put I’m getting real close to getting it to go. I want that real bad. I’ve had some over 60 feet but I’ve got to keep myself in the ring.”
One person reaching a goal was Chrissy Peterson of St. George’s. With a spot open in the girls 300 hurdles, the Class B state leader got the opportunity to fill it. She responded with a secondplace run of 47.1, easily her best of the season and close to her PR.
“I loved it. I’ve been so excited. It’s great to get this competition, face so many great runners. And, I don’t have to run the 800 afterward,” the leading Class B 800 runner said. “This track is great, too, especially now that we’re in our league season. The tracks we run on are really slow.”
No complaints, not even running in a different heat than state leader Autumn Wood of Mead, who went 44.9.
“That would have been nice, but I had plenty of competition in my heat,” Peterson said.
Another top effort was an area-best 183-10 in the javelin by West Valley’s Mike Schroder.
South Kitsap Invitational: Jennifer Smith won the 1,600 (5:21.4) and 3,200 (11:09.6), and freshman Marissa Blackshire won the 800 (2:18.7) as the Ferris girls finished second. The Saxons, with another first in the 1,600 relay (4:05.4), finished with 103 points, two behind Gig Harbor.
Larry Eason Invitational, Snohomish: The Central Valley girls won the 1,600 relay (4:05), and Rebecca Paulk of Lewis and Clark won the 300 hurdles (46.45).
The Bears finished third with 38 points, LC was sixth with 28 and West Valley had six, well behind Snohomish, which had 51.
On the boys side, O’Dea won with 66 points, with CV sixth at 29 and LC with 13 points.