Huskies grab 1A state title; outgun Cokeville 110-108; Lady Huskies finish seventh

By: 
Marlys Good

Coach Ryan Olson knew that the route to the 1A boys track and field championship would be a hard-fought, close, down-to-the wire battle. And a battle it was. When the dust had cleared Saturday evening, the Huskies had topped runner-up Cokeville by just two points, 110-108, and stood on the podium as the 1A champs.

Every point was important. Every athlete did his best, and every athlete deserved accolades for his performance. It was truly a team effort.

The Lady Huskies gave everything they had but fell far short, finishing in seventh with 51 points. Cokeville won the title with 115 points followed by Southeast with 91. Kaycee, HEM, Ten Sleep and Saratoga claimed the next four slots above Burlington.

Gideon George once again was the top point-getter claiming first in the high jump and the triple jump to go with a second place in the 110 hurdles and fourth in the 100 meters.

Nathaniel Boreen ended his season with a first place in the pole vault and Grant Winters was a multiple placer as were Jordan Michaels and Kolby Broederlow.

Cheri Henderson ended her high school career in track with multiple placings; Jessie Michaels, a freshman, also placed in multiple events as did Julia and Victoria Nelson.

Coach Olson said Henderson not only placed in multiple events, she ran personal-best times in the 400, 800 and 1600 meters, lopping 10 seconds from her previous best in the mile. “She has so much confidence, and is such a leader on our team, especially for our younger runners,” said Olson.

Olson also praised George and Winters “for their performances; their courage and perseverance, fighting through injuries to do all they could to score points.”

Coach Olson talked last week about the Huskies filling all the relay teams (which is something they have been unable to do for some years) with quality runners, and his athletes responded. The Lady Huskies picked up more than a third of their points from relay teams, while the boys picked up 19 points via relays.

He gave credit to the entire team, all 39-strong, for the success of his squads. “Even those who did not qualify for state were there every day, practicing, giving everything he or she had to get better, encouraging their teammates.”

He talked of one freshman, getting ready for his/her first race at the state level, standing as close as he could to a garbage can; that nervous. “But he/she did the best hey could. Even those who participated but did not place contributed.”

Special note was made of George, who despite fighting injury, went a PB, and won the triple jump with a hop, skip, jump of 43-07. And for Boreen who also “has all the confidence in the world” in his vaulting ability.

Clayton Edwards, Olson said, took fifth in the 200 — higher than predicted — and those extra points made a big difference.

Looking ahead, Olson said the future of track at Burlington High School is bright. ”Just since we got back, I have been impressed at how many kids come in, saying they want to take someones’s slot in the distances; saying they hadn’t been out this year, but they would be next. And one young man asked if he could take a shot and disc home so he could practice over the summer.” And the eighth grade boys took first at their conference meet – a good group of talented kids coming up.

So hats off to the champs – on the field and off. And a hats off to the Lady Huskies who competed like champions also.

 

Results:

Boys:

Team: Burlington 110, Cokeville, 108, Upton 74.5, Saratoga 69; Lingle; Meeteetse, Western Heritage; Southeast; Encampment; Farson; Dubois, Little Snake River; Hulett; Ten Sleep, Guernsey-Sunrise, Kaycee.

Individual:

100-meters: 4th Gideon George 11.98.

200-meters: 5th Clayton Edwards 24.47.

800-meters: 5th Grant Winters 2:09.98; 6th Brian McNiven 2:10.56.

1600-meters: 5th Winters 4:55.12; 8th Jordan Michaels 5:01.64.

3200-meters: 4th Winters 10:50.79. 8th Michaels 11:39.00.

110-hurdles: 2nd George 16.00.

300-hurdles: 2nd Kolby Broedelow 42.78.

4x400-relay: 3rd Burlington (B. McNiven, K. Broederlow, Edwards, Kody Gotfredson) 3:43.15.

4x800-relay: 2nd Burlington (Michaels, B. McNiven, Winters, Casey Pederson) 8:59.04.

1600-sprint medley: 4th Burlington (Ryan McNiven, Pablo Mendez, Daniel Stanworth, Cohen Schlenker) 4:08.31.

High jump: 1st George 6-00; 2nd Gotfredson 5-08; 3rd (tie) R. McNiven 5-06,Edwards 5-06.

Pole vault: 1st Nathaniel Boreen 12-00.

Triple jump: 1st George 43-07.

Girls: Team: Cokeville 115; Southeast 91; Kaycee 65; H.E.M. 64; Ten Sleep 60; Saratoga 54m Burlington 51;Lingle; Upton; Dubois; Rock River; Farson; Guernsey; Western Heritage.

Individual:

800-meters: 4th Cheri Henderson 2:32.66; 5th Julia Nelson 2:35.57; 7th Jessie Michaels 2:38.77.

3200-meters: 3rd Michaels 13:13.42.

4x100-relay: 8th Burlington (Joey Chatwin, Victoria Nelson, Brooke Broederlow, Libby Bassett) 57.75.

4x400-relay: 5th Burlington (Broederlow, Nelson, Chatwin, Rylee Bassett) 4:45.46.

4x800-relay: 1st Burlington (Henderson, Melissa Bullinger, J. Nelson, Michaels) 10:51.32.

1600-sprint medley: 6th Burlington (Chatwin, V. Nelson, Broederlow, R. Bassett) 5:08.58.

High jump: 5th (tie) Nelson 4-06.