Rebel thinclads face tough competition in Lovell

The Riverside Rebels track and field squad made the trip up to North Big Horn County to compete at the Lovell Invitational Saturday. Despite the tough competition, the Rebels put up some strong performances at the meet.

The Lady Rebels placed ninth in the 10-team field in Lovell with a team score of 12 points. The Rebel boys placed 10th with 14 points. Powell won both the girls and boys divisions in Lovell with the girls scoring 188 points and the boys scoring 116.33 points.

“The Lovell track meet is always a tough one because of the number of teams and athletes,” coach Dale Query said. “At the same time, it allows our kids to compete with those teams they don’t see all the time.

“We did have some athletes that showed up and were able to put up some great marks. I was very happy with our relay teams and am looking at ways to get them to State.”

In individual results, coaches named senior Breana Riley as the female athlete of the week as she placed fifth in the 100-me ter hurdles, coming in at 18.25 seconds, 25/100ths of a second of prequalifying for state. She also placed eighth in the triple jump with a jump of 29-0½, and 11th in the pole vault, clearing 6-9.

“Breana has really been doing a great job in the 100-meter hurdles and has finished top five in most track meets,” Query said. “This meet was her first opportunity to compete in pole vault and did well. Knowing how she’s been vaulting in practice, she has potential for greater heights.”

Senior Monique Velasquez placed seventh in the triple jump, leaping 29-11¾.

Sophomore Vaidyn Vanderploeg placed sixth in the 100-meter dash, cross- ing the finish line in 13.62 seconds. 

Freshman Dakota Cervantes placed fifth in the 1,600-meter run, finish ing the event with a personal- best time of 6:32.03. She also was a member of the 3,200-meter relay team with freshman Anna Stone, sophomore Lalia Davis and junior Markita Gesch that placed third with a time of 12:36.89.

The 1,600 sprint-medley relay team of Stone, Gesch and juniors Jersey Streitz and Kieri Vandeest placed sixth in the event with a time of 5:27.85, a personal best.

The 400-meter relay team of sophomore Hailee McClure, Riley, Velasquez and Vanderploeg placed seventh with a time of 56.18 seconds, two seconds off the prequalifying time for State.

“Our girls 400-meter relay ran a really good race for the first time trying it,” Query said. “We were only two seconds off the pre-qualification mark and that could be made up with handoffs.”

OTHER RIVERSIDE GIRLS RESULTS WERE:

100m dash – Gesch 39th, 15.25; 800m run – Stone 15th, 3:04.19; 100m hurdles – Streitz 21st, 22.24; high jump – McClure 12th, 4-5; long jump – Gesch 18th, 12-6¾; triple jump – McClure 15th, 26-11¾, Streitz 19th, 25-8½; shot put – VanDeest 38th, 22-6, Davis 40th, 21-10½; discus – VanDeest 19th, 74-2, Alexis Garay 20th, 74-1, Davis 26th, 68-11.

BOYS RESULTS

Coaches named junior Ryan Hoyt as the male athlete of the week as he placed fifth in the 3,200-meter run, finishing the two-mile in 12:13.77, and 15th in the 1,600-me- ter run, finishing the mile in 5:13.48. 

“This kid is a running machine,” Query said. “No matter if it’s in practice or in the meet, he not only gives great effort, but he makes sure he has that Hoyt smile. I’m really looking forward to seeing how he does when we start putting together our relay teams.” 

Junior Garret Ellis- Rudd placed third in the 100-meter hurdles, coming in at 17.19 seconds, 59/100ths of a second off the prequalifying time for State, and sixth in the 300-meter hurdles, coming in at 44.79 seconds, about two seconds off the state-qualifying time. He also placed seventh in the high jump, clearing a season- best 5-8, and ninth in the triple jump, sailing 37 feet. 

Sophomore Trenton Coronel placed fourth in the long jump, leaping 185¾, and 12th in the high jump, clearing 5-4. He also placed 17th in the 800-meter run, finishing the two-lap race in 2:30.62. 

Sophomore Dylan Alexander placed 13th in the 400-meter dash, finishing the oval in 59.81 seconds.

The 1,600 sprint-medley relay team of freshman Ty Strohschein, Alexander, Coronel and Hoyt placed sixth with a time of 4:18.71.

“On the boy’s side, we are looking at either the 3,200-meter relay or the 1,600 medley,” Query said. “We have been successful in both however with our low numbers we need to pick our best and go with it.”

OTHER RIVERSIDE BOYS’ RESULTS WERE:

100m dash – Alexander 28th, 12.67, Strohschein 36th, 12.88, Blake Mautz 58th, 13.87, Brian Gesch 64th, 17.03; 200m dash – Strohschein 28th, 26.61, Mautz 39th, 28.66; 1600m run – Hayden Paxton 24th, 5:29.8; shot put – Gesch 25th, 31-6; discus – Gesch 22nd 89-10.

The Rebel tracksters are scheduled to compete at the Rocky Mountain Invitational Saturday with events scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. 

“My focus for this week is going to be the relays,” Query said. “I want to work on getting smooth handoffs as well as getting those teams solidified."