Cheney High’s contingent to this weekend’s regional track and field competition at Central Washington University in Ellensburg may not be large, but it will be potent.
The Blackhawks boys and girls teams earned seven District 7 titles last Friday in competition at West Valley High School. Overall, both teams finished third behind the host Eagles and district team champion Pullman.
Camden Verstrate had two of those titles. The senior, coming back from some leg issues, set a new personal record of 10.69 seconds for first in the 100 and took the 200 with a time of 22.19.
The 4x100 relay team of Bryden Esquibel, Jacob McGourin, Jaheem Peele and Verstrate was second with at time of 43.40.
“Cam had an amazing day with the 100, 200, 4 by 100 and almost anchored us to a 4 by 400 regional birth,” head coach Derek Slaughter said in an email.
McGourin took first in the discus with a throw of 176 feet, 3 inches while sophomore Ryan Riekmann was first in the javelin with a toss of 168.03. Second-place finishes went to Mekhai Goodloe, Vincent Terrile and Dawson West. Goodloe set a PR of 49-03.50 in the shot put, while Terrile set a PR of 150-08 in the javelin, with West finishing second in the high jump with a leap of 5-10.
“This is the first time, as a head coach, I have got a shot putter, discus throw and javelin throwers through all in the same year,” Slaughter said. “We have been working to build our throws program over the last few years and I think it really is starting to show.”
Abigail Scott and Sophia Van Wormer led the girls with first-place finishes. Scott set a new PR of 123-05 to capture the javelin while Van Wormer went 10-06 for first in the pole vault.
Maddie Warren and Jaela Thornburg notched a pair of second-place finishes, with Warren advancing in the 200 in 26.59 an Thornburg in the 400 with a season-best 1:03.47. Hunter Holsten saw her postseason continue with a second-place finish in the shot put in 35-7.50.
The Cheney girls had an outstanding day in the relay races. The 4x100 team of Sydney Reagan, Warren, Sara Graham and Van Wormer captured a district title with at time of 51.06.
The 4x200 team of Warren, Thornburg, Van Wormer and Reagan was second in 1:48.99 while the 4x400 team of Megan Habegger, Thornburg, Reagan and Warren was second in 4:26.77.
Next up for the Blackhawks is the regional qualifying meet between teams from the Great Northern League and the Central Washington Athletic Conference this Friday in Ellensburg. Statewide 2A classification standings indicate several Cheney athletes having a good chance of moving on to state competition May 23-25 at Mount Tahoma High School in Lakewood.
Verstrate is currently ranked second in the 100 and 200 behind Lindbergh’s Deven Brown in both events. McGourin’s best mark of 188-11 against Clarkston — which set a new school record — is good for second in the discus, trailing Ridgefield’s Trey Knight by just 5 inches.
Riekmann is currently fifth in the javelin, as is the 4x100 team.
Van Wormer’s school record vault of 12-06 against Clarkston has her sitting atop the pole vault rankings by a foot and a half over Bellingham’s Ginger Mullins. Scott is ranked fourth in the javelin, Holsten is eighth in the shot put and Warren is 10th in the 200. Cheney’s 4x100 team is also 10th.
John McCallum can be reached at [email protected].
Reader Comments(0)