Wahkiakum track and field boasts possible state qualifiers

Last Tuesday, during what Coach Tina Merz described as “a gorgeous day in Mossyrock,” Wahkiakum High School’s track and field team pitted itself against seven other teams. Among the top-five or personal records for the boys was Jayden Stoddard, who took third in the Men’s 100M with a time of 12.22. Mason Waldek’s time of 12.6 in the same event was good enough for a personal record. Caleb Vicars had personal records in both the Men’s 200M, 400M, and 800M with times of 28.26 and 1:04.44 and 2:38.07. Vicars’ time in the 1600M was good enough for fourth place. Noah Sandhu had first-place finishes in both the Men’s 800M and 1600M with times of 2:27.86 and 5:23, with his 1600M finish time being a personal record. Josiah Garrett had a personal best in the 1600M with a time of 6:14 and a fourth-place finish in the Men’s 3200M with a time of 14:38. In team competition for the boys, the quartet of Joseph Merz, Dom Diaz, Stoddard, and Waldek finished second in the Men’s 4X100M Relay with a time of 49.89. Overall, the men’s team earned third place out of the seven competing teams. According to Coach Tina Merz, the Men’s 4X100M relay team is currently first in District 4, and Stoddard, currently 12th in the 1B state for 100M, is second in District 4.

In the field for the boys, Kyle Gonzales took fourth in the Men’s Shot Put with a distance of 33 feet, 3 inches and third in the Men’s Discus with a personal-record distance of 102 feet, 2 inches. Cor Hoogendoorn had a personal record in the Men’s Shot Put with a distance of 31 feet, 6.5 inches, and Joseph Merz had a personal record distance of 96 feet, 11 inches in the Men’s Discus. Jason Shervey, Chandler Tawater, and Hoogendoorn had personal records in the Men’s Discus with distances of 81 feet, 9 inches; 64 feet, 9 inches; and 60 feet. Robby Chandler took second in the Men’s Javelin with a distance of 143 feet, 8 inches, while Gonzales and Ethan Hurley had personal records in the same event with distances of 110 feet, 1 inch; and 86 feet, 3 inches. Waldek took third in the Men’s Long Jump with a personal record distance of 17 feet, 6 inches, while Tawater and Josiah Garrett had personal records in the same event with distances of 14 feet, 11 inches; and 14 feet, 10 inches. Waldek took second and Garrett took third in the Men’s Triple Jump with personal-record distances of 36 feet, 5 inches; and 32 feet, 10 inches. According to Merz, Chandler is currently ninth in the Men’s Javelin in 1B State and third in District 4, and Waldek is 18th in the 1B State and sixth in District 4 for the Men’s Triple Jump.

For the girls, Mayleonna Casey took first in the Women’s 1600M with a time of 6:04.00, Clara Hogue took second in the Women’s 100M with a personal-record time of 14.66, and Sam Dela Cruz took first in the Women’s 300M hurdles with a time of 54.90. In team competition for the girls, the quartet of Anna Vik, Casey, Hogue, and Dela Cruz took second in the Women’s 4X100M Relay with a personal-record time of 56.08. In the field for the girls, Vik took second in the Women’s Discus with a personal-record distance of 82 feet, 4 inches and second in the Women’s Javelin with a personal record distance of 95 feet. Aela Maccalla and Danica Abraham also had personal records in the same event with distances of 32 feet, 9 inches; and 32 feet, 4 inches. Dela Cruz took first in the Women’s Long Jump with a distance of 14 feet, 8 inches, while Hogue took second in the same event with a distance of 12 feet, 11 inches. Dela Cruz took first in the Women’s Triple Jump with a school-record distance of 31 feet, 6 inches. According to Merz, the girls took third place out of seven teams. Currently, Casey is 18th in the Women’s 800M and first in District 4; 20th in the Women’s 1600M and second in District 4; and 18th in the Women’s 3200M and fourth in District 4. Dela Cruz is 15th in the 1B State for Women’s 300M Hurdles and third in District 4. The relay team of Vik, Hogue, Casey, and Dela Cruz is currently ninth in the state overall and second in District 4. In the field, Vik is 23rd overall in 1B State for the Women’s 300M Hurdles and third in District 4 and 16th in Women’s Javelin in the state 1B and second in District 4. Haileeahna Nielsen is 23rd overall in the Women’s Javelin and third in District 4, and Dela Cruz is 18th overall in the Women’s Long Jump for the State 1B and first in District 4 and ninth in the State 1B for Women’s Triple Jump and second in District 4.

“With some PR's and hard work, I foresee some State Qualifiers,” said Merz. “We only have one month to Districts.” The team will next compete Thursday, May 1 at South Bend beginning at 1:15 p.m. and again on Tuesday, May 6, at Ilwaco beginning at 1:10 p.m.