Buffs enjoy early success

Henson qualifies for state, 400-meter relay teams come close at season debut in Burlington

The first track meet of the season Friday afternoon in Burlington offered area athletes opportunities to establish baseline times and distances and do compete in pleasant weather conditions, for late March anyway.

While most of the other teams in attendance walked away with more points, the Greybull Buffs left town feeling good about severeal individual performances along with the prospects of two of their most successful relays from last year.

The sprints continue to be a strong suit, as both the boys and girls 400-meter relay teams placed among the top three. Even more important, their times were within a second of bettering the 2A state qualifying standards. 

The girls foursome of Caitlyn Hunt, Ellie Holloway, Angela Myers and Marlee Henson took second, finishing in 55.37 which trailed only Powell’s 54.16.

In the boys race, Daniel Baker, Carter Peasley, Anthony Chacon and Jesse Brown crossed the line in 47.97, good for third place behind Powell and Burlington.

The relay teams turned in Greybull’s best performances, accounting for eight and six points, respectively, for their teams, but several also placed in individual events.

Henson’s sixth-place finish in the 100 was worth just three team points, but her time, a 13.34, beat the state qualifying mark, making her the first Greybull athlete to secure a trip to the culminating event in Casper.

Wyatt Whaley scored points in two events, finishing fourth in the shot put with a throw of 32 feet and eighth in the discus with a heave of 92-2.  The latter was a 20-foot improvement on her best throw from last season.

The Lady Buffs placed eighth in the team standings with 17 points.

The Buffs finished the day with 7.75 points, which left them in ninth place.  

Carter Peasley, who tied for sixth in the high jump (5-6), and Nikoah Sorensen, who finished eighth in the 400 meters (57.35 seconds), provided the other scoring for the Buffs.

Coach Nolan Tracy came away from the meet feeling encouraged.  Henson’s performance in the 100 was the highlight of the day, but the way Whaley and the two 400-meter relay teams started the season was also impressive.

“I expect those relays to qualify in the next couple meets,” said Tracy. “We have five or six boys and girls who are interested in running it, so the groups might look a little different than they did at the first meet.”

Whaley “was close to qualifying too (in the shotput,” continued Tracy. “She threw almost 5 feet further than she did at the first meet last year and less than she did at state, but if we can start  5 feet better and go from there, she could finish pretty strong this year.”

Tracy said several freshmen told him they set personal records as well.

This week

Next up for the Buffs is the annual Bill Gerrard Memorial Invitational, which will take place on their home oval Saturday, April 5.  Field and running events start at 10 a.m.  The meet might be smaller than it has been in the past, as Rocky Mountain and Burlington are on spring break and Wind River and Tongue River are going elsewhere.  “Maybe seven or eight teams instead of 12 to 14, but I’m good with a smaller meet,” he said.

GIRLS: Worland 192, Powell 172, Tongue River 68.5, Riverside 30.5, Lovell 30, Burlington 29, Thermopolis 20-5, Wind River 17, Greybull 17, Rocky Mt. 12.5, Wyoming Indian 9, Ten Sleep 2.

100 METERS — 6, Marlee Henson, 13.34.  22, Madison Herebia, 14.47.  24, Angela Myers, 14.49.

200 METERS — 9, Henson, 28.59.  20, Adeline Kunkel, 30.06.

400 METERS — 13, Kunkel, 1:13.16.

800 METERS — 14, Destany Shiplet, 3:10.0.

100 HURDLES — 10, Caitlyn Hunt, 19.48.  16, Ashlyn Chacon, 22.02.

400 RELAY — 2, Greybull, 55:37.

LONG JUMP — 9, Ellie Holloway, 14-6 1/2.  20, Avery Allen, 13-3 1/2.

TRIPLE JUMP — 9, Kunkel, 29-7 1/4.  10, Hunt, 29-3 1/2.  11, Allen, 28-2 3/4.

DISCUS — 8, Wyatt Whaley, 92-2.

SHOT PUT — 4, Whaley, 32-0.  37, Heather Roll, 21-5.

BOYS: Powell 146, Thermopolis 128.25, Lovell 101.75, Worland 88.25, Burlington 72.5, Tongue River 45, Ten Sleep 28, Wind River 11, Greybull 7.75, Riverside 7.5, Western Heritage 5, Rocky Mt. 3, Wyoming Indian 3.

100 METERS — 15, Jesse Brown, 12.18.  26, Anthony Chacon, 12.58.  28, Carter Peasley, 12.68.  30, Daniel Baker, 12.77.   45, Jordi Araiza, 13.34.

200 METERS — 13, Chacon, 25.96.  22, Shawn August, 27.1.  23, Nikoah Sorensen, 27.17.

400 METERS — 8, Sorensen, 57.35.  20, August, 1:43.76.

800 METERS — 19, Sorensen, 2:25.87.

1,600 METERS — 24, Isaac Vigil, 6:02.01.  27, Leonard Marsh, 6:53.06. 

400 RELAY — 3,  Greybull, 47.97.

HIGH JUMP — 6, Carter Peasley, 5-6.

LONG JUMP — 14, Araiza, 17-7.  17, Brown, 17-6.

TRIPLE JUMP — 9, August, 36-8.  

DISCUS — 12, Elijah Rice, 102-10.

SHOT PUT — 10, Rice, 37-8.  18, Sorensen, 35-2.  36, Marsh, 30-1.