The Grand County High School girls track team placed second and its boys track team placed third at the season-opening Red Rocks Invitational in Moab on Saturday, March 19. Several upperclassmen turned in strong performances, but the day was highlighted by impressive underclassmen, some of whom were competing in their first-ever high school track meet.
Freshman Auburn Jackman was one who had a breakout performance, placing first in the 400-meter race at 1:04.57, and second in the 800-meter race at 2:44.25. Freshman Annabelle Garrett also had an impressive debut, placing second in the high jump at 5 feet, 2 inches.
Among juniors and seniors, junior Halli Stocks won the discus event with a 96-foot, 7-inch throw. Senior Britnee Lewis placed fith in the shot put at 30 feet, 9 inches; and seventh in the discus at 81 feet, 2 inches. Fellow senior Kwincey Wells placed third in the 300-meter hurdles at 54.06, as well as fifth in the 100-meter hurdles at 18.13, fifth in the 200-meter race at 30.06, and fifth in the long jump at 14 feet, 1.5 inches.
In the greater distances, junior Jayelen Knowles placed fourth in the 1,600-meter race at 6:06.54, and fifth in the 3,200-meters at 13:10.42. Fellow junior Alexa Pierce placed second behind Jackman in the 400-meters at 1:05.40, and sixth in the 800-meters at 2:51.19.
The combination of Molly McKinnon, Megan Pfnister, McKenna Johnson and Abby Mason placed first in the 4×100-meter relay at 56.46. In the medley relay, Knowles, Johnson, Pierce and senior Lauren Drake finished third at 5:02.60. Pierce, Jackman, Pfnister and senior Symony Call registered a third-place 4:43.33 in the 4×400-meter relay.
The girls as a whole finished with 105 points, good for second place behind Eagle Valley’s 136 points. Carbon finished third at 104.5 points.
Underclassmen ruled the day for the boys as well. Sophomore Ryan Lewis placed first in the 1,600-meters at 4:54.03, as well as fourth in the 3,200-meters at 10:49.65, and seventh in the 800-meters at 2:17.23.
Sophomore Ruben Villalpando placed second in the 110-meter hurdles at 18.03, while freshman Jarom Shumway finished fifth in the same race at 18.61. Shumway also placed eighth in the 300-meter hurdles at 48.38, while classmate freshman Connor Guerrero finished just ahead of him in seventh place at 48.31. Shumway also competed in the shot put, placing fourth at 35 feet, 9 inches.
In the 400-meter race, freshman Trent Elmore placed fourth at 56.24, sophomore Juan Salazar placed seventh at 57.72, and junior MacKay Wakefield placed eighth at 57.84.
In the 4×400-meters, sophomore Dakota Johnson joined Guerrero, Lewis and freshman Teddy Park for a second-place 3:51.37. In the medley, senior Cort Allred, junior Cameron Wakefield, junior Taylor Horton and freshman Kevin Park placed fourth at 4:22.41.
Teddy Park placed fifth in the high jump at 5 feet, 4 inches, while Allred finished eighth at 5 feet, 2 inches.
In the long jump, Dakota Johnson placed fifth at 17 feet, 6.25 inches, while freshman Nolan Ramirez placed sixth at 17 feet, 5.75 inches and Villalpando placed eighth at 17 feet, 4.25 inches.
The boys finished third with 76 points. San Juan placed first with 116.5 points and Eagle Valley placed second with 115.5 points.
The GCHS track teams next compete at the Cortez Invitational in Cortez, Colorado, on Tuesday, March 29.
Red Devil girls place second, boys third at Red Rocks Invitational
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