Track sprints to state

By Kaitlyn Hinkley
Sports Assistant

  As this year’s track season comes to a quick close, many players would agree it’s been an unusual but successful season.  With the vacating of an assistant coach to 13 student athletes placing at state, this year has many memorable moments.
  Senior Austin Byrer recalled some of these moments after his season in which he said it went pretty good since he broke two records this year.
  Byrer broke the LHS 1,600-meter run record after 35 years standing, originally set by Phil Wallinger. In addition to the 1600, Byrer broke the 3,200-meter run record after 25 years standing, set by Jason Uhlman.
  Byrer and the track team made their way down to Boise May 19 and 20 for the 2017 5A state track tournament.
  At the tournament, Byrer had an amazing turn-out, placing first in the boys 1,600-meter run (1 mile) and 10th in the boys 3,200-meter run (2 mile). Joining Byrer, junior Joey Perez also placed in both categories. Perez placed 11th in the boys 1,600-meter and finished just shy of 5 seconds behind Byrer’s 9:56 in the boys 3,200-meter.
     “I was really happy with how it went, I set some PR’s (personal records) and did well at state,” Perez said.
  In addition to Byrer’s 1,600 and 3,200, he ran the boys 800-meter and took second. Joining him, junior Sakti Woodbury placed fourth in the 800-meter run, finishing about 2 seconds behind Byrer’s time of 1:56.
  Along with Byrer and Perez, senior Dustin McLean placed sixth in flight one of two for boys discus throw, freshman Carlos Arteaga placed seventh in boy’s triple jump, and junior Troy Hanes placed 18th in boy’s pole vault.
  For the girls team senior Olivia Reynolds placed 17th in girls high jump, whereas freshman Callie Bernatz placed 19th in the same event.
  Other Bengals who placed at state include senior Miriam Ames, who placed 14th in the girl’s 3,200-meter run and sophomore Ashley Dahl who placed fifth in the first preliminary of the girl’s 100-meter hurdles.