Manti hosts Temple View
Qualifier track tournament
By Kellie Harrison
Guest writer
Apr. 12, 2018
MANTI—High school track teams in the county are warming up with the warmer weather, and teams from Manti, Gunnison Valley, North Sanpete and Wasatch Academy showed their stuff as they competed at the TempleView Qualifier in Manti on Friday, April 6.
Gunnison Valley High
Carl Wimmer, a Gunnison Valley High School coach, said they had more kids turn out this season for track, which translates into many first-time competitors. Yet the team is doing better than in previous years.
Garrett Francis, a sophomore, is one of Gunnison’s top athletes. His main event is high jump and, according to Wimmer, “He can jump as high as he is tall.” He currently jumps six feet.
Ben Jacko Hill is also a sophomore at Gunnison. He took 15th in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:21. Hill has already qualified for the BYU Invitational.
Another one of Gunnison’s top athletes is Annika Liddiard. She took 13th out of 50 competitors with a time of 14.14 seconds in the 100-meter dash at the TempleView Qualifier last Friday.
Jade Wimmer, a Gunnison sprinter, took first in the 200-meter dash at the TempleView Qualifier with a time of 26.32 seconds. She also took first in the 400-meter dash with a time of one minute. She has already qualified for state in both the 200 meter and the 400 meter.
Wasatch Academy
Bill Bedford, Wasatch Academy’s track coach, said that for the first time in a while, they have a lot of boys competing in many different events.
Their top thrower is Reuben Stromquist, who took seventh in javelin with a throw of 128 feet and 5 inches.
Brayden Butler is a 400- and 800-meter runner who, according to Bedford, is doing well so far in the season and his teammate, Dallon Larsen, is a 400-meter runner who is currently ranked second in 2A at 53 seconds.
Bedford said, “We are looking to see what some of the other boys can do and then formulate some quality relays.” Jake Palmer and Ben Cottam are showing promise in the sprinting events.
For the girls, Bedford said their top athletes are again a trio of Kenyans who specialize in the distance races. Sheilah Cheruiyot, a junior, won the 800-meter run with a school record time of 2:30, with Ashley Lagat taking fourth place.
North Sanpete
Scott Butler, the North Sanpete High School coach, said they are excited for this season. They have already had many athletes qualify for the BYU Invitational.
Their top distance runner, Orange Peel, took eighth in the mile at the TempleView Qualifier with a time of 5:04. His personal record is 4:58.
Jamal Mayoul, North Sanpete’s top jumper, took 14th in long jump on April 6 with a jump of 17 feet and fifth in high jump with a jump of 5 feet and 8 inches.
Linty Flinders, a junior, took third place in the 400 meter last Friday. She finished with a time of 1:03.
Parker and Izzy Hightower are brother and sister and are also North Sanpete’s top sprinters. Izzy ran a 13-second 100-meter dash, taking first place, and her brother, Parker, took second with a time of 11.56 seconds.
Manti
Concerning his team, Jack Rapier, Manti’s coach, said, “We are excited and training to do our best.” He said every year is a different year.
Rapier said they had a successful meet. Two-thirds of Manti’s team made personal records at the TempleView Qualifier on April 6.
Madison Norris, a senior, ran the 800 meter in 2:31 seconds and took second place.
Kjiersten Birch, throwing 99 feet 6 inches, and Keyera Braithwaite, throwing 88 feet 6 inches, took sixth and eighth in javelin at the TempleView Qualifier.
Brody Barson took fifth in javelin, throwing 128 feet 8 inches, and his teammate, Jens Lefevre, placed 11th throwing 124 feet 3 inches.
In the 400-meter race, senior Riley Searle took first at the TempleView Qualifier with a time of 51.88 seconds, and junior Jaden Sterner took third place with a time of 52.77 seconds.
