By MARLYS GOOD
Three Burlington Huskies, Anson George clearing 5-8 in the high jump, Jacob Mancuso with a 20-1 mark in the long jump and Eric McNiven with a first-place time of 2:02.11 in the 800-meters, automatically qualified (AQ) for state during the Warrior Twilight Invitational in Worland Friday. Also meeting AQ time was the 400-meter relay team.
They were joined by Lady Huskies Paige Neves, with an AQ time of 17.06 in the 100-hurdles, and Lyndsey Wardell in the triple jump (32-1). Wardell has already qualified for state in the 200- and 300-hurdles and the high jump.
Coach Albert Henderson noted that McNiven, already a multiple state qualifier, set a new school record in the 200. His clocking of 22.89 broke a record held by Travis Graham since 1999.
“Eric broke the school record about an hour after he ran the 800-meters,” Henderson said. “His time in that was really great and to come back and run (a record breaking time) in the 200 … that was quite a feat.”
Henderson said he was “pleased with how our kids performed. Jacob Mancuso jumped so well in the long jump; it was a big time jump, not a fluke. I think he will do even better as the season goes on. I was also pleased with our distance runners, many had personal bests, Lance (Schatz) in the two-mile and Ammon (Howard) in the mile.” Howard’s 5:10.62 was just out of ribbon contention and he finished ninth in the field.
Sheridan, Powell, Worland and Cody high schools finished in that order in both girl’s and boy’s competition.
It was all varsity competition, which pitted the younger athletes against some stiff competition. “It was good for them to see where they ought to be,” Henderson said.
The Huskies are in Riverside tomorrow for a 2 p.m. meet and in Powell Saturday where events start at 10 a.m.
“It will be a smaller meet at Riverside — 1A and 2A schools, a bit more like regionals for them, so some kids will be up in the ribbons. Powell will be a big meet, with hopefully both varsity and junior varsity. That will be good,” Henderson said. Good for the younger athletes still lacking experience, and good for the juniors and seniors “who need some good tough competition.”
Lady Huskies, 8th, 38.5 points
100-hurdles: 4th, Paige Neves, 17.06.
300-hurdles: 4th, Neves, 52.00.
800-meters: 4th, Alysha Henderson, 2:47.88.
1600-meters: 10th, Saren Rasmussen, 6:52.38.
High jump: 4-way tie for 4th, Esme Zubia, 4-05.
Triple jump: 2nd, Lyndsey Wardell, 32-01.
Shot put: 5th, Janet Davidson, 29-11.
3200-relay: 2nd, (Julie Davidson, Tia Williams, Alysha Henderson, Saren Rasmassun), 11:44.60.
Huskies, 5th, 44 points
100-meters: 10th, Shawn Christiansen, 11.91.
200-meters: 1st, Eric McNiven, 22.89.
110-hurdles: 7th, Anson George, 16.84.
300-hurdles: 10th, George, 45.84.
800-meters: 1st, McNiven, 2:02.11; 10th, Ammon Howard, 2:20.79.
1600-meters: 9th, Howard, 5:10.62.
Pole vault: 4th, Christiansen, 13.00; 6th, Ben Mancuso, 5-08; 7th, George, 5-08.
Triple jump: 10th, Brandon Wardell, 34-01.50.
Long jump: 2nd, Jacob Mancuso, 20-01.
400-relay: 5th, Burlington (Ben Mancuso, Jacob Mancuso, Zach Lash, Shawn Christiansen), 47.32.