Wildcat girls team first; boys second in season’s inaugural track meet

The Ocosta Wildcat boys and girls track teams jumped to a great start to the 2015 season.

On Thursday, March 19, in Westport, the Ocosta girls took home first place honors in a six-team meet: Ocosta (140), Toledo (113), Tacoma Baptist (105), Willapa Valley (60), Wishkah (32) and Mary Knight (5).

The boys finished second: Toledo (154), Ocosta (128.5), Wiskah (80), Tacoma Baptist (80), Mary Knight (14) and Willapa Valley (12.5).

Strong relays

The girls got things going early in this one. In the 4x200m relay, Rachael Saul, Kathryn Anderson, Kelsey Gundersen and Marsha Poulsen cruised to a 1:54.9 victory. Their time was the fastest early season time in that event in the last decade or more.

In other relays, the girls 4x400m relay team - Sararose Gallo, Saul, Anderson and Gundersen - won, and the girls 4x100m team - Leeann Rindlisbacher, Poulsen, Nicole Hopfer and Gallo, as well as the boys 4x100m team - Dan Sobrera, Matthew Hart, Cosmo Silver and Luke Anderson - both placed 2nd.

First place honors

Several athletes took first place honors in individual events: L. Anderson - 100m, Hart - Pole Vault and Javelin, Poulsen - 100m and Long Jump, Gundersen - 800m and 1600m, Gallo - 3200m.

Individual 2nds

The following athletes finished 2nd: Duncan Jones - 1600m, Ryan Short - 300m hurdles, Joe Wardlow - Discus, Elijah Obermire - Javelin, Silver - Pole Vault and High Jump, Sobrera - Long Jump, K. Anderson - 800m, Gallo - 800m, with Alivia Marsh and Saul tied in High Jump.

3rd place

Obermire - 300m Hurdles, Noah Martin - Pole Vault, L. Anderson - Triple Jump, McKenzie Ballo - 200m, Rindlisbacher - Shot Put, and Kaytlyn Douglass - Discus.

Rainier Invitational

On Saturday, March 21, the Wildcats competed in the Rainier Icebreaker Invitational with 19 other teams.

Poulsen was the lone Wildcat to earn a first place medal. She dominated the field going 15-9 in the long jump, two feet ahead of the runner-up.

Co-ed Spring Medley

The first running event of the meet was the co-ed sprint medley consisting of a 100m, 100m, 200m, 400m. Saul got things going with a solid first leg. Short kept us in the mix before handing to Poulsen for the 200m leg. She exploded out of the run and ran away from the competition, handing to L. Anderson with a 15m lead.

Anderson ran a blistering 53.4 to give Ocosta the convincing win.

Other finishes

Matthew Hart had a great meet as he earned second place medals in the javelin (144-5) and the pole vault (10-6).

The girls 4x100m relay team - Rindisbacher, Poulsen, Saul, Gallo - ran well enough (56.27) to finish 3rd with their best time of the season.

The girls 4x400m relay team - Gallo, Ballo, Gundersen, Saul - also ran to a 3rd place finish and another set of medals.

Gundersen had a great day in both the 1600m (6:00.19) and the 800m (2:43.32) as she finished 4th and 5th respectively with season bests in both.

Gallo ran a solid 3200m in wet, windy conditions to finish 5th.

In the girls high jump, Saul and Marsh both cleared 4-6 to finish 6th and 7th in the event.

Poulsen also ran a personal best in the 100m with a time of 13.59.

It was encouraging to see the team compete at such a high level in such a competitive environment. Many others had season bests in their respective events.

The team travels to Ilwaco today.