Sports - High Schools

POSTED: Saturday, May. 30, 2009

PREP BOYS' TRACK: 1A teams battle heat on first day at state

Even though the sun was shining bright, the cold, damp conditions that plagued Whatcom County track teams through most of the spring are still making their presence felt on the first day of the Class 1A State Meet on Friday, May 29, at Cheney.

"This was probably the coldest and wettest track season we've ever had," Nooksack Valley coach Robb Myhre said in a phone interview. "Then to hop over here where it's 92 degrees, it's a little bit of a shock to the system."

Somehow, athletes from Nooksack Valley, Meridian and Lynden Christian still managed to turn in good performances during the first day of the state meet, though.

The day was highlighted by the state high jump title won by LC's Zach Block, but that was hardly the only good showing.

The Lyncs also got Jacob Hollander through to the finals of the 800, where he turned in the seventh-fastest time of the day in 2 minutes, 2.11 seconds.

"That was two laps of great strategy run by Jacob," Lynden Christian coach Kent DeHoog said in a phone interview."

DeHoog was also pleased to get the Lyncs' 4x400 relay team qualified for the finals (fifth, 3:33.07).

LC also added two more medals with Simon Vlas placing eighth in the triple jump (40 feet, 8.25 inches) and Joey Spoelstra finishing sixth in the discus with a throw of 134-2.

Nooksack Valley got Anthony Reese qualified for the finals of both relay events, as he had the sixth-fastest time in the 300 hurdles (42.04) and the eight-best time in the 110 hurdles (15.96).

Meridian was not quite so fortunate, as Nathan Oliphant just missed qualifying in the 200 (ninth, 23.56) and 400 (11th, 53.37).

"I thought Nathan ran pretty good today," Meridian assistant coach Mike Holt said in a phone interview. "We knew he was on the bubble there, but he ran well. Same thing with our 4-by relay team. It was right there on the bubble."

Meridian finished just off the bubble in ninth in the 4x100 relay with a time of 45.49.

Holt is excited to see what a number of other Trojan athletes can do Saturday, including Max Crook in the javelin and shot put.

"He's ready mentally and physically," Holt said of Crook.