Four titles, five runner-ups and three All-State athletes

HEM track fares well at State track with girls team placing 5th and boys team placing 4th

The Hanna, Elk Mountain, Medicine Bow (HEM) track and field team did well at state. The boys team placed 4th and the girls team 5th.

"Being able to bring in four state titles, five runner ups, three students came back All-State athletes," Head Track Coach Jackie Jones said. "For us to be able to do that, of course you have your kids who are placing higher in events during the season, but we preached the team concept and I think that was so evident at regionals and state."

Jones said the girls came up one place short of getting a trophy by two-and-a-half team points. The girls had 50 team points and the boys had 75 team points.

"We told both the girls and the boys to come in 5th and 4th out of twenty four teams is quite an accomplishment," Jones said.

Taylor Scott did not place 1st at any event at state, but she placed in four, coming in 2nd in the girls 100 meter dash at 13.29 and the girls triple jump with 33' 07.00". She came in 3rd in the girls 200 meter dash with a time of 27.95 and 4th in the girls 400 meter dash at 1:03.31.

"Looking at Taylor and what she was able to do, especially in the triple jump, when traditionally you think of long legged bodies to excel at this event, Taylor is just a little ball of explosion," Jones said. "She has really listened to what Cliff (Jones-assistant coach) has been teaching her about jumping and her technique and form is textbook. We look for more and more out of her all the time and she is an athlete that keeps trying to improve."

Amy Campbell placed 6th in the 100 meter dash with a time of 13.90. She came in 7th in the girls shot put with 32-11.00.

Her twin sister, Madison, placed three times in different events. In the girls 800 meter run, Madison came in 7th at 2:35.00 and 5th in the girls 1600 meter run at 5:56.82. She was also on the girls 4x800 meter relay that came in 2nd with a time of 11:00.28. Madison is a sophomore as was teammate Sabrina Geller. Freshmen T'Lyssa Solaas and Rainey Wilson completed the team.

"People might be getting sick of hearing me say this all the time, but we are truly blessed with the humans we have right now," Jones said. "Whether it is being an athlete or being a student."

Two athlete students that did well at state were twin brothers, Conor and Shane McGraw. They both placed 1st in two events.

Conor placed 1st in the boys 110 meter hurdles at 15.32 and won the boys 300 meter hurdles at 41.65. He came in 2nd in the boys 100 meter dash with a time of 11.85. In the boys 200 meter dash he came in 4th at 24.25. His brother Shane came in 2nd in this event with a time of 24.03.

Shane's 1st place wins were in the boys 400 meter dash at 50.52 and the boys 800 meter run coming in with a time of 2:00.22. He placed 5th in the boys discus throw with 133' 09".

Jones said, at regionals, both brothers were named Southeast Conference Athletes of the year because they scored the exact same points.

"It truly boils down to, of course we have some kids with tremendous athletic ability, but we also have a group of kids who just continue to work and want to be better," Jones said. "I think an athlete like Devon Grosstick is an excellent example of that. He was on the track team last year and he wanted to get better. He has truly embraced being a jumper and it was outstanding to see him on the award stand getting a medal."

Grosstick placed 6th in the boys triple jump with 39' 07.00". He was also on the boys 4x400 meter relay that came in 5th with a time of 3:55.96. In addition to Grosstick who is a sophomore, Jase Smith a freshman, Cody Swingholm a freshman and Taylor Widdison a sophomore, made up this young team.

"I think one of things that sometimes go unnoticed, is that we are a very goal oriented team and we talk about setting high goals, but realistic, obtainable goals," Jones said. "Once an athlete hits that goal, we ask what are you going to do to reach the next step and the kids have really bought into the idea of this being life skills, that is not just a show up at track season skill, this is a skill they will be able to take with them once they graduate."

The boys 4x800 meter relay came in 6th with a time of 10:24.00. The team was Swingholm, Smith and sophomores Ura Schmidt and Taylor Kennedy.

"State track is such a culminating time, because there is a lot of dead time and the time you get to spend with the kids during track, you get to know them on a completely different level," Jones said. "Cliff and I say, it is one of our favorite things we do the entire school year."

The results of the HEM track team at State this year indicates Jones has every right to enjoy the fruits of her, and the students,' efforts.

 

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