Many Miners Personal Bests

“I feel on Friday and Saturday we had some kids come out of the woodwork and do some great things,” Hanna, Elk Mountain, Medicine Bow (HEM) High School track and field head coach Jackie Jones said. “If they were not placing, they were setting PRs (personal records) which is wonderful. I think sometimes we are looking for who is at the top of the list, but I think it is just as important when you have a Hanna Gonzales who is at practice every night putting in the time and effort and really starting to come into her own throwing the disc. She is putting the pieces together and able to set some PRs together this weekend. She is a great example of someone with the right attitude.”

Jones also mentioned senior Dylan Romero as someone giving his all.

“This is his first season to go out for track and Friday was a day of PRs in throwing and then on Saturday he was able to PR in long jump,” Jones said. “When you have kids like Dylan and Hanna, you can’t ask much more than that from kids.”

Jones said Rainey Wilson who came in 2nd in the 200 meter and 3rd in the 100 meter, did well at the Willford Memorial. Wilson came 4th in the 800 meter and 7th in the 100 meter.

“Rainey has been sort of all over the place,” Jones said. “She usually runs mid distance, but this weekend she did the shorter races and she held her own.”

Freshman Jared Nelsen impressed her over the weekend. He came in 1st in the 1600 meter and 3rd in the 800 meter at Willford and 2nd in the 3200 at Shoshini.

“The race in Shoshoni he ran against kids from Wind River, Riverside, Dubois and Wyoming Indian and he was competitive,” Jones said. “I think it was huge for him and it will give him confidence as he moves forward. You know freshmen have to take their lumps and figure things out and I think he will be good to go.”

Joseph Borah was at Shoshoni and placed 2nd in shot put and 7th in discus.

“Joseph is doing well this year,” Jones said. “He keeps on placing.”

Jones said Avery Scott had a good weekend coming in 1st in the 100 meter and 1st in the 400 meter Willford and placing 2nd in the 100 meter and 1st in the 400 meter. She came in 5th in the triple jump.

The HEM coach said what she likes about the PRs occurring is how it is building character in the students. She said winning is great and doesn’t take away from gifted athletes who do win, but she admires the kids that go out and maybe come in 13th or 15th and still want to go to the next invite to see if they can improve.

“It makes a coach feel very fulfilled,” Jones said.

Jones said an FFA event had five athletes miss the weekend but they should be back when HEM goes to Kaycee this Friday.