By Don Nelson
Liberty Bell High School’s track team mixed it up with 36 other schools — many of them in much larger enrollment divisions — at the Ray Cross Invitational in Ephrata on Saturday. While it didn’t always show in the results, the Mountain Lions had a creditable performance, coach Rocky Kulsrud said.
“Overall, I was pleased with how the athletes competed against very stiff competition,” the coach said. “At this point we are looking for our athletes to compete and show continual improvement. We still haven’t been on a track except for the meets we have attended, so the performances are actually quite remarkable.”
Highlights at Ephrata included senior Micah Klemmeck’s victory in the 300-meter hurdles, in the second-fastest time of his career, Kulsrud said.
Senior Ben Klemmeck finished fourth in the 3,200-meter run with his second-fastest time. Senior Andrew Reggiatore leapt nearly 41 feet in the triple jump, his best mark ever, to take fourth place.
Also registering strong performances were senior Meritt Fink in the long jump and triple jump, and senior Connor Cooley in the 200M run and long jump. Freshman Enrique Whites threw the javelin 50 feet beyond his previous best. Freshman Emerson Worrell clocked personal bests in the 400M and 800M runs, and both junior Zane Herrera and freshman Alexis Lopez-Garcia improved their marks in the shot put and discus events. Freshman Brayden White improved in the javelin and 300M hurdles, the coach said.
On the girls side, freshman Athena Milani finished ninth in the 300M hurdles, junior Lauren Fitzmaurice had personal bests this year in the high jump, and 100M run and 300M hurdles events, and the 4x400M relay team improved its time, Kulsrud said.
“We had strong performances by all four members [of the relay team], starting off with Lauren Fitzmaurice, then Cece Odell, followed by an impressive leg by Haley Post and then anchored by Athena Milani,” the coach said.
Kulsrud said Liberty Bell took only about half of its team to Ephrata, but everyone should be available for Thursday’s meet (March 31) at Cashmere.
Ray Cross Invitational, Ephrata
March 26
Boys’ results
100M
54. Brayden White, 13.18
57. Enrique Whites, 13.4
200M
13. Connor Cooley, 24.58
400M
44. Emerson Worrell, 59.97
3200M
4. Ben Klemmeck, 10:05.4
300M hurdles
1. Micah Klemmeck, 43.19
30. Brayden White, 51.25
4x100M relay
9. Meritt Fink, Connor Cooley, Andrew Reggiatore, Micah Klemmeck, 46.26
4x400M relay
20. Brayden White, Andrew Reggiatore, Connor Cooley, Micah Klemmeck, 3:57.64
Shot put
41. Zane Herrera, 33-10.5
60. Alexis Garcia-Lopez, 27-03
Discus
50. Zane Herrera, 79-08
58. Alexis Garcia-Lopez, 60-02
Javelin
31. Enrique Whites, 122-06
55. Brayden White, 83-09
Long jump
12. Connor Cooley, 18-10.25
14. Meritt Fink, 18-9
Triple jump
4. Andrew Reggiatore, 40-09.5
9. Meritt Fink, 38-09
Girls’ results
300M hurdles
9. Athena Milani, 52.16
16. Lauren Fitzmaurice, 53.15
4x100M relay
22. Natalie Treise, Erika Komatsu, Haley Post, Cece Odell, 59.76
4x400M relay
11. Lauren Fitzmaurice, Cece Odell, Haley Post, Athena Milani, 4:43.23
Shot put
44. Mollie Houser, 23-0
High jump
13. Lauren Fitzmaurice, 4-06
Long jump
34. Erika Komatsu, 12-01
41. Ashlin Williams, 9-04.75
