Track team hopes experience plus numbers lead to strong season

Weiser High School track team is hoping that a combination of big team numbers and strong returning state qualifiers will lead to a successful year both on the track and in the field events. 

 There are 70 members on the Wolverine track team this season. After placing seventh in girls, and third in boys at the state level last season, several of the runners are returning state qualifiers. 

 Seniors include, Abbey Shirts who returns after qualifying for the 200m,  placing second in the state at pole vault, and third at the 400m. Braden  Bumgarner will return after competing at state in the 300m hurdles, the 4x400 relay and the SMR relay. Rhett Kunz, who was last season’s state champion in the 800m and also qualified for state in the 200m, and both the 4x4 relay and SMR relay. Sheyanne Hilmer, who qualified in discus. 

 Junior Ellie Walker qualified last season in the triple jump, and 100m hurdles. Yerika Marquez qualified in discus. 

 Sophomore Abi Harris, who qualified in the 100m run last season. Reagan Doty who competed in the high jump and the pole vault. Nick Swank, another sophomore who qualified for state his freshman year in high jump and Jordan Watkins who qualified as part of the SMR relay. 

 Coach Dave Shirts said that he is hopeful that these team leaders will be among the many athletes that have a strong year. 

 “These kids are leading our team and doing well.  We have good numbers with a lot of young athletes.  We are looking for some of them to step up to help us out,” Shirts said. 

 Shirts expects both Fruitland and Parma to be big competition throughout the season. 

 Although it’s been cold and a little too wet to work on the field events as much as they would like, Shirts said the team has been able to get in some good practices.

 The Wolverines participated in their first meet on March 8 at the Parma Ice Breaker against Parma, Garden Valley, Greenleaf Friends Academy, Nampa Christian, and Melba. 

 It was a cold, tough meet with several of the runners suffering from early season injuries, but some of the Weiser athletes were able to start the season off strong, ending the meet in third place in girls, and fourth place in boys.

 In the 800m, returning state champion Rhett Kunz was able to start the year off with a win with a time of 2:10.60, and Nathan Turner took third place in the 800 with a time of 2:15.17.

 Kunz also finished the 1600m run with a second place finish and a time of 5:03.55. Nathan Turner finished the race at seventh place with a time of 5:28.47.

 Nick Swank earned a second place with a PR of 17.94 in the 110m hurdles and third place in the 300m hurdles with a time of 45.83. 

 The team also took second in the 4x200m relay with team members Jordan Watkins, Triston Kautz, Mason Grimaldo, and Rhett Kunz. 

 Nick Swank took first place in the high jump. Jordan Watkins earned third place in the long jump, with Swank rounding out the top five in that event. Jordan Watkins and Nathan Turner took first and second place in the triple jump with Watkins jumping a 37-04. 

 In the girls, Marissa Moyle took seventh in the 100m with a time of 14.39, Jade Simonsen took sixth in the 200m with a time of 30.19, and Shae Kunz took third in the 400m with a time of 1:14.12. Jade Simonsen and Ellie Walker both earned team points in the hurdles with Simonsen earning third the 100m race and Walker rounding out the top five in the 300m race.  

 In longer distance races, Christina Alves took the fifth place spot in the 1600m while Kierra Hoobery and Makaela Sherry took third and fourth respectively in the 3200m. 

 Overall, the Weiser relay teams struggled at this first meet, but Weiser put a score on the board with SeAnna Jones, Victoria Wyss, Ashlyn Walker, and Mja Towner taking first place in the SMR relay. 

 In the field events Sheyanne Hilmer took second place in shot put with a throw of 29-04.5, while Ellie Eames threw 25 feet, earning a sixth place spot in the event. Hilmer also took second place in discus with a throw of 95-01 with Yerika Marquez taking third with a throw of 83-02. 

 LynnZ Rasmussen and Jade Simonsen both set new personal records in pole vault taking second and third place. Ellie Walker earned a third place spot in triple jump with a jump of 32-00.75.

 Senior Rhett Kunz said that although he finished at the top, he definitely hopes to see a lot of improvement as the season continues. 

 “My times weren’t nearly what I was hoping for but it was the first meet with bad weather so my hopes are up for future meets,” Kunz said.

 Kunz’ goals include running a 1:53 in the 800 and having a very competitive relay at state whether it is a sprint medley or 4x400. 

 “We have some great athletes so I think we could do very well in either one of those,” Kunz said.