Perry track teams travel to Newton for Thursday meet

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Perry's Reece Dunlap races between two Carroll runners in the 100 dash at the Davis Family Relays March 30. The junior speedster scored 12.5 points for the Bluejays at Newton Thursday.

NEWTON — Points were at a premium for Perry at Thursday’s Newton Invitational, which featured several strong teams, including several from Class 4A.

Ames was completely dominant on the boys side, winning with 182 points while Ottumwa and Oskaloosa were a distant second and third at 77 and 73 points, respectively. Perry had 37 points to finish seventh in the 11-team field.

Pella’s 145 points topped the girls field, with Cedar Rapids Prairie second at 74 and Indianola third at 71. Perry’s girls were 14th and last, with but six team points.

“The girls did not score many points against some really talented competition, but they often placed higher than their seeded position in each event,” Jayette head coach Matt Hardy said. “I was impressed with their ability to perform with heavy hearts having received the news that their former PE teacher had passed away the previous day. I think Marjean Gries would have been proud of the girls’ efforts; I know I was.”

Sid Vancil, Haley Vaughn, Damaris Roblies and Breanna Penenger placed fourth in the 4×800 in 10 minute, 49.3 seconds for four team points, with Grace Stewart adding the final two team points by crossing fifth in the 3000 in a season-best 12:15.17.

Although not scoring, Vaughn had a season best time of 2:39 in the 800 while Sydney Helmers set a new season mark of 21 feet, 11 inches in the shot put.

The Bluejays scored in only one individual event, the 200 dash. Reece Dunlap was second in 23.22, with Adan Medina fifth in 24.14.

“Reece ran well in the 200,” Bluejay head coach Ben Coy said. “It wasn’t his fastest time of the year, but considering the conditions I thought it was one of his best races of the season. He looked very good out of the blocks, and that race should give him a lot of confidence going into May.”

Dunlap, Brandon Kenyon, Rashon Ivory and Medina — in that order — won the 4×400 in 3:29.88, nipping Ottumwa at the line, with Ames third.

“Even though the four that ran the 4×400 were disappointed with their time after the race I thought they went out and competed well,” Coy said. “They Ottumwa, and Ottumwa had the same four runners that beat us a week ago.”

Dunlap, Ivory, Mana Martinez and Alexis Garrido were second, in 1:40.77, in the sprint medley relay, with the distance medley relay quartet of Ivory, Garrido, Kenyon and Nic Fellom placing third in 3:53.88.

Martinez, Fellom, Justin Stammer and Kato Dougan finished fifth for the Jays in the 4×200 in 1:43.17, with Eduardo Sanchez, Devon Archer, Zach Stewart and Conner Kenyon clocking in at 10:12.16 for sixth place in the 4×800.

The Bluejays will visit Carlisle Tuesday and DC-G Thursday, with the Jayettes traveling to ADM Tuesday and to Ballard Friday.

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