DENISON — The opportunities were not plentiful, but they were there, and that, apparently, was motivation enough for the Perry boys and girls track teams Thursday.
Competing in what their coaches called “the strongest 3A qualifier by far” the Bluejays and Jayettes each secured two events for next week’s state track meet, with the Perry boys very much in contention to have four relays and a pair of 400 runners earn at-large bids.
Held at an impressive new facility at Denison-Schleswig, the State Qualifying Meet guaranteed state spots to the top two finishers in each event, with eight statewide at-large bids also up for grabs. Those spots will be announced this afternoon.
Reece Dunlap sped to victory in the 200 in 22.56 seconds to seal a spot at Drake Stadium, with Alexis Garrido eighth in the race at 24.3.
Also earning a date at state was Brandon Kenyon, who placed second in the 800 in 2 minutes, 3.08 seconds.
Dunlap and Adan Medina were 4-5, in 50.4 and 50.95 seconds, respectively, in the 400, but are all but certain to earn at-large bids.
“Those times are so good they are not only going to go, but will probably be in the fast heat,” Bluejay head coach Ben Coy said. “This meet was so loaded, you are going to end up with five guys in the fast heat from this one meet.”
The odds look impressive for three relays as well, as Perry’s 8:24.87 third-place clocking in the 4×800 would have won most meets. The same can be said for a 3:50.85 third-place distance medley and a 1:37.28 third-place sprint medley.
Kenyon, Rashon Ivory, Zachary Thompson and Kaleb Olejniczak ran the 4×800, Mana Martinez, Nic Fellom, Zachary Thompson and Garrido the distance medley and Martinez, Kenyon, Dunlap and Medina the sprint medley.
Also in contention are Dunlap, Kenyon, Ivory and Medina in the 4×400, which placed fourth in 3:24.93, with only 2.04 seconds separating the top four placers.
Donald Chavez, Justin Stammer, Martinez and Fellom were seventh in the 4×100 in 48.1 ticks, with Martinez, Fellom, Stammer and Olejniczak eighth in the 4×200 in 1:39.52.
Kato Dougan rounded out the Bluejay scoring by placing eighth in the long jump with a leap of 17 feet, 1-1/2 inches.
Grace Stewart shaved 20 seconds off her previous best time in the 3000 to finish in second place at 11:45.6 and etch her name on the state qualifier list.
The Jayette distance medley team will join her on the blue oval, as Rachel Kinney, Breanna Penenger, Haley Vaughn and Sid Vancil lopped of 13 seconds from their previous best to cross in 4:27.5 and in second place.
Vancil was fifth in the 800 in 2:42.64 while Penenger finished fifth, in 1:17.82, in the 400 hurdles for the only other individual event placings for the Perry girls.
Penenger, Vaughn, Vancil and Damaris Robles were third in the 4×800 in 10:44.94, a clocking unlikely to earn an at-large spot. The same foursome placed fifth, in 4:33.97, in the 4×400.
Placing eighth, in 57.79, was the 4×100 unit of Emma Humpal, Isabel Saemisch, Alejandra Rivera and Kinney, with the quartet also eighth in the sprint medley with a clocking of 2:00.6. Perry placed eighth in the 4×200 as well, with Chelsea Krueger, Patricia Torres, Yris Guzman and Katelyn Thomason finishing in 2:25.32.
