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closeLocal athletes hone talents at crosstown track meet
Puyallup and Emerald Ridge tracksters practicing in preparation for postseason
Shaun Scott
The Emerald Ridge Jaguars and Puyallup Vikings boys and girls track squads were grateful for something many athletes in other regions of the United States may take for granted on a regular basis — sunshine on meet days.
The majority of athletes and coaches in attendance for the Puyallup/Emerald Ridge dual meet on April 10 were all smiles when rays of sunlight poked out from the overcast skies.
“It’s pretty nice to have sunshine,” Emerald Ridge boys track coach Rick Burnely said. “This is the first meet so far this season that we’ve had any type of sunlight at all.”
By the time all of the events were completed by both the boys and girls teams, the Puyallup Vikings boys squad recorded a 74-53 victory against Emerald Ridge and the Puyallup Vikings girls squad barely held on for a 70-62 victory in a rivalry affair.
Puyallup’s boys track coach Dennis Erlenmeyer was thrilled his team came out of the contest victorious, but was even more excited about the potential of his team as it edges closer to postseason action.
“This is our first meet since spring break and gives us a barometer of where we’re at right now as a team and individually,” Erlenmeyer said. “The first meet back after spring break shows who put their time in during the week off. Having the nice weather helps out a lot with the times athletes run. It’s harder for sprinters to get loose in the cold. It’s been so cold and this has been our first decent day in awhile.”
Burnely said this meet gives his coaching staff another chance to evaluate athletes and where they might fit best once the league and district meets roll around.
“We’ve had a lot of injuries so we’re doing a lot of mixing and matching right now,” Burnely said. “Right now we have a guy who runs in the 51s in the 400 running the 800 today. We’re still in the process of trying things out to see where each athlete fits.”
Burnely’s boys roster, which consists of 55 athletes, is largely filled with underclassman.
“Most of the kids on the team or sophomores and juniors,” Burnely said. “A lot of times seniors are involved in other activities and are getting ready to graduate.”
Puyallup girls track coach Ken Fleisch said his team uses these meets as workouts as well.
“We workout every day of the week but these meets are workouts under pressure for them too,” Fleisch said. “We’re trying to get kids ready for league and districts. That’s when it counts. We have a great group of girls here who work extremely hard. The best part of coaching is seeing these kids get better and improve their times in each meet.”
Vikings sophomore Jesse Jorgensen earned first place in the boys 1,600-meter run clocking one mile in 4 minutes, 39 seconds. Jorgensen said he could feel Emerald Ridge’s Jordan Mirk breathing down his neck down the stretch. Mirk took second with a time of 4 minutes, 40 seconds.
“It was much closer than I thought it would be,” Jorgensen said. “At the end I was giving it all I had so I could try to get the biggest distance ahead that I could.”
Fellow Vikings distance runner Alyssa Merrill didn’t have anyone within 100 meters of her as she crossed the finish line in the girls 1,600-meter run with a time of 5 minutes, 47 seconds.
“I want to get my time down to 5:38,” Merrill said. “I went to state last year in the relay but I want to make it in the mile this year too. I’ve been pushing myself and am trying to follow in the footsteps of my role model Chelsea Jorgenson (former high school runner.”
Emerald Ridge sophomore Kayla Stueckle took first place in the 100-hurdles turning in a time of 15.5. The next closest runner trailed her by five meters. Stueckle said competing at the high school level is a whole new ball game compared to running at Stahl Junior High School like she did one year ago.
“The competition you’re going against is a whole lot closer to you,” Stueckle said. “It’s a lot different but it’s also a lot of fun.”
Stueckle said her goal is to run a 14.9 by the time the state meet in May.
“My goal is to go to state and break the 14.9 record,” Stueckle said. “It was set by Jenna Malinen. I want to try to beat that.”
Puyallup’s James Shafer recorded a personal best 11.0 in the 100-meter dash, earning first place overall.
“I was hoping I would get my best time ever in the 100 today. I’ve been working on my starts all week at practice and have been stretching more than usual,” Shafer said. “That was the key and I did it.”
While the Emerald Ridge 400 relay team took first place, leadoff man Alex Sears said a their final time of 44.4 wasn’t as good as it could have been.
“It does feel good to win no matter what the time is but 44.4 is not where we want to be,” Sears said. “I think we ran a little bit tight today. Running form is important. That’s an area where we need improvement.”
On the girls’ side in the sprinting department, Emerald Ridge sprinter Dallas Welker anchored the 400 relay team and won the 100 meter dash as well.
“It feels good to win but we’ve got a ways to go as a relay team if we want to be the best,” Welker said. “We know what we need to work on. As far as that goes, we will work on our handoffs. If we keep working in practice it will show.”