Wildcats log 10 personal bests in Casa Grande
By Raymundo Frasquillo
BENSON – The Kenneth Lester-coached Morenci track boys head to Benson on Friday, April 11. The scheduled 17-team Jerry Lee Invitational is the seventh meet for the Wildcats.
The teams scheduled to attend in Benson are Division III Douglas, Division IV Safford and Thatcher, and Division V Benson, Bisbee, Duncan, Elfrida Valley Union, Pima, Saint David, San Simon, Sells Baboquivari, Tombstone, Willcox, Tucson schools Arizona School for the Deaf and the Blind, Desert Christian, and California Winterhaven San Pasqual.
The nine-team Safford Rotary Invitational awaits the Wildcats on April 17. It is the last meet before the Tucson Salpointe Catholic Lancer Lightning state qualifying meet on April 29.
71st Casa Grande Kiwanis Invitational
The purpose of track and field competition is to surpass previous times and distances. Eight running events and two field events resulted in personal best efforts during the Casa Grande meet on April 4.
Senior Yedidia Luputa Kanyinda placed first in the 110 hurdles (15.37) and third in the 300 hurdles (42.02) as the Wildcats finished 10th with 32 points. Kanyinda contributed 16 points, senior Marcus Lucero with six, senior Trent Nelson 4.75, junior Derek Lytle three, and seniors Anthony Heathman and Jossue Vaca Jr. and freshman Ryder Nelson .75 apiece.
Anthony Heathman and Kanyinda, junior Lyndale Waterhouse, sophomore Zachary Heathman, Ryder Nelson, and the 4×800 relay team turned in personal best running event times.
Anthony Heathman turned in 2:19.25 (800) for 15th, Kanyinda 15.37 (110 H) and 42.02 (300 H), Waterhouse 11.84 (100) for 32nd, Zachary Heathman in 1:02.00 (400) for 30th and 2:32.27 (800) for 30th, Ryder Nelson 11:48.90 (3200) for 15th, and 9:18.05 for sixth by the relay team of Anthony Heathman, Vaca, Ryder Nelson, and Trent Nelson.
Season best distances were recorded by senior Cory Gonzales in the shot put (36-5) and by junior Dean Chee in the discus (117-10). Chee ended ninth and Gonzalez 35th.
The 27.06 (35th) effort in the 200 by Vaca matched his March 1 clocking; senior Camren Colvin landed an 87-9 effort in the javelin, or slightly less than his season-best 91-5 (March 8); senior Marcus Lucero 149-3 in the javelin for third was short of his season-best 149-5 (March 8); senior Trent Nelson 10:58.33 in the 3200 for fifth, or not as quick as 10:43.74 (March 21); junior Derek Lytle 140-5 in the javelin for sixth was short of his season-best 148-9 (March 21); and freshman Sunny Gobert 11.75 in the 100 for 17th and 24.11 in the 200 for 11th were fractions of a second behind 11.70 and 24.03, both of March 29.
This season, Anthony Heathman also has efforts of 4:58.54 in the 1600 (March 21) and 10:53.42 in the 3200 (March 21); Kanyinda 39-1 in the shot put (March 1); Waterhouse 24.11 in the 200 (March 28) and 6-0 in the high jump (March 8); and Ryder Nelson 2:25.18 in the 800 (March 21) and 5:32.22 in the 1600 (March 29).
Division I Queen Creek was first with 154 points, Division III San Tan Valley Poston Butte second (106.5), Division II Mesa Eastmark third (69.5), Division II Vail Cienega fourth (59), Division II Casa Grande Vista Grande fifth (50), Division II Casa Grande sixth (45), Division I Tucson Magnet seventh (41), Division II Maricopa eighth (39.25), Division I Mesa Desert Ridge ninth (37), Division V Morenci 10th, Division III Tucson Sahuaro 11th (30), San Tan Valley San Tan Foothills 12th (21), and Division III Maricopa Desert Sunrise 13th (17.75). Division V Eloy Santa Cruz and Wickenburg did not score.
Individual running event winners were Casa Grande senior Kendale Cade in the 100 (10.99) and 22.84 (200); Vista Grande senior Dustin LeMaster in the 400 (51.40); Vista Grande senior Julien Villescaz in the 800 (2:07.00); Poston Butte senior Gabriel Escanuela in the 1600 (4:29.83) and 3200 (9:53.20); Kanyinda (110 H); Cienega senior Ethan Mack in the 300 hurdles (39.26),
Relay team winners were Tucson Magnet in 43.55 (4×100) with senior Ezra Balzer-Partain, senior Romello Haywood, junior Dessie Baca, and senior Kevin Bruns; Queen Creek in 3:31.32 (4×400) with Brody Rogers, Jayden Weingarten, Kayden Kellogg, and Tyler Larson; and Vista Grande in 8:22.28 (4×800) with senior Eduardo Aviles, Villescaz, LeMaster, and sophomore Jordan Guevara. Field event winners were Queen Creek senior Brody Bingham with 5-10 (HJ); Queen Creek junior Dash Wasson with 16-0 (PV); Queen Creek senior Trey Salanoa with 21-6.75 (LJ) and 43-11.50 (TJ); Eastmark senior Keiton Blake with 49-6.50 SP and 159-9 (D); and Queen Creek senior Lucas George with 174-3 in the javelin.
