Track team competes like true mustangs

It's been more than a week since the Somers track team cleaned up at Columbia Falls, but Mustang coaches and staff are still talking about the way the team performed this season, and they will likely be talking about it for some time.

The Somers athletes are, themselves, walking a few inches taller after their best season ever and one of their best meets to date. The 7th and 8th grade girls took first place in the meet, while the seventh and eighth grade boys took third.

In individual competition, Jacyln Rauthe placed in every event she competed in, taking first place for eighth grade girls in the 100 meter dash with a time of 12.10 and also in the 400 meter run with a time of 1:04.

In the 100 hurdles, 8th grader Savannah Mahlen finished second in 17.90, while Shelby Clark placed third with 18.21. Clark also placed 4th in the 200 hurdles with a time of 32.75. Briana Patyk took first place in the high jump with a 4-10 jump, despite injuring her ankle while competing, and still placed second in the mile while ignoring the pain.

For 8th grade boys, Caleb Keller took first place in the shot with a throw of 41.8' and Victor Milender took first in discus with 106.2'. Parker Sutton finished second in the mile with a time of 5:07 and first in the 800 meter run in 2:17. Dylan Henneford cleared 5-2 in the high jump, placing fifth.

Among 7th grade girls, Elizabeth Chmielewski placed in every event she competed in, taking second place in the 100 hurdles with 17.0. Brooke Neater also placed in every event and took first in most of them, including the 100 hurdles (16.73) and the 200 hurdles (31.24), as well as the 100 dash (13.63) and triple jump (27-2.5).

The 7th grade girls relay team-Chmielewski, Neater, Andrea Love and Shaela Wallen-took first place in both the 4x400 and 1,600 relays, with times of 55.15 and 4:49.25 respectively. Love finished fifth in the 200 meter run (30.6). Natalie Jeude placed third in the 1,600 run with a time of 6:38, a personal best.

The 7th grade boys also did well, with Dallas Grimes finishing first in the 100 dash (11.3) and second in the 200 run (25.0). Bodie Schieffer took first place in the 100 dash with a time of 5.38 - a personal best - and second place in the 800 meter run (2:32). Dylan Thomas placed second in the 100 hurdles (16:71), and Caleb McCracken cinched first place in discus with a 96' throw.

Blaine Newman deserves honorable mention for competing in ten different events and placing fifth in the 100 hurdles (16.99). The 4x400 relay team - Grimes, Newman, Kyle Thompson and sixth-grader Tyler Davis - finished second (57.87).

"One thing that sets our team apart is how they behave at the meet," head track coach Luke Johnson said. "They are focused, positive and courageous. We have a team full of warriors. In Columbia Falls, Somers athletes were warrior competitors. They did everything right, both in the events and before the events. They left the field with no regrets.

"In a word, our athletes were dedicated. A team of 36 athletes was able to beat much larger teams because they have the courage to compete hard in a lot of events and have the dedication to rest between events and prepare."

At the conclusion of the season, Somers Middle School named several athletes to receive various awards, including the Warrior Spirit award, the Team Spirit award, and awards for dedication in training and the most events.

Rauthe, Patyk, Ashley Postier, Sutton, Keller, Neater, Chmielewski, Newman, Shieffer, McCracken and Davis each received Warrior Spirit awards. Brianna Neater, Mahlen, Natalie Jeude and 11 others received awards for their dedication to training.

Tom Dooling, Victor Milender, Gavin Ruud, Tanner Mack, Matt MacFarlane, Clark, Merrik Dragon, Tana Fountain and McCaela Frame all received Team Spirit awards. Newman and Brooke Neater received awards for competing in the most events.

"Somers Mustangs are warriors in their practice, as well as on the field," Johnson said. "They never cancel for weather and never falter when faced with a tough workout. As warriors, not having a track only made then better runners."

Johnson said he was extremely proud of the team's performance throughout the season, adding that he had never seen a Somers team do so well in so many meets with so few athletes. He stressed that each of the athletes should feel good about the way the bettered themselves from one meet to the next, culminating in their performance at Columbia Falls.