Rocky Mountain track team qualifies 15 for state meet

Young Grizzlies send strong mix of athletes to State Meet in Casper

The Rocky Mountain High School track and field team qualified 15 athletes for the Wyoming State Track and Field Championships after another strong performance at the 2A West Regional Meet in Shoshoni last weekend.

Head coach Tobee Christiansen said he is excited about the group heading to Casper, especially because of the youth and competitiveness throughout the team.

“We’ve got a good core group of kids,” Christiansen said. “Fun kids to be around. Good kids.”

Rocky Mountain will send nine boys and six girls to the state meet, with athletes qualifying in sprints, jumps, throws, pole vault and distance events.

One of the team leaders is Mason Moss, who qualified in four events. Moss placed second in the 100-meter dash in 11.48 seconds, third in the 200-meter dash in 23.61 and second in the high jump at 6-1. He also prequalified earlier in the season in the 110-meter hurdles.

Christiansen said Moss suffered a setback during the hurdles at Regionals after clipping a hurdle and being disqualified, but quickly regrouped.

“He cut his knee open, so we patched him up, and then he went and ran the 100 right after it,” Christiansen said. “That’s kind of the way he is. He’s a competitor.”

Avery Thomas qualified in three events for the Lady Grizzlies, finishing fourth in the 100-meter dash in 13.66 seconds, second in the long jump at 15-3.75 and third in the triple jump at 32-1.

Christiansen praised Thomas for her consistent work ethic throughout the season.

“She gets after it every day,” he said. “Track’s kind of her thing. She likes it. She’s fast and athletic. She has a good work ethic. She practices hard every day.”

The Grizzlies also qualified a large group of throwers for the state meet, something Christiansen credited to both talent and teamwork.

“You know, they’ve been kind of competitive in a good way with each other all year,” he said. “They push each other and get excited for each other, and it’s been fun to watch.”

Throwing coach Pat Winland said the entire throwing group has continued improving together throughout the season.

“I am thrilled to see all five throwers who competed qualify for State,” Winland said. “They are a young group that truly supports each other, pushes each other to improve and celebrates each other’s success.”

John Mader placed third in the discus with a throw of 122-3, while Evin Clendenen finished sixth at 120-3 and Alex Walker placed eighth at 114-2. In the shot put, Cooper Winland finished third at 40-6.75, and Kellan Jackson placed fifth at 40-0.

“This will be a great experience for all of them,” Winland said. “Competing at the state level is something they have worked hard for all season. We are excited to see them represent Rocky Mountain and continue building for the future.”

Pole vault was another bright spot for Rocky Mountain, with three varsity vaulters qualifying for State.

Freshman Rowan Hanusa cleared 10 feet to place sixth in the boys division, while Keylee Christiansen placed fourth in the girls competition at 7-6 and Layla Gardner finished sixth at 7-0.

Christiansen said Hanusa has steadily improved throughout the year.

“He just keeps PR-ing each week,” Christiansen said. “It feels like he’s picking up six inches every week or two.”

Pole vault coach Aric Hanusa said qualifying all three vaulters was rewarding for the program.

“I think any time you have all three of your pole vaulters who’ve been with you all year long qualify for State, it’s pretty awesome,” Hanusa said. “We had lots of things we were working on this year and improving.”

Hanusa said he hopes the team’s success will help attract more athletes to the event in the future.

“It’d be nice to have six pole vaulters with us,” he said. “It’s been a blessing for us with Rocky’s strong history of great vaulters.”

Distance runner Leah Haslem also qualified in two events, finishing seventh in the 800-meter run in 2:40.28 and seventh in the 1,600-meter run in 6:14.82. Christiansen noted her 1,600 time was a major personal record improvement.

Completing the Grizzlies’ wide range of qualifying events were several additional multi-event athletes who continued strong seasons at regionals. Bailey Gifford qualified in two events, placing seventh in the 200-meter dash in 30.41 and also finishing seventh in the long jump at 13-4.75. Freshman Sawyer Bassett had one of the strongest regional meets for the Lady Grizzlies, taking third in the long jump at 15-3 and finishing second in the triple jump with a leap of 32-11.

On the boys side, Cooper Ward qualified in both the 100-meter dash and long jump, placing fifth in the 100 in 11.93 and seventh in the long jump at 17-11.5. Distance runner Jaxx May also earned a trip to state with a seventh-place finish in the 800-meter run in 2:12.12.

The Wyoming State Track and Field Championships begin Thursday in Casper.