Track & field squad faces tough opposition at state

Members of Mountain Home High School's track and field team's state qualifiers pose for a group photo before leaving for the state tournament at Eagle High School. The boys and girls teams found the going tough with both groups earning just a handful of points at this year's competition.

The competition was fierce for the Mountain Home girls and boys at the State 4A Track & Field Championships at Eagle High School over the weekend.

The Mountain Home girls scored just 11 points and came in 18th in the 4A team standings.

Jhorie Kelly placed in two of the three events she competed in. She made the finals in the 100-meter dash and finished third. She made the finals in the 100-meter high hurdles and finished eighth. She just missed placing in the high jump, finishing ninth.

Kristen Kreutzer competed in both of the throw events, and placed seventh in the discus. She failed to place in the shot put, finishing 15th.

Mountain Home's other points in the girls events came from the 4x100-meter relay team of Ashley Harmon, Whitney Sandberg, Olivia Ostberg and McKenzie Sandberg, which finished seventh. Harmon and Whitney Sandberg both competed in the 100 meter dash, but both failed to make the finals.

Leeann James failed to place in the discus, finishing 10th.

Mattie Bennett competed in the 300 meter hurdles, but failed to make the finals. She also competed in the triple jump, finishing 12th.

Marissa Streeter finished 11th in the triple jump and Makena Shockley competed in the 100-meter hurdles, but failed to make the finals.

The Mountain Home boys finished 15th in the 4A boys competition with 18.75 points.

Ryan Eckstrom competed in three events for the Tigers. He finished third in the 110-meter high hurdles, was part of a four-way tie for seventh place in the pole vault, and competed in the 300-meter hurdles, but failed to make the finals.

Mountain Home's 4x100-meter relay team of Nick Garza, Malik Whitfield, Chance Llewellyn and Michael Daniels finished fourth. The same four ran the 4x200-meter relay and finished sixth. Whitfield also made the finals in the 100-meter dash and placed sixth. Daniels also competed in the triple jump and placed eighth. Cody Boguslawski also competed at state in the discus throw and finished 10th.

"We projected more points than we scored in both the boys and girls, so we were a little disappointed in how we ended up," said Tigers head track coach Rich Urquidi.

"But overall, when you consider our conference took home over half of the state trophies, we were in a tough conference. Any time you can bring home state medals, it is a good thing though. We are proud of our athletes."