PORT ANGELES — The 2012 prep track and field season opened on a high note as 11 teams converged in Port Angeles for the Roughriders’ invitational Saturday.
All seven track teams on the North Olympic Peninsula competed in the meet along with outside teams North Kitsap of Poulsbo, Olympic of Silverdale, Kingston and Coupeville.
The Riders finished in the top three in both boys and girls competition, taking second with 104.5 points behind North Kitsap (169) in girls action, and third in boys with 101, trailing champion North Kitsap (115) and runner-up Olympic (112).
Sequim earns fourth
The Sequim boys were fourth while 1B school Crescent claimed sixth, while on the girls side Port Townsend captured fourth and Sequim was fifth. See team scores and varsity results on Page B3.
“It was great to see every school from the Peninsula present here,” Port Angeles boys track coach Pat Durr said.
“The kids were able to meet each other, to look each other in the eyes, and to compete as best they could.
“Dwayne Johnson, the meet director, puts on a first-rate meet for the kids to start off the season.”
Sequim’s Jayson Brocklesby had the area’s top individual performance with two championships and a third place.
Long sprints
The junior second-team all-Olympic League basketball player captured first in the 400-meter run (52.75 seconds) and the high jump (6-0) while claiming third place in the 200.
The Riders earned a Peninsula high six championships while the Wolves captured four and 1B powerhouse Crescent took two and Forks one.
For the Riders, the girls 4×100 relay team blew away the field with a first-place time of 55.43 seconds.
North Kitsap was back in second with 55.70.
The winning Rider girls were Khaya Elliot, Jolene Millsap, Elyse Lovgren and Cami Raber.
In addition, Brendan Dennis was first in the 800-meter run (2:04.41) for Port Angeles, Nick Shindler was first in the 3,000 run (9:48.05), Cameron Braithwaite in long jump (20-05.25), Tarah Erickson in pole vault (9-06) and Jordan Norberg in javelin (151-09.5).
For Sequim, Adrian Clifford claimed first in the 1,500 run in 4:28.54, and he also took runner-up honors in the 3,000 meters (9:57.46).
Kyle Tupper of Port Angeles was second to Clifford in the 1,500.
Sequim’s Haleigh Harrison, meanwhile, took top honors in the high jump (5-05).
Crescent, always a track power on the B level, flexed its muscles by taking sixth in the boys competition with a score of 66 and eighth in girls action with 30 points.
Logger Mike Zapien was first in discus with a throw of 108 feet even while teammate Devanie Christie claimed first in girls javelin (88-11).
Also for Crescent, Matthew Waldup took second in the 300 hurdles while the Logger 4×100 relay team claimed third place with Kyle Hutto, Beau Bamer, Eric Larson and Joel Williams.
The Sequim boys took second in the 4×100 relay with Judah Breitbach, Brocklesby, Christian Miles and Lopaka Yasamura.
Sydney Christenson of Forks captured first place in girls shot put with a distance of 30 feet, 11.75 inches.
Port Townsend’s Brittany Grant was second in several events, including the 1,500-meter run, the 800 and the 2,000-meter steeplechase.
