Tough day at the track for Chiefs
Alan Dale/Columbia Basin Herald<br> It's up, up, and away for Moses Lake High School's Madison Wilks who took to the air in yesterday's triple jump competition against Richland and Southridge.
MOSES LAKE — Strong at the top of its lineup the Moses Lake High School track teams discovered their need to build depth to compete against some of the stronger Big 9 squads.
On Wednesday the Chiefs faced off against Richland and Southridge in both boys and girls’ action and dropped each dual.
The boys team lost 90-54 to Richland and 104-41 to Southridge.
“We are just coming off of a spring break and it never helps us out having that week off,” Moses Lake coach Kevin Whittall said. “Turn out for practice wasn’t that great and it showed at this meet. We did have the usual suspects step up and produce some results. We need our younger group of freshman and sophomores to follow that example of the senior class of being at those practices and when those meets come to step up and perform.”
Leading the Chiefs were Jordan Wilks, won the 100-meter dash (11.67) and the 4x100-meter relay team of Randy Koon, Mitchell Hill, Brian Chamberlain, and Wilks (44.71).
“Jordan was awesome because usually Richland has some speed burners and he beat one of the quicker kids in the league,” Whittall said. “Our relay team reached their PR and it was a great race for those guys. Richland, I believe, was ranked second in the league so to beat them its a great confidence booster.”
Hill finished second in the long jump (19’4”) and triple jump (41’6”).
Third-place honors during the meet went to Koon (100-meter-dash, 11.74 and 200-meter-dash, 24.16), Dylan Moberg (long jump, 19’3”), and Cameron Law (pole vault, 10’).
“Richland and Southridge are usually two of the top teams in our league,” Whittall said. “I think we are in the middle of the pack and as we get through these next couple of weeks I can see us be at least top five. I feel good about our kids.”
The girls fell 111.50-38.50 to Moses Lake and 114-34 to Southridge.
“We came across two top teams and they are always top teams — Southridge and Richland — and they are the powerhouses,” Chiefs girls coach Nicki Weiland said, “The girls did well and I was especially pleased with some of the throwers and they are really coming on.”
No Chiefs took home a top prize on the girls’ side but Jordan Loera recorded Moses Lake’s best result, second in the long jump with a 15’ finish.
Magie Munoz ended her day with three third-place finishes in the 100-meter-dash (13.6), 200-meter-dash (28.05) and the 400-meter-dash (1:03.64).
Other third-place results for Moses Lake came from Tiffany Morris (3200-meter-run, 13:17.50), Kimberly Bakker (long jump, 14’11.50”), and Sadie Nielsen (discus, 98’4”).
London Cleverly, Taylor Ballard, Jennifer Hassan, and Munoz teamed up to also finish third in the 4x200-meter relay with a 1:55.21.