A team in the making

Photo by Paul Robeson, Sports Editor

RUN, RUN, RUN - Freshman Forrest McBride puts on a finishing kick as he runs a 200-meter race.

Photo by Paul Robeson, Sports Editor

HAND OFF - Freshman Maggie Stacey, front, takes the baton from Sophomore Halie Linschoten in a recent relay race.

Scott Fairley has been building track teams at West Valley High School for almost 25 years and the results are obvious to anyone following sports in the area.

“Working with students early on not only gets them interested in the competition but gives them a goal to shoot at or emulate,” said Fairley.

Up and coming athletes in the 100- or 200-meter junior varsity run find, more often than not, freshmen Ethan Clark, Forrest McBride and Jake Morales in the first, second or third scoring column. Another longer runner in the 400-meter run is sophomore Jacob Frasher. McBride also can be seen in the first column in the 800- and 1600-meter runs.

In the JV 110 hurdles Tim Moravec and Tim Saechao are fighting for first place wins. Moravec also likes to place in the 300 hurdles as does McBride and Saechao.

The 4x100 JV relay usually finds Derek Serna, Moravec, Clark and Zach Miller.

Serna also is a finisher in the 4x400 relay with Moravec, Frasher and Tanner Gray. Gray and Serna are also long jumpers on the way.

Miller is coming closer to a varsity position in the JV shot put and Gabe Groff is building his distance up. Miller also comes into the winning columns in the discus and again Groff is building up the distance.

Freshmen Gray and Tyler Stevenson will be giving other schools a lot of competition in the high jump as will Brandon Burnett and Jake Gibbins in the pole vault.

The JV girls are another group fighting for spots on the varsity team.

Freshman Maggie Stacey and sophomores Victoria Basinger and Sarah Miles are bringing down their times in the 100-meter runs and Miles and Misty Jensen deserve looking at in the 200 meters. Jensen is also a front runner in the 400-meter run. Basinger and Miles also do the long jump and the triple jump.

Freshman Caitlin Clark is doing her part in the 800 and 1600 meter runs.

The JV hurdles have freshman Kelsie Doty and sophomore Jordan Kelly looking for finishing places.

Freshman Taylor Lambert likes the 300 low hurdles as well as the 4x100 relay. Stacey, Basinger and Miles make up that team.

JV shot putter Tomi Sikora and Jennifer Mueller are working hard to improve their distances. Mueller and Sikora are also discus throwers.

Freshmen Cassie DeBonis and Bailey Brothers are working hard to beat Nichole Barry and Jasmine Mally in the high jump.

Clark and fellow freshman Jesi Proulx and Taylor Hamilton are building up their bar height in the pole vault.

What is nice about the junior varsity teams is that they can be pulled up to varsity as the need requires. A few of the underclassman girls have remained on the varsity squad and continue to bring in the points for West Valley.

In the varsity100-meter, sophomore Amanda Oliva keeps in the scoring column as does Taylor Samuels in the 200-meter trying to beat senior Alyssa Christensen’s marks. Samuels name can usually be found in the winners column of the long jump and triple jumps.

Another multi-talented sophomore is Katie Jungwirth who runs the 800-meter and the high jump. Junior Nichole Barry’s name can usually be found in the winners column of the high jump records.

Michelle Johnson can usually be found in the 1600- meter race.

In varsity 100 high hurdles junior Nichole Barry gives seniors Christensen and Stephanie Alward a run for their money. Barry is also a 300 low hurdler.

Sophomore Halie Linschoten usually makes up the team with Christensen, Samuels and Alward in the 4x100 relay and is determined to beat senior Jessie Bailey’s record in the pole vault.

Juniors Jasmine Mally and Ashley Turner share honors in the shot put and discus throws.