Bullpups win 7th grade district track meet

SANDPOINT — The 7th grade team stole the show recently at the district middle school track meet, as the Sandpoint Middle School boys and girls teams beat Woodland, Lakes, Coeur d’Alene Charter, Lakeland, Post Falls, River City and Canfield to claim the team titles.

The 7th grade girls were lead by the distance duo of Piper Frank and Kylie Burnett, and speedster Tori Pelkey. Frank and Burnett placed 1st and 2nd in both the 1,600 and 800.

“Frank ran the best race of her life and almost the best in SMS history in the 1,600 with time of 5:44,” said Bullpup coach Jacob Peterson. “She was within one second of Niah Brass’ SMS record.”

Burnett ran a personal best with 5:49. Burnett kept it a little closer in the 800, running 2:42 only a second behind Frank, who also ran a leg of the winning 4x200 relay team with Tori Pelkey, Emma Theilbahr and Devyn Martin.

Pelkey ran the anchor leg of that race and had herself a monster day, winning the 100 meters with a time of 13.01 and finishing second in the 200 with a time of 29.18. Theilbahr won the 200 with a blistering time of 28.89.

Several girls also made big contributions, with Jillian Primgaard 3rd in the 400 with a PR of 1:11, KJ Johanson 7th in the 100M and long jump, Lucinda Meshberg 2nd in the high jump, and Lauren Bruener 6th in the long jump.

Iron-man Ben Ricks and explosive Gerritt Cox led the 7th grade boys to a 1st place finish. Ricks ran the 1,600, 800, and 400, which is the most distance athletes are allowed to do at the middle school level. He was 1st in the 1,600 (5:34) and 400 (1:05) and 2nd in the 800 (2:37). Cox had a huge long jump of 17’2” winning the event. He ran 12.43 in 100 placing 2nd.

Trey Clark also made big contributions, placing in all three of his events. Clark was 5th in the 1,600 with a PR 5:50, 5th in long jump, and 7th in the 800. Ethan Butler gave the team a 1st place finish in the discuss. Shane Griffen anchored the winning 4x100 relay team and Cayden Kindred anchored the 2nd place 4x100 relay team. Michael Chapman placed 6th in the 200.

The 8th grade girls placed 3rd overall. All-around athlete Hattie Larson had a solid day placing 1st in the discuss and the 800 and 6th in the 1,600. Camille Neuder saved her best for last running personal bests in both the 800 placing 4th and 1,600 placing 7th. Bella Phillips was 2nd in the shot put followed by teammate Katie Stewart placing 3rd in both the discuss and shot. Olivia Lynch high jumped well enough for a 3rd place finish. Serenity Landis was 7th in the 100 hurdles.

The 8th grade boys placed 3rd overall. Jett Lucas continued his dominance of the 1,600, winning with a person best 5:08. Lucas also ran a personal best in the 800 placing 2nd with a 2:20.

Jaden Smith won the shot for the second meet in a row and jumped 17’ to place 2nd in the long jump. Jayden Lewis ran a personal best 59:34 in 400 placing 2nd. Braden Kappen was 3rd in the 200 and ran the anchor leg of the 4x200 team that placed 1st, joining Zander Moore, Jaden Smith and Jayden Lewis in a season best 1:45:60. Keith Jenson placed 5th in the shot. Chris Koch jumped well placing 2nd in the high jump and 7th in the long jump.

Prior to that, SMS competed with Woodland, Post Falls, River City and CDA Charter at CDA high school. Both boys and girls won the meet, where the two grades are combined.

Jett Lucas had and monster day winning the 1,600 by more than seven seconds with time of 5:13, winning the 800 with a time of 2:22. Lucas took second in the high jump to teammate Chris Koch, who won jumping 5-0. Gerritt Cox was major contributor in the win. Cox jumped 15’6” in the long jump taking 1st, was 2nd in the 100 with a time of 12.45 and was part of the 4x100 relay team that took second with a time of 50.43. Cox was joined by Braden Kappen, Hunter Jacobson and Zander Moore on the relay team.

Jayden Lewis followed Cox in the 100 in 3rd, was 2nd in the 400 with a time of 1:01:40 and was a part of the winning 4x200 relay team. Jaden Smith won the shot, in his first time competing in the event, with a throw of 36’5”, and was 5th in the 200. Smith joined Lewis, Braden Kappen and Zander Moore on the winning relay team that ran 1:51:52. Ben Ricks and Trevor Brackett both chipped in with 5th place finishes in the 400 for Ricks and 110 hurdles for Brackett.

The lady Bullpups scored 85 points in their victory. Piper Frank, Kiley Burnett and Hattie Larson dominated the distance events, placing 2nd, 3rd and 4th respectively in the 1,600 and 800. All three went under six minutes for the first time in the 1,600, with Frank at 5:53, Burnett 5:57 Larson 5:59. In the 800 the trio was a blur through the finish line, with Frank at 2:46:25, Burentt 2:46:31, and Larson 2:46:81. Larson also slung the discuss 76’4” winning the event. Katie Stewart and Stephanie Bishop followed her in the discuss in 3rd and 4th. Stewart was also 3rd in the shot put throwing 29’4” followed by teammates Bella Phillips and Anneka McCelland in 4th and 5th.

Oliva Lynch won the high jump with a 4’2 leap, followed by Gabby Hicks 3rd, and Lucinda Meshberg 4th. Rounding out the field events was Kaylee Tillberg, popping a 12’ 5” jump in the long jump for the win. The 4x200 relay team of Devyn Martin, Emma Theilbahr, Gabby Hicks and Tori Pelky ran 2:03:50 for first place. Theilbahr was also 4th in the 200M. Pelky was 5th in the 100M. Sophia Platte chipped in a 3rd place finish in the 100 hurdles.