The Evanston High School track and field teams enjoyed quite a bit of success at last weekend’s 4A West Regional Track Meet in Cody, with the Red Devils placing second as a team, and the Lady Devils placing fourth.

“It went really well,” said EHS head coach Roy Barker. “Cody had two tough teams up there, and our boys were hoping they could get a little closer. But we had some injuries, a few things that didn’t go our way. It was a little windy, rained a little bit, but we’ve seen worse.”

The two teams combined to win four events, led by junior Kai Barker – who won the high jump, with a height of 6 feet, 4 inches – and sophomore Gabe Hutchinson, who won the 400 meters, posting a time of 49.96.

The Lady Devils’ 4x400 relay team of Talia Conrad, Aubrey Horrocks, Brenna Fackrell and Courtney Sims, won the event with a time of 4:15.73, as did the Red Devils’ 4x400 team – made up of Gustavo Cervantes, Joey Leon, Juan Navarro and Zeke Walton – posting a time of 3:31.67.

The EHS track and field teams were in Casper Thursday for the start of the 4A State Track and Field Championships at Kelly Walsh High School.

“We’re really pleased with where the kids are right now,” Barker said. “The weather projections are nice – nice weather makes for a fun meet, when the kids don’t have to sit there and freeze. It also translates into better marks. So it should be a great event, hopefully we come home with some hardware. We’re expecting good things from our kids, as well as their competition.”

Red Devils

On the boys’ side, the Rangers finished the meet with 17 state qualifiers, including conference champions Gabe Hutchinson in the 400 meters (49.96) and Kai Barker in the high jump (6 feet, four inches). Barker had a busy couple of days in Cody, placing second in the 110 hurdles (15.17), third in the 300 hurdles (43.18) and fifth in the long jump (20 feet, 3.25 inches); Hutchinson also finished second in the 100 meters (10.88).

Hutchinson would have been a contender for the conference championship in the 200 meters, as well, but false—started in the prelims; he pre—qualified in the event earlier this season, so he’ll still be able to compete in the event at state this week.

“Gabe false—started in the 200 meter dash, so he wasn’t able to score points for us there,” Barker said. “But that happens – sometimes, things are gonna happen, and you have to shake it off and move on to the next event. Gabe came back and won the 400, so he had a great meet.”

Other multiple—event qualifiers included senior distance runner Derek Parks, who made a case for himself as a runner to watch at this week’s state meet, placing second in the 800 meters (1:58.58) and third in the 1600 meters (4:31.00). Gustavo Cervantes finished fourth in the 400 meters (52.35) and fifth in the 200 meters (23.03), while sophomore Paul Baxter also qualified in a pair of individual events, placing seventh in the 3200 meters (10:14.26) and eighth in the 1600 meters (4:40.64).

Juan Navarro rounded out the multiple—event qualifiers, placing fifth in the 400 meters (52.87) and seventh in the long jump (19 feet, 10 inches).

“We had a lot of kids place, which was great to see,” Barker said. “It was a great meet for us.”

The Red Devils qualified all four of their relay teams, with the 4x400 team of Gustavo Cervantes, Joey Leon, Juan Navarro and Zeke Walton earning a conference championship with a time of 3:31.67.

The 4x100 team of Cervantes, Hutchinson, Navarro and Walton placed second, with a time of 43.68, as did the 4x800 relay team of Isaiah Lange, Jamar McDowell, Braezden Mecham and Aidan Conrad, posting a time of 8:26.77. The 1600 sprint medley team of Leon, Ethan Moberley, Walton and McDowell took silver, with a time of 3:47.91.

In the field events, freshman Raife Wiedrich qualified in the triple jump, placing seventh with a distance of 39 feet, 5 inches. Fellow sophomore Conner Olson placed in the discus, finishing sixth, with a throw of 122 feet, 11 inches.

Senior thrower Braxton Bauer just missed qualifying for state in both throwing events, finishing 14th in the shot and 11th in the discus.

“I was really disappointed for Braxton – he’s worked so hard, and he just missed it in both events,” Barker said. “I was proud of him, though, he’s a great kid.

“We had some younger kids who really did well, who just missed qualifying for state in their events,” Barker said. “Brandon Blackwell was right behind Raife Wiedrich in the triple jump, Brayden Wallace just missed qualifying in the pole vault as a freshman, as well. Some of the young kids – even though they didn’t make it to state – they really did well, and put themselves in a position to qualify.”

Lady Devils

“We qualified 15 girls for state, and got three of our four relay teams in,” Barker said of the Lady Devils. “We had a lot of good performances on the girls’ side.”

With the top eight finishers in each event qualifying for the 4A State Meet in Casper this week, Evanston was led by junior Talia Conrad. Conrad placed second in the 200 meters (26.02), second in the 400 meters (1:01.22) and third in the 100 meters (12.73).

Other Lady Devils qualifying in multiple events included senior distance runner Aubrey Horrocks, who finished second in the 3200 meters (12:21.39), fourth in the 1600 meters (5:39.48) and fifth in the 800 meters (2:28.68).

Joining Horrocks on the podium in the distance events were Eliza Day in the 1600 meters (8th, 5:52.10) and Liesl Botts in the 3200 meters (8th, 12:45.76), while Celeste Swensen was the Lady Devils’ lone hurdler to make the podium, finishing eighth in the 100 hurdles (17.35). Swensen also finished sixth in the triple jump (33 feet, 1.5 inches).

In the throwing events, freshman Alyssa Brown earned a spot on the podium in the shot put with a fifth—place finish (32 feet, 9 inches), while Jessica McMurtrey was seventh in the discus (101 feet, 10 inches).

“Alyssa Brown qualified in the shot put as a freshman, which was a nice surprise for us,” Barker said. “Jessica made it in discus, which was pretty cool.”

The Lady Devils qualified three of their four relay teams, with the 4x400 team of Talia Conrad, Aubrey Horrocks, Brenna Fackrell and Courtney Sims winning the conference championship with a time of 4:15.73.

“The 4x400 team winning the conference championship was a nice surprise for us,” Barker said. “It was neat to see those girls pull that out and get that championship.”

The 4x800 team of Eliza Day, Marley Renelle, Jasmine Tapia and Savanna Winfield finished third (10:38.02), while the 1600 sprint medley team of Coaley Clifton, Brenna Fackrell Courtney Sims and Eliza Day placed fourth (4:36.58).

2A West Regional Meet

Girls Results

1. Cody 179.50, 2. Kelly Walsh 143, 3. Star Valley 127.50, 4. Evanston 77, 5. Riverton 70, 6. Rock Springs 53, 7. Green River 26.50, 8. Jackson Hole 17.50

100 Meter Dash

3. Talia Conrad 12.73, 9. Coaley Clifton 13.33, 26. Grace Norris 14.98

200 Meter Dash

2. Talia Conrad 26.02, 24. Grace Norris 30.84

400 Meter Dash

2. Talia Conrad 1:01.22

800 Meter Run

5. Aubrey Horrocks 2:28.68, 12. Eliza Day 2:36.68, 13. Savanna Winfield 2:38.31, 16. Marley Renelle 2:39.28

1600 Meter Run

4. Aubrey Horrocks 5:39.48, 8. Eliza Day 5:52.10, 9. Savanna Winfield 5:54.83, 12. Jasmine Tapia 6:06.76

3200 Meter Run

2. Aubrey Horrocks 12:21.39, 8. Liesl Botts 12:45.76, 9. Jasmine Tapia 12:51.80

100 Meter Hurdles

8. Celeste Swensen 17.35

4x100 Relay

5. Coaley Clifton, Brenna Fackrell, Kiara Worthing, Braelynn Morrison 53.18

4x400 Relay

1. Talia Conrad, Aubrey Horrocks, Brenna Fackrell, Courtney Sims 4:15.73

4x800 Relay

3. Eliza Day, Marley Renelle, Jasmine Tapia, Savanna Winfield 10:38.02

1600 Sprint Medley

4. Coaley Clifton, Brenna Fackrell, Courtney Sims, Eliza Day 4:36.58

High Jump

15. Celeste Swensen 4’5”

Long Jump

8. Kiara Worthing 15’4.5”, 11. Brenna Fackrell 14’8.25”, 18. Coaley Clifton 14’2.75”

Pole Vault

9. Savanna Nowakowski 8’6”, 13. Ellie Asay 7’6”, 16. Braelynn Morrison 7’

Triple Jump

6. Celeste Swensen 33’1.5”, 14. Kiara Worthing 31’3.5”

Shot Put

5. Alyssa Brown 32’9”, 12. Jessica Mcmurtrey 30’11.75”, 20. Yari Cerda 27’10.75”

Discus Throw

7. Jessica Mcmurtrey 101’10”, 13. Alyssa Brown 90’7”, 20. Ellie Asay 80’10”

Boys Results

1. Cody 167.50, 2. Evanston 129, 3. Kelly Walsh 103, 4. Rock Springs 78, 5. Star Valley 71.50, 6. Green River 65.50, 7. Riverton 60, 8. Jackson Hole 24.50

100 Meter Dash

2. Gabe Hutchinson 10.88, 14. Karter Randall 11.78, 19. Ethan Moberley 12.28

200 Meter Dash

5. Gustavo Cervantes 23.03

400 Meter Dash

1. Gabe Hutchinson 49.96, 4. Gustavo Cervantes 52.35, 5. Juan Navarro 52.87, 6. Zeke Walton 53.00

800 Meter Run

2. Derek Parks 1:58.58, 6 Braezden Mecham 2:03.54, 7. Jamar McDowell 2:03.68, 8. Aidan Conrad 2:03.97

1600 Meter Run

3. Derek Parks 4:31.00, 8. Paul Baxter 4:40.64, 9. Jamar McDowell 4:41.00, 23. Braezden Mecham 5:08.25

3200 Meter Run

7. Paul Baxter 10:14.26, 13. Jamison Williams 10:56.85, 14. Gideon Stahl 10:58.79

110 Meter Hurdles

2. Kai Barker 15.17, 9. Jay Hill 16.98

300 Meter Hurdles

3. Kai Barker 43.18, 7. Jay Hill 45.61

4x100 Relay

2. Gustavo Cervantes, Gabe Hutchinson, Juan Navarro, Zeke Walton 43.68

4x400 Relay

1. Gustavo Cervantes, Joey Leon, Juan Navarro, Zeke Walton 3:31.67

4x800 Relay

2. Isaiah Lange, Jamar McDowell, Braezden Mecham, Aidan Conrad 8:26.77.

1600 Sprint Medley Relay

2. Joey Leon, Ethan Moberley, Zeke Walton, Jamar McDowell 3:47.91

High Jump

1. Kai Barker 6’4”

Pole Vault

9. Jay Hill 11’, 10. Brayden Wallace 11’, 11. Raife Wiedrich 10’6”, 18. Treyton Wiedrich 9’6”

Long Jump

5. Kai Barker 20’3.25”, 7. Juan Navarro 19’10”, 20. Brayden Wallace 17’9.75”, 24. Raife Wiedrich 17’.50”

Triple Jump

7. Raife Wiedrich 39’5.”, 9. Brandon Blackwell 39’1.5”, 25. Brayden Wallace 33’10”

Shot Put

10. Kenyon Muir 42’3.25”, 13. Rylan Ivie 41’11.75”, 14. Braxton Bauer 41’4.25”

Discus Throw

6. Conner Olson 122’11”, 8. Rylan Ivie 118’11”, 11. Braxton Bauer 113’8”, 23. Kenyon Muir 99’