Grizzlies Start Season At Preston

The Grizzly track team made the short trip to Preston to kick off their 2024 season.  Though the trip was short the day would be long as a total of nine schools would compete.  Of those nine schools seven of them would be 4A and 5A schools providing fierce competition for the Grizzlies.  With such stiff competition any finish in the top ten would be quite the accomplishment.  In the case of the Grizzlies they would find just that type of success in several events.  For the Grizzly men Braden Kimball would be the highest 100 meter finisher in ninth place.  Kimball was one of eleven Grizzlies to compete in the 100 meters with all eleven gaining PR’s (personal record).  Kimball would move up to fourth place in the 200 meter race with four of six Grizzly men earning PR’s.  Gavin Draper would be the lone 400 meter runner for the Grizzlies and would get a PR.  Adrian Mejia  would grab the seventh spot in the 800 meters and earn a PR in the 3200 meter.  Nathaniel Smith would just miss out on the top ten finishing eleventh in the 110 meter hurdles then turn around and get the tenth spot in the 300 meter hurdles.  It was Jonah Wilkerson that would show well in the 300 hurdles, however, as he would finish with a PR and grab fifth place.  Trevor Mathews would place sixth in the shot put followed by teammate Carson Reeves who earned ninth place with a new PR of his own.  This was a great start for the Grizzly men as they will look to build on the success that they have seen over the two previous years statewide.  

The Lady Grizzlies saw many good performances as well.  There were four girls running in the 100 meters with three of them earning PR’s.  Those getting PR’s were Anika Smith, Alayna Smith, and Jeanaelie Shaffer.  All three Lady Grizzlies that ran the 200 meter race earned PR’s led by Bella Eddins.  Shaffer would be the only Grizzly to run the 400 and she would take tenth.  Brooklyn Porter and Lilly Gilbert would run the 1600 meter race and although they wouldn’t place in the top ten Porter would set a new freshman school record.  Gilbert would make the top ten in the 3200 meter race placing seventh.  In the 300 meter hurdles Kallie Stoddard would place fifth and Tayler Yost would come in ninth.  Bella Eddins would make an impression in the jumping events taking ninth in the long jump and fourth in the triple jump.  Overall the Lady Grizzlies racked up several PR’s not backing down to the bigger schools.  The three freshmen Shaffer, Porter and Eddins were especially impressive in their first ever high school meet and have a bright future.  The Grizzlies boys and girls will be back in action on Thursday when they travel to Valley High School for the
Viking Relays.