Submitted by VHS Track & Field coach – The Bucs sailed into Palmer this weekend ready to make some waves at the Colony Invite! It was an exciting two days with many of our athletes placing high and getting some new personal records.
The boy’s 4X400 relay was the last event of the meet and probably one of the most exciting. Merrick McCumby started the Bucs off with a commanding lead over the other teams. Cirque Carter continued, handing off the baton to Kaden VanBuskirk who widened the lead despite some very talented runners from Grace, Wasilla, Colony, and SuValley. Kaden handed off to Reggie Baksis who crossed the finish line in 1st place, encouraged by quite the enthusiastic Buccaneer cheer squad lined up along the home stretch.
The boys 4X200 relay team of Jace Wadsworth, Kaden VanBuskirk, Brody Liljedahl, and Merrick McCumby took 3rd with a time of 1:38.91, the boy’s 4X100 team of Jace Wadsworth, Kyle Petersen, Brody Liljedahl, and Andrew Baczuk took 4th with a time of 47:06, and the boys 4X800 team of Zane Caruthers, Cirque Carther, Kaden VanBuskirk, and Reggie Baksis took 4th with a time of 9:19.85. The girl’s 4X200 team of Aliya Valeriano, Regan Pedersen, Hailey Major, and River Smelcer took 5th with a time of 2:01.04, and the girl’s 4X800 team of Morgan Hamilton, Jewely Weber, Hailey Major, and Laken Unger took 5th with a time of 12:55.50.
Andrew Baczuk had an incredible weekend, taking 1st in the Long Jump with a 19’ 11.5” jump (PR), a 1st place finish in the 200m with a time of 23.78 (PR), and a 2nd place finish in the 100m with a time of 11.73. Kyle Petersen also had a great weekend in Throws with a 4th place finish in Discus with 124’ 8”, and 5th place in Shot Put with a throw of 41’ 2”. Merrick McCumby took 5th place in the 100m with 11.84, and Reggie Baksis had an impressive sub-five minute mile with a time of 4:57!
Other new Personal Records in individual events are as follows:
100m-
Brody Liljedahl- 12.11
Zachary Berkeley- 14.25
Regan Pedersen- 14.97
Hailey Major- 15.73
200m-
Brody Liljedahl- 26.41
River Smelcer- 30.12
Regan Pedersen- 31.45
Jewely Weber- 33.70
400m-
Kaden VanBuskirk- 56.35
Dylan Passage- 58.97
Cody Miller- 1:03.66
Kain Montgomery- 1:09.65
Alyia Valeriano- 1:11.04
Hailey Major- 1:16.03
800m-
Zane Caruthers- 2:21.89
Dylan Passage- 2:26.14
Cirque Carter- 2:26.64
Cody Miller- 2:46.38
Morgan Hamilton- 3:19.58
1600m-
Jewely Weber- 6:53.37
Cirque Carter- 5:29.30
Dylan Passage- 5:43.37
Cody Miller- 5:56.29
3200m-
Jewely Weber- 15:18.25
Shot Put-
Sawyer Stites- 20’ 1”
Clair Wesson- 15’ 6”
Discus-
Sawyer Stites- 56’ 7”
Clair Wesson- 27’ 4”
High Jump-
Merrick McCumby- 5’ 4”
Kyle Petersen- 5’ 2”
Long Jump-
Laken Unger- 12’ 2”
Triple Jump-
Laken Unger- 25’ 3”