SPRINGDALE HIGH
Salas Performing Well Early
Springdale High's school record in the girls 1,600 is 5:24.
Jessica Salas may break that mark by the end of the outdoor season. The junior had a big day at the Cyclone Relays in Russellville on Friday, finishing second in the 1,600 by running a 5:32.86.
"She should be able to beat that mark this year," Springdale coach Godfrey Siamusiye said of the record.
Salas' performance in Russellville placed her near the fastest time in the conference this year.
"I'll take that for now," Siamusiye said. "I still believe she can do better. This was a breakthrough meet for her in that she showed a lot of potential. It's good to see that her work is paying off. So far she's on the right track."
Springdale's Jesus Galindo also had a strong meet Friday, clocking a 4:35.05 in the 1,600. The time puts him about three seconds from qualifying automatically for state.
"He ran a 4:36 at our conference meet (last year) and he was No. 7," Siamusiye said. "So he didn't get to go to state. The other conference, the winning time was 4:43, so there were at least six people that made it that were slower than him. So that's why this year, he's trying to qualify automatically."
-- JIMMY CARTER • @NWAJimmy
Rogers High
Brandon Workman is having another solid track season as the Rogers High senior has excelled in the long jump and triple jump. Workman has a 22.10.5 in the long jump and a best 47-8.5 in the triple jump. He also has a solid 11.11 in the 100.
"Brandon is improving every meet," Rogers coach Jim Yurwitz said. "It's been fun to watch him jump because he has been working hard. He is also doing more sprint workouts with us, and I think that has made a big difference."
The strength of the Mounties team is in the distance events and Austin Salazar (800), Christian Liddell (1,600, 3,200), Ian Smith (1,600, 3,200), Jake Mankin and Taylor Bryant (3,200) have all posted strong times this season.
"The year is going really well," Yurwitz said. "The distance runners are going their thing, carrying over from cross country season. We ran hard on Tuesday, and those times should qualify us for the Kansas Relays again."
Sophomore Tony Roller has also been a bright spot in the 110 hurdles with a best time of 16.70.
"Tony is stepping right in, and he is not timid at all," Yurwitz said. "He got sick with a virus and he missed 10 days at the start of track season. But he is showing potential. I think he can place in the top three, top four at the conference meet."
-- Paul Nielsen
FAYETTEVILLE
Bulldogs Finish Seventh In Russellville
Both Fayetteville track teams placed seventh overall at the Russellville Cyclone Relays on Friday. But despite missing out on any top team honors, the Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs had several top individual performances at the meet.
Sophomore Caleb Cooper won the triple jump with a leap of 44 feet, 11.25 inches. Cooper has now won two outdoor triple jumps this season, also winning at the Bentonville Tiger Relays with a jump of 43-3.75.
Fellow sophomore Blake Young picked up his third win of the outdoor season in the shot put. Young threw 54-5 at the Cyclone Relays. He also won the shot put at Bentonville Tiger Relays and Whitey Smith Relay Carnival, along with two discus wins as well this season.
For the Lady Bulldogs, Amanda Agana won the 800 meter run in a time of 2:14.71. It was Agana's top 800 time of the season.
Fayetteville's teams return to the track this week when they host their own Bulldog Relays on Friday.
-- VERNON TARVER • @NWAVernon
SPRINGDALE HAR-BER
Stumbaugh Sets New Marks
Payton Stumbaugh set a meet and school record while leading Springdale Har-Ber to a second-place finish in the annual Cyclones Relays at Russellville.
Stumbaugh established both marks in the 100-meter dash in a time of 11.93 second. Stumbaugh also set a new meet record while winning the 200-meter run in 24.40 seconds. She was second in the high jump and fifth in the shot put.
"Payton was phenomenal," Har-Ber coach Brett Unger said. "She set a school record and broke a 31-year meet record in the 100. She had to compete in the high jump as soon as the 200 was over, but she still got second."
Amanda Dillon took first place in the 400, second in the 200, and third in the 100 while Elise Reina placed first in the 3200 for the Lady Wildcats.
"We were 1-2 in the 200 and 1 and 3 in the 100 with Payton and Amanda Dillon," Unger said. "Elise Reina ran a great 2-mile."
Sain Mathew won the 400-meter run in 49.04 seconds for the Har-Ber boys, who finished ninth overall. Mathew was also third in the 200.
Har-Ber will return to action Friday at the Bulldog Relays in Fayetteville.
-- RICK FIRES • @NWARICK
BENTONVILLE
Tigers Win Cyclone Relays
Bentonville boys coach Mike Power took his team to the Cyclone Relays for two reasons -- to qualify some more athletes for the Class 7A state meet and see it can match up against some teams in the 7A/6A-West.
The Tigers did just that, and they won Friday's meet at Russellville. Bentonville headed the 24-team field with 82 points, while Bryant finished second with 72.5.
"It's probably the biggest meet we'll see," Power said. "You usually don't see 24 teams at a meet. We didn't show all our cards there, but we had a solid meet.
"I like taking the team to Russellville because it's a perfect meet for getting qualifying times. We have five that did it. There are some other things we have to improve on, but we have four weeks left to do it."
Bentonville won the meet with only one first-place finish as Joshua Kruse ran the 3,200 meters in a winning time of 9 minutes, 50.21 seconds. Power liked what he saw from sophomore Tyrone Mahone, who had a qualifying time of 50.76 in the 400, and Jordan Patrick, who had a personal-best of 44 feet, 10.75 inches in the triple jump.
"We just pick up points here and there in different events," Power said. "I think our strength is our depth, especially in the hurdles and in the 400. We have a few standouts, but we also have the other guys that have served us well."
-- HENRY APPLE • @NWAHenry
SILOAM SPRINGS
Sports on 04/07/2014