Mapleton senior Joe Shepard (left) and Siuslaw senior James Smith, both Rhody Princes, faced off in the triple jump in Vida on April 9. Shepard (37'6.75) beat Smith (35'9.5) but Smith will get a chance at revenge when they meet again at the Central Coast Invitational in Florence on April 22. (Photo by Mike Smith)

Viks win both team races, Sailors take home medals

April 13, 2022 — Eight other schools joined Mapleton and Siuslaw at the AMJ Invitational at McKenzie High in Vida on Saturday, April 9. The Vikings won both team titles and the two athletes that Mapleton sent each won a first-place medal.

Siuslaw was the only 4A school at the meet and their upper division experience showed as the Viks won 12 boys and five girls events.

Those numerous first-place medals were reflected in the team scores, as the SHS boys outpaced their next closest finisher, second place Jefferson, by 182 points, 258-76. The girls race was closer, but the Viking girls still won with 121 points. The Triangle Lake girls were next with 115.

Senior Camp Lacouture and juniors Hunter Petterson, Sam Ulrich and Jonathon Rose each brought home multiple first place medals for Siuslaw at the AMJ.

Petterson won four events. He set personal records in both the 200m (22.9) and 400m (52.21a) and was a member of both the first place relay teams.

Lacouture set a PR when he won the 300m hurdles in 47.01a. He also won the pole vault (13’6) and was second in the high jump (5’6) and third in the long jump (18’2.5).

Ulrich swept the two longest distance races, winning the 1500m (4:16.17a) and the 3000m (9:02.9).

Rose won two throwing events when he threw the discus 124’7 and the shot put 39’4.75.

Joe Shepard, a senior from Mapleton, and the only boy the Sailors sent to the Invitational, also had a great day.

He won the triple jump (37’6.75) and set a PR with his fourth-place finish in the long jump (18’1.75).

Shepard’s coach has been pleased by his progress this year.

“Joe had some great efforts, taking first in a tough triple jump field and getting a PR in the long jump,” said Ed Dillahay, Mapleton track coach. “Joe scratched on his last long jump but that would have been about a foot farther than his PR. Exciting progress.”

Other notable performances on the boys side include Viking junior Lucian Murphy’s PR and first-place finish in the 110m hurdles, his first ever varsity win in that event, and senior Chad Hughes’ first place PR 800m race, which he finished in 2:09.20a.

Both teams were successful on the girls side also.

Mapleton also only sent one girl athlete, junior Emily Neece.

This was only Neece’s second event of the year, but she performed like she’d been on the field all season.

Neece won the shot put (27’3.25). She also set a PR in the javelin, throwing it three feet farther than she ever had before (53’9).

Winner of the javelin was Siuslaw senior Hayden Muller. Muller was competing in her first event of the season, as she also plays for the Viking golf team. Muller set a PR and beat her next closest competitor by almost 13 feet when she threw the javelin 89’8. She was also second in the shot put with a PR throw of 25’5.25.

Siuslaw freshman Macali Lade won her first pole vault competition of the season with a 7’ vault, a personal record.

Sophomore Corduroy Holbrook won her first race of the season with a PR time of 5.28.79a.

Holbrook joined freshman Maya Wells and Makayla Bender and senior Rylee Colton to win the 4x400 relay (4.43.75a).

Colton also won the 800m in 2:28.81a.

Another highlight for the Siuslaw girls team was the throwing of sophomore Madison Carnahan. She PR’d in the javelin (59.7) and finished second in the discus with a 72’ throw.

Next up for the Viks is a trip to Philomath for their invitational on Thursday, April 14. Events start at noon.

Mapleton was at the Cinder Classic in Crow on Tuesday after press deadlines. They’ll travel to Reedsport for a meet on Friday, April 15. Field events begin at 4:30 p.m.

Results for both teams can be found at athletic.net.