MVHS rolled from regional champ to 3A state track and field champ

The team took back-to-back titles in 1990-91, 28 years ago.

By VIRGINIA GIORGIS Pioneer Editor vgiorgis@bridgervalleypioneer.com
Posted 5/24/19

MVHS track teams at state, boys took championship

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MVHS rolled from regional champ to 3A state track and field champ

The team took back-to-back titles in 1990-91, 28 years ago.

Posted

CASPER — Expectations were high across UCSD4, and expectations were proven right at the state track and field meet last week when the MVHS boys team took the championship hands down, with a 27-point margin over second place Buffalo.

Due to the team’s winning and event championships, both boys and girls, the team brought home 10 All State athletes.

“The boys performed like champions it seemed, if in one event we slipped, we would pick it up in the next,” head coach MVHS Joel Giorgis said Monday morning. “The boys team is solid we had kids qualify in every event. Some top places Connor Micheli, best-of-the-best in pole vault. 15'2". Briggin Bluemel won both 110 and 300 hurdles. Briggin scored 38 points for the team. He is the core of the team as a junior. Lots of other seconds and kids who placed.

“The girls team performed great as well. The main point I would like to say is, it is awesome how the boys and girls rally together to support each other and become a team,” Giorgis added.

In addition to their showing at state, Giorgis said MVHS has “…five kids were invited to the 44th Annual Great Southwest Track and Field Classic in June at Albuquerque, N.M. It’s a big honor.”

The five athletes are on the boys team and include Briggin Bluemel, Kimball Madsen, Ashton Schofield, Mason Ozuna and Connor Micheli.

This is the first time MV boys have won the championship since the team took back-to-back titles in 1990-91, 28 years ago.

Mountain View has excelled in athletics for a long time but the boys track team put it all together to win the 2019 state championship in Casper over the weekend. The Buffs accumulated 129 points for first while Buffalo was second with 102 and Powell was third with 98.

The weather for this year’s track season has been poor, and the state meet last week again proved to be trying. The meet was on a weekend of cold, blustery weather with some snow and rain in the mix. Saturday’s reported temperatures were in the low 40s and a steady rain that sometimes turned to snow.

All field events were completed on Friday because of the forecast for Saturday to help prevent injuries to the athletes. And pictures of the crowd in the stands, showed spectators huddled together with blankets and under umbrellas.

Pole vaulter Connor Michel, who is a freshman, looks like he is going to have things going his way for several years. He was back at the top in the vault, turning in a height of 15-02, which bested his seed by almost a foot. He vaulted almost two feet higher than that of second place by Brody Karhy of Powell. Micheli was followed in this event by teammates Dustin Smith in seventh place and Tanner Collins in eighth place.

Mountain View’s relay teams were hot. The 4x100 team – Schofield, Bluemel, Tanner Collins, Madsen – took first place out of 10 teams in this event, which included one team that didn’t qualify.

The Lady Buffs also placed well at the state meet by earning some championships.

They tied for seventh with Buffalo as each team pulled down 39 points. First place went to Douglas with 94.5 points and second to Powell with 85.

Three of Mountain View’s relay teams made it to the podium. The 4x400 team – Haylee Hereford, Lyndee Hereford, Kenzy Kellum, Jaynee Hunt – took first with a time of 4:16.36, besting their seed, and the time for second place by about 2.5 seconds.  

The 4x100 team – Taylor Bradshaw, Kelsey Giorgis, Haily Stephens, Katie Giorgis – took fourth with 53.73. First place in this event was taken by Powell with a time of 52.31.

In the triple jump, Haily Stephens took fifth place with a distance of 33-10.00, one inch shorter than her seed.