Eagles Land Record Breaking Season

FRENCHTOWN – The Seeley Lake Elementary (SLE) Eagles soared over the competition at the Meet of Champions (MOC) May 16. SLE Head Coach Brett Haines said SLE was chasing eight MOC records. They went home with four and broke five SLE records this season.

"This was my best season at Seeley Lake Elementary as a track coach so far," said Eagles Head Coach Brett Haines. "We had some great kids and our performances this year were outstanding, just above and beyond."

Eighth-grader Klaire Kovatch broke SLE's discus record April 20 in Alberton with a throw of 102 feet, 2 inches. She added more than six feet to her throw every meeting throwing her best 123 feet, 7 inches at the Copper League Qualifier May 11. Atheltic.net placed her second in the National for female eighth-graders as of May 18.

Haines said Kovatch struggled with the release at the MOC. She was in fourth place going into her last throw. She beat the MOC record by 16 feet for the eighth grade girls discus with a throw of 108 feet, 5 inches.

"It wasn't my PR (personal record) but it was still pretty cool because [Meet of Champion] records usually last a pretty long time because they are the best of the best," said Kovatch who attributed all the work on her technique for her success.

Right behind Kovatch at the MOC was teammate Emily Howard with a throw of 77 feet, 2.5 inches.

Kovatch also broke the school record in javelin earlier in the season bringing down Chloe Robbins' 2015 record of 71 feet, 6 inches. Kovatch threw her PR at the MOC taking second with a throw of 93 feet, 3 inches.

Haines said seventh-grader Sariah Maughan was another stand out this season. He said she ran well all season, "then at the Meet of Champions she turned it up even more."

Sariah started the season running a 1:05 400m. She beat the 1:03.9 SLE 400 meter record set by Becky Kyle in 1993 and set a new PR and MOC seventh grade record of 1:01.96.

Sariah said she thought the MOC record for the seventh grade girls 400m was 1:01. "I told myself I have to get a 60 flat. Then I looked at it and it was a 64. I ran a 65 at my first track meet, I've got this."

Sariah is still chasing her mother Lisa's high school 400m time of 59 seconds. "I think I'm going to beat it next year," Maughan said.

At the qualifying meet May 11, Sariah ran a PR of 2:27.02 breaking SLE's 800m record of 2:31 set by Caitlyn Stone in 2004. She set a new MOC record in the seventh grade girls 800m with a time of 2:27.96.

"Sariah didn't just beat those records, she annihilated them," said Haines. "She is such a smooth runner, I just love watching her run."

Seventh-grader Hannah Ayers was chasing the seventh grade 1600 meters MOC record. According to Haines she fell just a few seconds short in her mile time of 5:48.58. She placed second, 5.5 seconds behind first place.

Haines said his sixth grade boys are the biggest strength of the team overall taking first in seven events.

Sixth-grader Wyatt Stout took first in the 800 meters and 1600 meters just missing the MOC record for the 1600m with a time of 5:36.17.

Sixth-grader Owen Hoag earned first place in the 200m, 400m, 4X100m relay and 4X400m relay and took second in the 100m.

"He had just an incredible day," said Haines. "It is fun to watch him run because he's got that fire in him and if he's battling with someone he will beat them to the line."

Out of the six 4X400m relays, SLE walked away with four wins and a MOC record. Haines said they take pride in the 4X400 relays and "the kids performed awesome."

Sariah said the 4X400 is one of her favorite races because SLE always has fast 400 runners. She was really happy because the seventh-grade 4X400 relay beat Hellgate, who beat them last year for the sixth-grade MOC record.

Clara Tresser started the relay. She started with the relay team at the qualifier and said she was worried she did not have the speed that she needed. She put the team in second on the first leg.

Emily Maughan pulled the team into first on the second leg.

All Ayers needed to do was maintain the lead but said she could hear breathing behind her in the last 200.

"I didn't want to get beat on the corner because Emily worked so hard and passed three people. I kept sprinting whenever she got to my side and finally she gave up. Then Sariah brought it home," said Ayers.

"Clara gave us a big shot in the arm," said Haines. "I was so proud of her coming in and she did a great job."

The seventh grade girls 4X400 relay beat the SLE record of 4:33.22 set by Alex Bohlman, Stephanie Robbins, Mary Strumpfer and Paige Holmes in 2012 and the seventh grade girls 4X400 MOC record. They finished in 4:32.07 which is faster than the eighth grade MOC record set by SLE in 2012.

"Everything just seemed to click this year," said Ayers who was on the sixth grade team last year. "I think it was another year of maturity and working together more."

Haines said that the sixth grade girls Kyla Conley, Dani Sexton, Tru Good and Grace Mercado upset Frenchtown in the 4X400m relay taking first by one second. At an earlier meet, they lost to Frenchtown by more than 16 seconds.

SLE's eighth-grade girls 4X400m secured a first place with a time of 5:16.21. The team included Trista Mackie-Wendel, Bethany Hoag, Rose Mercer and Aspen Conley. Haines was happy to see their hard work pay off.

The sixth grade boys 4X400 team, Steeler Hanson, Sean Mercado, Stout and Owen Hoag, were the only boys 4X400m relay to place first finishing in 4:36.93. They beat the MOC record time at the qualifying meet but Haines felt because of the wind, they did not get it at the MOC.

"After Steeler Hanson came around no one touched us," said Haines. "We won that just walking away. Those boys just dominated."

The sixth grade boys 4X100 meter relay team including Klayton Kovatch, Owen Hoag, Cullen Bertsch and Sean Mercado came up less than 0.2 short of the MOC record. Haines said because of the electronic timing that they have now versus hand timing when the record was set, they were "realistically right at the record."

Haines said Kal Kovatch's work with the throwers was a huge reason for the throwers' success. They also pushed the runners harder than in the past and they were willing to put in the extra effort. Haines said running with the bigger schools and more competition in the Copper League helped push them.

6th Grade Boys

• Kase Anderson: 6th - 1600m, 6:09.65; 4th- Discus, 66-05.5

• Aiden Bayford (5th grade): 2nd – 1600m, 5:50.82

• Cullen Bertsch: 1st – 4X100m relay, 55.20; 5th – High Jump, 4-02

• Fisher Carpenter: 3rd – Discus, 69-03

• Ben Haley: 4th – 4X400m relay, 5:06.83

• Owen Hoag: 2nd – 100m, 13.82; 1st – 200m, 28.35; 1st – 400m, 1:04.74; 1st – 4X100m relay, 55.20; 1st – 4X400 relay, 4:36.93

• Steeler Hanson: 4th – 400m, 1:08.06; 1st – 4X400 relay, 4:36.93

• Klayton Kovatch: 1st – 4X100m relay, 55.20; 4th – 4X400m relay, 5:06.83; 2nd – Discus, 74-04; 3rd – Javelin, 79-11

• Sean Mercado: 1st – 4X100m relay, 55.20; 1st – 4X400 relay, 4:36.93; 4th – Javelin, 77-02

• Johnnie Stout: 4th – 4X400m relay, 5:06.83; 9th – Discus, 55-03

• Wyatt Stout: 1st – 800m, 2:32.99; 1st – 1600m, 5:36.17; 1st – 4X400 relay, 4:36.93

• Kaden Sunderland: 2nd – Shot Put, 26-00.75; 1st – Discus, 80-08

• Kaden Thornsberry: 4th – 800m, 2:46.93; 7th – 1600m, 6:11.81; 4th – 4X400m relay, 5:06.83

6th Grade Girls

• Trista Alexander: 2nd – 4X100m relay, 58.73

• Kyla Conley: 8th – 400m, 30.28; 2nd – 1600m, 6:26.55; 1st – 4X400m relay, 4:57.88

• Tru Good: 8th – 100m, 15.12; 2nd – 4X100m relay, 58.73; 1st – 4X400m relay, 4:57.88

• Emily Maughan: 2nd – 100m, 14.62; 3rd - 200m, 30.28; 2nd – 4X100m relay, 58.73; 1st – 4X400m relay, 4:32.07; 3rd – Long Jump, 12-07

• Grace Mercado: 1st – 4X400m relay, 4:57.88

• Dani Sexton: 2nd – 4X100m relay, 58.73; 1st – 4X400m relay, 4:57.88

7th Grade Boys

• Will Batchelder: 4th – 400m, 1:03.99; 5th – 4X400m relay, 4:20.67

• Chase Haines: 8th – 100m hurdles, 18:141; 5th – 4X400m relay, 4:20.67

• Logan McNalley: 5th – 400m, 1:04.41

• Sawyer Shelmerdine: 8th – 800m, 2:41.67; 4th – Javelin, 96-02

7th Grade Girls

• Hannah Ayers: 1st - 1600m, 6:06; 2nd – 800m, 2:44.29; 2nd – 1600m, 5:48.58; 6th – 4X100m, 57.95; 1st – 4X400m relay, 4:32.07

• Tara Cahoon: 6th – 100m, 15.63; 9th – 200m, 32.85; 6th – 4X100m, 57.95

• Trista Mackie-Wendel: 6th – 4X100m, 57.95; 1st – 4X400m relay, 5:16.21

• Sariah Maughan: 1st – 400m, 1:01.96; 1st – 800m, 2:27.96; 3rd – 100m Hurdles, 17:45; 6th – 4X100m, 57.95; 1st – 4X400m relay, 4:32.07

• Clara Tresser: 1st – 4X400m relay, 4:32.07

8th Grade Boys

• Stephen Jorgensen: 8th – 200m, 30.17; 5th – 4X400m relay, 4:20.67

• Owen Mercado: 2nd – 800m, 2:27.62

• Soren Moon: 3rd – 400m, 56.71; 5th – 4X400m relay, 4:20.67; 5th – Discus, 88-05

8th Grade Girls

• Aspen Conley (SVE): 5th – 200m, 30.28; 6th – 4X100m relay, 1:00.72; 1st – 4X400m relay, 5:16.21; 6th – Triple Jump, 26-05.5

• Bethany Hoag: 6th – 4X100m relay, 1:00.72; 1st – 4X400m relay, 5:16.21; 5th – High Jump, 4-04; 7th – Triple Jump, 26-05

• Emily Howard: 2nd – Discus, 77-2.5

• Amber Koepke: 6th – 4X100m relay, 1:00.72

• Klaire Kovatch: 1st – Discus, 108-5; 2nd – Javelin, 93-03

• Rose Mercer (SVE): 7th – 100m Hurdles, 19.28; 6th – 4X100m relay, 1:00.72; 1st – 4X400m relay, 5:16.21; 3rd – Triple Jump, 28-00.5

• Lexi Sunderland: 6th – 1600m, 8:19.22

 

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