Bruin girls finish second at Al McKee Invite

Coach Jim Anderson welcomed back the majority of his roster for the first time this spring – or, more apt, perhaps, this extended winter. “We are still working on getting athletes in the events that really suit their strengths,” Anderson said early last week. “We are working through some early season injuries, although none of the injuries are major.

“The cooler weather has challenged us to get kids up to speed without causing injuries. … Hopefully the snow will melt.”

It did and the temperature rose, along with the performance level of the Bruins. The four individual wins came from Polkinghorns. Senior Hannah returned from limited competition because of sore hamstring to win the sprints, and her sophomore sister, Jessica, won the shot put and discus. Hannah also ran legs on the winning relays, while Jessica finished second in the javelin with a personal-best 106-foot, 5-inch throw. Her shot put (34-0.5) and discus (97-1.5) marks also were PRs.

Hannah’s 200 time Friday of 26.46 seconds is the second-best mark in Class 1A this spring. The Bruins’ winning short relay time of 52.83 is the No. 2 relay time; and the 4x100 clocking of 4:24.0 is second in that event statewide. Running the short relay were Polkinghorn, Chanele Reyes, Piper Hicks and Sequoia Cohen. On the long relay were Polkinghorn, Reyes, Ella Zimmerman and Hicks.

Reyes was busy as usual at the Al McKee Invite. She was second in both hurdle races in season bests: 17.74 in the 100-meter highs and 49.83 in the 300 lows. Zimmerman was right behind her teammate in the longer race in 51.33 and was fifth in the highs in 18.51.

Hicks added one of 11 personal records for the Bruin girls with her 13.87 fourth-place 100 finish. Cohen was sixth in the 400 at 68.01 (PR); Siena Clayton PR’d in the discus at 72-11.5; and frosh high jumpers Helen Hoskins and Amya Shaw had personal bests of 4-6 and 4-4 in the high jump. Hoskins added a PR in the long jump and Shaw a PR in the triple jump.

The Columbia boys did not win any events, but the Bruins did have 11 personal bests including those by junior hurdlers Calvin Andrews and Camden Uffelman. Andrews was third in a PR 18.7 and Uffelman fourth in 19.15. Uffelman also was second in the 3200, which was the top finish for the Bruin boys.

Sprinters Ryan Howard and Jace Greenwood are rounding their ways into shape. Howard scratched out of the 100 to focus on the 400 and 200. The result was two season bests efforts: 56.99 in the 400 and 24.78 in the 200 – both good enough for fourth place. Greenwood was third in the 100 with a personal-best 12.09 clocking, helping Columbia to sixth place with 49 points.

Frosh Noah Slayton was fourth in the 800 in a personal-best 2:20.16. The Bruin boys 4x100 relay of Dominic Davidson, Benjamin Allen, Petey Schlegel and Greenwood was third in 46.1.

Columbia continues its Trico League meet schedule Wednesday at La Center and then hosts the Bruin Invite on Friday evening.