CASPER – The Class 1A State Track and Field Championships were a record-breaking weekend for the Southeast Cyclones.
Three state records fell at the hands of Southeast athletes as both the boys’ and girls’ teams finished runner-up in the final team standings.
In the girls’ division, junior Shelby Ekwall won shot put at 41 feet, 8.75 inches setting a new Class 1A state record, as well as setting a new Southeast school record despite scratching on her final throw.
“I’ve put a lot of work into it this year,” Ekwall said. “It was my goal last year, but I went downhill the last part of the season. I knew this year, I wasn’t going to do that. I wanted to keep going up.”
She credited her coaches and her sister (Morgan) for helping her get to this point, and Ekwall has her eyes already set on a three-peat as a senior.
“It would be cool,” she said. “I was disappointed I didn’t get my freshman year, but I wouldn’t have won it because my sister was going to win that year. It would be cool to get a three-peat.”
Ekwall also will be shooting for the Best-of-the-Best award next year, which goes to the meet’s top thrower regardless of classification.
She beat out two other Lady Cyclones to pick up the win. Sophomore Harper Boche finished second at 37 feet, while junior Brenna Herring was eighth at 30-0.75.
Boche led a group of five Southeast discus throwers. She finished third at 103-4, while Herring was fourth at 100-1. Ekwall was sixth, while senior Bree Coxbill was eighth and sophomore Kodi Andersen was ninth.
The other two records came in the boys’ division.
The 4x100 relay team of Wyatt Campbell, Ryan Clapper, Grant Logsdon and Austin Short blazed a lap around the track in 43.35 seconds.
“This is what I’ve wanted,” Clapper said. “I got these two (pointing to Wyatt Campbell and Austin Short) to come out so we could do this. We did it.”
“I’m so proud of everyone here, Logsdon added. “It’s been fun.”
The chemistry between the four help make the goal of breaking the state record possible.
“We are a really good friend group. Ryan and Grant wanted me to come out for track so we could break a record,” Short said. “I’m not that fast, but why not?”
“We’ve had chemistry all the way through,” Campbell said. “They had a letdown last year, but this year we got it.”
All four said simultaneously the key to a fast relay was the handoffs.
“It’s all about laughter, having fun and good energy,” Logsdon added.
The relay record wasn’t the only record set by Clapper over the weekend. On Saturday, Clapper also set a new class record in the 200-meter dash in 21.79 seconds.
Clapper also won the 100-meter dash in 10.98 seconds and finished runner-up in the 400-meter dash in 50.19 seconds.
In all, the Southeast athletes won nine state titles on the day – six by the girls’ team and three by the boys.
Senior Jordan Stoddard capped off her high school career with four of the six.
Stoddard won the 100-meter dash in 12.85 seconds, the 200-meter dash in 26.43 seconds, high jump at 5-4 and long jump at 18-8.25.
Freshman Angie Logsdon picked up the other win in pole vault, clearing 9 feet. Logsdon also finished sixth in the triple jump at 31-5.5, while sophomore Tylar Stoddard was eighth at 30-9.
The Lady Cyclones placed in three of the four relays. The 4x100 team of Logsdon, Tylar Stoddard, Baylie Booth and Sasha Haines placed third in 54.92 seconds. They finished third in the 4x800 relay with team members Tylar Stoddard, Kylee Llewellyn, Booth and Logsdon, while the 4x400 team of Tylar Stoddard, Llewellyn, Grace Desmond and Haines finished fifth.
As a team, the Lady Cyclones finished second with 104 points. Saratoga won the team championship with 128 points. Lingle-Fort Laramie was third with 86.
In the boys’ division, the boys’ 4x400 team of Campbell, Wyatt Gladson, Logsdon and Short finished second in 3:35.66, while the sprint medley relay team of Matthew Chapman, Gladson, Cole Sauer and Kannon Tippetts placed fifth.
In field events, Logsdon finished second in pole vault at 11-6, while senior Kirk Kay was fifth at 10-6. Logsdon finished eighth in triple jump, while Short was 13th. Junior Dawson Mullock placed fourth in high jump at 5-8. Mullock also finished fourth in long jump at 19-8.5.
As a team, the Cyclones finished second with 83 points. Lingle-Fort Laramie won the team title with 129.5 points, while Upton was third with 76.
