Mac athletes wrap up regular season

Rachel Thompson/News-Register##Brooklyn Johnston winds up for a discuss throw during the Grizzlies’ April 29 home dual meet against Century. Johnston and teammate Ruby Riddle each set new personal bests in the event that day. Johnston will enter the Pacific Conference Districts Meet with the second best throw this season in conference in both the discuss and the javelin.

McMinnville track and field hosted a four-team conference meet Thursday that provided some possibly previews to the Pacific Conference Districts meet next week, May 21 and 23, at George Fox University.

In the girls 100-meter, McMinnville freshman Mayeli Wilson ran a personal best time of 12.63, but lost by a hair – a hundredth of a second – to Sherwood junior Addison Cutsforth. In third was Maddie Berger of Liberty at 12.82; Berger holds the second fastest time in the conference with a 12.61 time in last month.

Wilson also posted a new best in the 200, 26.04, the fourth fastest in conference this year, taking third behind Berger (26.01) and Harriet Roberts (25.73) of Liberty.

The boys 100-meter also set new season marks for the league, with the top three fastest times being turned in, including McMinnville’s Kason Elkins personal best mark of 11.06 in third place.

Like Wilson, Elkins made it a double PR day, running the 200 in 22.43 and finishing third behind Sherwood teammates Andrew Waletich (22.20) and Eilson Medina (22.27).

The girls 100-meter hurdles races resulted in four of the top five times in conference this season, with Mac’s Tayah Curry (15.61) and Alison Jensen (16.16) finishing second and third, respectively, behind Liberty’s Kaliyah Chronister (15.48). The Grizzly teammates flipped positions at the end of the 300-meter hurdles, as Jensen posted a PR time of 48.21 for second behind Chronister. Jensen also set a new best mark in the long jump at 16-11.

In field events, Ruby Riddle topped her best mark in the shot put, eclipsing the 34-foot mark (34-1 ½) and will enter Districts having thrown at least a foot further than anyone else in conference this season.

In distance races, Gustav Blank set a new mark in 800-meter of 1:55.54 — both his fastest time, and the fastest by anyone in conference this season.