Shorthanded Ten Sleep track team powering along

TEN SLEEP - The Ten Sleep track and field team has not been at full strength in their past few outings. Nonetheless, the Pioneers and Lady Pioneers have not let that become an excuse during competition.

"It'll be nice when we get our full team back. Our kids run a little bit differently when we take a smaller group. I think they feed off each other and it's hard when we're missing half our team," said Ten Sleep track and field coach Desiree Egger.

At Ten Sleep's recent meet in Riverton on Thursday, Lady Pioneer Bryley Moore and Pioneer Boe Nichols both just missed out prequalifying for the 1A State meet in Casper on May 17-19, Moore in the long jump and Nichols for the 400-meter race.

Egger said, "Bryley's right on the edge, she's at 14-5, but we need her to get 14-9. She got the impression that she had qualified and she was all excited, but the results didn't say that. Still, we had a good showing and we head to Lovell Saturday.

"Boe we were so hopefully he was going to prequalify in the 400 but he just missed it. He ran well in both the 400 and 200. Overall, it was a really good meet in Riverton and it was good for the kids to go to a state qualifying meet."

The 1A West regional meet in Lander is quickly approaching for Ten Sleep and Egger has noticed some of her athletes have been frustrated because the weather has not allowed for them to work on their events.

"It's hard because our weather has been so bad and they're feeling that strain. Sometimes that's how track is, you can't get outside to practice, your meets get canceled and you don't feel like you're getting enough throwing and jumping opportunities.

"Especially for those kids that are runners technically, this is a stressful part of the year. We're not equipped to throw or jump indoors. What keeps us going is that we have had some many kids prequalify and knowing that the weather is taking a turn for the better. There's no time like the present and we're at the now or never point in the season," said Egger.

The Wyoming Classic is next week and as it sits now junior Kelli Holiday has her choice to run in the 100, 200, 400, 800 and 1,600. Holiday was also invited to run in the Mount Sac track and field meet today in Torrance, Calif.

Egger talked about what drives Holiday and how she and her father, assistant TSHS track and field coach Brain Holiday, like to crunch numbers.

"She's invited to Mount Sac which is a track meet in California and her and her dad will be there Saturday. But as far as Kelli goes, she's self-motivated. She and her dad look at a lot of stats and know where they should be, what she should run and who those other runners are. That's their thing and she enjoys that, she knows where she sits and is realistic about it. A lot of that is because of diligence on Brian's part by looking at other runners' times and knowing their splits. He puts a lot of work into it.

With State FFA this week Ten Sleep will still be shorthanded when they go to Lovell today but the goal will remain the same, keep improving and add more prequalifies.

"We're going to try and get Boe and Bryley prequalified. We'd also like to get Anna Watson some more experience. She hasn't done track since she was a seventh-grader. The more touches she can get, the more competition and the more she can watch others the better she will be. Just like anything the more you're around it and doing it the better you'll be," said Egger.

Results from the Riverton Twilight meet on Thursday are as follows.

GIRLS

100-meter

5, Kelli Holiday, 13.37

400-meter

1, Kelli Holiday, 1:01.08.

800-meter

2, Lindsey Holiday, 2:38.32.

1600-meter

2, Lindsey Holiday, 5:53.28.

Long Jump

4, Bryley Moore, 14-5.75.

Triple Jump

2, Kelli Holiday, 32-4.5.

BOYS

200-meter

3, Boe Nichols, 24.36.

400-meter

2, Boe Nichols, 54.16.