One era coming to a close, another beginning for Ten Sleep track

TEN SLEEP - After winning five regional titles last weekend, the Ten Sleep track team heads to the 1A State track and field meet, which begins today in Casper at Kelly Walsh High School.

This will also mark the final state track meet for Ten Sleep seniors Kinley Erickson and Kelli Holiday, and really the end of an era for Ten Sleep track.

Erickson and Holiday have been crucial in this current run by Ten Sleep track, Holiday has 10 state championship medals to her name.

"They've been the foundation for building a strong track team. The last three, four years we've had double-digit [participation] numbers and we have not had that for a really long time," said Ten Sleep track and field coach Desiree Egger. "Having success helps pull people in and for Ten Sleep they've been our most successful class.

"We've taken home a plaque the last three years, it's not that first-place trophy but Cokeville has the numbers on us. To have 18 individual state titles in three years is impressive. Kelli has had a huge part in that, she's worked hard and she's stayed humble. Kinley has been a big part of that too and had success at state."

Continued aEgger, "We've had others in the past like Allison Hampton win state titles for us. But it is kind of a bittersweet moment for this group; they brought Ten Sleep track along. People know who we are and know to look for out for us, and that started with the Allison Hamptons and McKayla Millers and continued with Kelli and Kinley."

Saturday is certainly going to be a bittersweet moment as Erickson and Holiday's TSHS athletic careers officially come to a close. They can be proud of not only their accomplishments but in that they leave the Ten Sleep track program in a better position than they found it. Their work ethic and the success that came, as a result, was infectious and it inspired their younger teammates like Boe Nichols, Elizabeth Lungren and Lindsey Holiday, to name a few, to keep the good times rolling for Ten Sleep.

So while one era comes to an end, another gets its start.

"I don't know if they realize that yet," said Egger talking about her underclassmen taking ownership of the program. "I think when they get on the podium this weekend and can feel that hardware in their hand that will be more of a realization for them. Even with Kelli and Kinley leaving, we have more to come. Those freshman boys are going to help out a lot and Boe too has been able to make some noise. They all work very hard and there's something to be said about their work ethic and the results that follow.

"Tim [Nichols] was our best performing freshman this year and he took a while to get going but then he finally had some success and it was like watch out Tim is here. Getting that taste of success is something they all need.

"The sprint medley team gave those boys a taste of that, they want to go and defend that. They broke our school record and set a regional record. The girls did the same thing setting a regional record and also set our school record in the sprint medley. It was cool to see that confidence take hold like that. It's a testament to what we've built here and I include [assistant coach] Brian [Holiday] on that because he's been with me for a while. We work well together and the kids respond to it."

Regional titles were won last weekend by Kelli Holiday in the 400, Lindsey Holiday in the 1,600, the girls sprint medley relay of the Holidays, Elizabeth Lungren and Molly Charney, Boe Nichols in the 400 and the boys sprint medley with Asher Lyman, Boe Nichols, Tim Nichols, Brian Shoopman.

Point scorers from Ten Sleep during the 1A West regional meet are as follows.

LADY PIONEERS

200-meter dash

7, Elizabeth Lungren, 29.88.

400-meter dash

1, Kelli Holiday, 1:02.54.

6, Molly Charney, 1:10.95.

1600-meter

1, Lindsey Holiday, 5:53.23.

300-meter hurdles

7, Elizabeth Lungren, 53.10.

4x100-meter relay

5, Ten Sleep (Elizabeth Lungren, Molly Charney, Payton Casteel, Kinley Erickson), 1:00.44.

Sprint medley relay

1, Ten Sleep (Elizabeth Lungren, Molly Charney, Kelli Holiday, Lindsey Holiday), 4:38.44. (School record)

High jump

7, Payton Casteel, 4-03.

Shot put

7, Kinley Erickson, 30-02.50.

Discus

5, Kinley Erickson, 86-04.

PIONEERS

100-meter dash

5, Tim Nichols, 12.08.

200-meter dash

2, Tim Nichols, 24.71.

400-meter dash

1, Boe Nichols, 53.35.

800-meter

3, Boe Nichols, 2:03.36.

Sprint medley relay

1, Ten Sleep (Asher Lyman, Boe Nichols, Tim Nichols, Brian Shoopman), 3:58.72. (School record, old time 3:59)