Whittell's Natalie Daly competes in the high jump event at Saturday's track meet at the Community Youth Sports Complex. Jim Grant / Tahoe Daily Tribune
Steve Yingling,syingling@tahoedailytribune.com April 21, 2008 PrintEmail When the long-awaited home track meet finally arrived on Saturday morning, the participants didn't seem to mind that winds were gusting over 40 mph and that their times and marks were being skewed by the altitude of 6,200 feet.
South Tahoe High had waited 16 years for a home meet, and there was plenty of smiles to go around at the multimillion-dollar Community Youth Sports Complex.
"We've been waiting a long time for this day," said Austin Angell, a longtime South Tahoe Middle School cross country coach who was one of the many volunteers who helped put on the four-team meet.
The overriding theme for the day for the athletes was the opportunity to set meet and track records.
Mike Burns was one of those fortunate athletes on Saturday. The South Tahoe High junior edged teammate Chris Klug in a photo finish in the 100 meters. Their officials times were 11.87 and 11.93, respectively.
"We knew it was going to be close. I looked over and Klug was right there with me. I probably won by a foot," Burns said.
Klug said, "He can brag about it for years."
Burns, however, is somewhat concerned that his record won't last the track season.
"I just hope someone at the middle school doesn't take it," said Burns, who also won the 200 meters in 24.67.
Freshman Brady Hiob can lay claim to being the first high school distance to win the mile at the facility. Hiob used a strong kick on the final turn to win the mile in 5 minutes, 10.10 seconds - only 6 seconds off his personal-best time. He was in fourth place at one point during the final lap.
"To win the first mile in Tahoe, I think that's some bragging rights," Hiob said. "I was going pretty hard the whole race, and I got to the third corner and I felt I had to move."
Hiob also was second in the 3,200 (12:04.0) and third in the 800 (2:30.63).
Paul Waite of Whittell swept the boys' hurdle races, a feat he won't soon forget. He won the 110 hurdles in 17.38 and the 300 hurdles in 44.88.
"I know it won't be a lasting one, but it's down somewhere," Waite said. "This facility is great for practice and competitions. I think our team has improved greatly from both tracks (STMS and Douglas)."
Other double winners were STHS's Mac Cerceo, 400 (56.36) and 800 (2:23.55); Whittell's Hannah Daly, 200 (27.96) and shot put (36 feet, 8 inches); Incline's Tyler Bahneman, discus (86-4) and shot put (32-2.25); South Tahoe's Chelsea Madsen, pole vault (7-6) and long jump (13-11); and Whittell's Shannon Marshall, high jump (5-0) and 100 hurdles (18.08).
STHS freshman T.J. Zaccor was a surprise winner in the girls' mile. Zaccor kept up with her team's more highly acclaimed distance runners Kelsey Smith and Kate Lambdin for the first three laps, then kicked in front for the final 400 meters to win in 6:06.89.
"They had a race yesterday. They were my wind blockers," Zaccor said. "It was pretty cool to win."
Lambdin and Smith each set personal bests on Friday night at the Woody Wilson Invitational at UC Davis. Lambdin finished third in the 3,200 meters at 11:20, while Smith was fifth in the mile at 5:14.
"We were trying to help T.J. along by blocking the wind, so she would have a good race," Lambdin said.
Whittell's Natalie Daly set a PR in the girls' 400 meters with her winning time of 1:03:82.
"I don't know what the wind did to my time, if it helped or hindered it," she said. "I'm really happy to be here. It's fun because if you win, you get a track record."
Final team scores for the boys were South Tahoe 141, Whittell 46, Sierra Lutheran 29 and Incline 24. In the girls' meet, the Vikings were first with 113 points, followed by the Warriors with 79, Incline 24 and Sierra Lutheran 5.
Notes: South Tahoe Middle School will have home meets at the CYSC on May 8 and 15 ... STHS boys' coach Brett Long said the "amazing volunteers made our first home meet so special."
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