Meyer a strong 2nd in 400

If you are a track fan, remember the name ValerieSue Meyer.

If her freshman year is any indication, you will be hearing Meyer’s name quite often in the next three years.

Meyer PR’d in the 400 meter with a 57.37 en route to a second-place finish at the NIAA State Track and Field Championships at the Jim Frank Track Complex at Carson High School.

Meyer wasn’t the only CHS performer to medal. Madison Preston uncorked a PR of 17-1 ½ in the long jump to finish fourth. Josilyn Daggs was sixth in the 100 hurdles and the Carson 3200 relay team of Eveline Delgado, Alex Drozdoff, Lauren Hudak and Jessie Balkwell finished in fifth place. Preston also competed in the long jump, finishing seventh at 4-feet 10-inches.

In the 400, Meyer was fifth at the 150-meter mark and was able to pick off three runners down the stretch to finish a comfortable second. It was her first head-to-head defeat of the season. Douglas’ Olivia Abbott finished third.

Meyer intimated that she was surprised a bit at the depth of the field, and that she hadn’t faced that type of competition all season.

“It was a rough race,” Meyer said. “I figured out how fast I was capable of going having somebody in front of you all the time.

“Next year we’re (Meyer and Abbott) are going 1-2. The winner was a senior. I definitely exceeded my expectations this year.”

Meyer said she’s aiming to get in the 55-second range next year.

Preston, who finished third a year ago in the long jump, was happy with her mark, yet disappointed with her placement.

She went 17-1 ½ and 17-0 ¾ on her first two jumps, both PRs. She was in a tough field with Tiana Bonds, Vashti Cunningham and Wooster’s Nala Payton. Cunningham, who won the high jump at 6-1, took the long jump on her last attempt with an effort of 18-10 1/4.

“I wasn’t reaching with my arms is what Aarik (Wilson, assistant coach) told me,” Preston said. “I was tired. I didn’t have much energy. The high jump didn’t take anything out of me. I was bummed by how I did in the high jump (4-10).”

Despite improving her time by .21, Daggs was sixth. It was a tough race evidenced by the fact that Bonds broke Gabby Williams’ stadium mark of 14.11 and meet mark of 14.96 with relative ease, clocking a 13.5. Bonds’ previous best was 13.62.

“I was a little bummed out that I got sixth,” Daggs said. “But the fact that I got this far after missing two years is pretty good.’’

Bonds won’t even be concentrating on the hurdles in college. She is going to do heptathlons.

“I went out hard which is what my coach has been talking about,” Bonds said. “This is one of the last times I’ll run this race, so it was nice to get a PR. It was a nice way to finish (my career).”

Besides Abbott’s third-place finish in the 400, Lindsey Adams of Douglas was third in the 1600 (5:02.35) and Morgan Weston was third in the discus (127-11). Jessa Gansberg was fifth in the long jump (16-9 1/4)

Division 2

Dayton’s Kaylee Turner repeated her second-place finish in the discus from last year in Las Vegas.

Turner started her series with a 98-foot throw and followed with a foul. Her best three throws were 112-11, 115-7 and 115-1. She had thrown over 120 feet in regionals.

“It was pretty good,” Turner said. “I was hoping for better (marks). I was across the ring too fast.”

Lettie Lynch was seventh in the 200 at 26.57, while Cheyanne Strong was seventh in the long jump at 14-5 1/4.

Division 4

Camille Cassidy (400) and Cali Benton (discus) won state titles for Sierra Lutheran. Cassidy was timed in 1:01.84 and Benton won with a mark of 101-feet.

For Virginia City, Jamie Poston won the long jump with a mark of 16-3. The 800 relay team of Kimberly Tlapa, Sydney Smith, Heather Redman and Poston clocked a 2:00.03.

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Division I state records were set by Bonds in the 100 hurdles, Cunningham in the high jump (6-1) and Ashlie Blake of Liberty in the discus (158-5). The marks of Bonds, Blake and Cunningham also were stadium records. Drea Austin of Foothill set a stadium record in the 200 (25.02) as did Tyler Rowlette (25.12). Centennial’s Sydney Badger bashed the stadium record in the 1600 by nearly 10 seconds with her 4:55.99. Centennial (1:40.66), Canyon Springs (1:42.66) and Damonte Ranch (1:43.79) all broke the stadium record in the 800 relay. Cunningham (18-10 1/4), Bonds (18-3 3/4) and Wooster’s Payton (18-1) all broke the stadium long jump mark.