Bulldogs place third at Burlington Invitational

The Lovell Bulldogs didn’t yet have a full team last Friday when they opened the track and field season at the Burlington Invitational, but they did have enough firepower for the Lovell boys to place third out of 13 teams, the girls fifth.

“A lot of people didn’t have enough practices and so forth,” head coach Joshua Sanders said. “The weather felt pretty good. You always have people who do good, which is encouraging to start the season. It was a bigger (Burlington) meet than normal.”

Powell won the boys division with 146 points, and Thermopolis placed second with 128.25 points, Lovell third with 101.75, Worland 88.25.

Coaches named senior Gavin Robertson as the male athlete of the week for his performance. Robertson won three events and prequalified for State in two.

“He’s an explosive kid, and he’s a dedicated track and field athlete,” Sanders said. “He’s our senior leader. We rely on him to model things to the younger athletes.”

Robertson won the 100-meter dash in 11.58, beating the Class 3A prequal time of 11.62.

“He really wanted to win that and sacrificed his body for it,” Sanders said, noting that Robertson fell at the finish line. “He scraped himself up pretty good. He just didn’t want to lose.”

Robertson also prequalified in the high jump, winning the event by clearing 6-2, a personal record, with 6 feet being the prequalification height.

“I was happy for his high jump,” Sanders said. “That’s a great height to clear. It’s an event we’ve tinkered with over the years, and if he keeps hitting six feet and above, it could be a really good event for him.

Robertson’s third winning event was the long jump, which he captured by hitting the sand at 20-4½, just a half inch off the qualification mark.

Fellow senior Taggart Shumway won the pole vault, matched his personal record and prequalified for State by clearing 12-6.

Sanders noted that assistant coach Colten Galambas has done a good job with the pole vaulters, as has Bob Weber with the high jumpers, and both attended the meet.

“It makes a difference,” he said. “I feel like our coaching staff is really good.”

Senior Talon Burton placed fourth in the pole vault, clearing 11 feet and tying his personal record.

Junior Halen Strom won both throwing events, taking the shot put with a throw of 48-7¾ (a PR) to qualify for State and the discus at 133-8, just short of the prequal mark.

“He’s throwing fantastic,” Sanders said. “His indoor season has given him some good confidence, and he has some big goals for himself. I’m really happy with how he’s been throwing lately.”

Matthew Newman easily won the triple jump and qualified for State with a leap of 44-4¾, which was also a personal record for the junior, who won the event at State in 2024.

“That’s an incredible mark,” Sanders said. “Anyone who watches him notices how fluid he is in the jump. He’s just a technically sound jumper.”

Newman also placed third in the long jump at 19-8½ and seventh in the 100-meter dash in a time of 11.75.

Among other notable performances, Sanders said, was freshman Hunter Krei placing sixth in the 100-meter dash in 11.74, which Sanders said is the second fastest freshman time in school history.

“We lost some sprinters to graduation, so he fills a void there,” Sanders noted.

Junior Jacob Thomas had a strong day, placing fourth in the 400-meter dash in a time of 54.66 and fifth in the 800 at 2:15.78.

“That’s a good beginning time (in the 400),” Sanders said. “He ran the 400 before the 800, so he was a little tired for the 800.”

Sanders noted the performance of senior Jarrett Allen in the triple jump as he placed eighth with a jump of 37-5¼.

“He’s been in the program since his freshman year, and his technique looked really good,” Sanders said. “He never complains, just goes out and does his thing, same with Stetson Asay.”

Asay placed 10th in the 1,600 meters, running a personal record time of 5:11.76.

“That’s a good time. I would love to see him break the five-minute barrier,” Sanders said.

Asay also placed seventh in the 3,200, running the eight laps in 11:51.38.

Other boys results in Burlington were:

100m dash – Jaxon Pluhar 10th, 12.03, Jacob Thomas 19th, 12.28, Brody Muller 31st, 12.79, Jett Hessenthaler 34th, 12.97, Jarrett Allen 43rd, 13.30, Karson Seitz 53rd, 13.79; high jump – Jaxon Pluhar tie sixth, 5-6; long jump – Jaxon Pluhar 24th, 16-2; shot put Brody Muller seventh, 39-5½, Tazz McArthur ninth, 39-1 (PR), Jace Pluhar tie 10th, 37-8, Matthew Allen 31st, 31-11, Sam Cordova 35th, 30-3; discus – McArthur fifth, 117-4 (PR), Jace Pluhar seventh, 111-1, Matthew Allen 24th, 83-9, Cordova 26th, 83-1.

Girls results

The female athlete of the week for the Lady Bulldogs is junior Becca Nichols, who placed second in the long jump with a leap of 16-4 to qualify for State, competing in the event for the first time.

“It’s an event she’d never done before in a meet. It’s important to explore and see what you’re good at,” Sanders said. “Just because you did something in middle school doesn’t mean you have to stick with it.”

Nichols also placed third in the 100-meter dash in 13.23.

Freshman Caylee Herman placed fifth in the 800 meters in a time of 2:45.99.

“Caylee ran a good 800-meter time,” Sanders noted. “I like our mid-distance group of girls. They have good focus. They run well together, and they’re willing to work hard.”

Herman joined Jenna Hessenthaler, Addie Weber and Kandace Asay to place third in the 3,200-meter relay in 11:15.16.

Junior Elana Schilthuis placed ninth in the 1,600 meters, covering the four laps in 6:29.

Asay placed fifth in the high jump, clearing 4-7.

“That’s a pretty good high jump,” Sanders said. “She didn’t do it last year. She’s got a competitive nature to her.”

Sophomore Brooklin Clark placed fifth in the long jump, hitting the sand at 15-1.

“She’s led the way in practice,” Sanders said. “It’s great as an experienced jumper to show the way for the younger ones. She wants to jump further and will jump further.”

Other girls results in Burlington were:

100m dash – Janelle Hessenthaler 13th, 13.93, Brooklin Clark 25th, 14.54, Jaycie Allen 30th, 15.18, Ava Edwards 35th, 15.61; 200m dash -- Kandace Asay 18th, 29.92; long jump – Edwards 17th, 13-8½, Janelle Hessenthaler 18th, 13-7; discus – Christina Zollman 20th, 72-2.

The Lovell girls placed fifth with 30 points, just behind Riverside with 30.5 points and just ahead of Burlington with 29. Worland won the girls division with 192 points.

Buffalo Saturday

The Lovell thinclads will travel to Buffalo Saturday for the Jerry Campbell Invitational. The meet begins at 10 a.m.

The L.A. Kohnke Invitational in Powell follows on Saturday, April 12.