Wave track club shines in national meet

Fallon’s track club made a big statement this month.

The Wave Elite Track Club racked up 60 medals in the West Coast National Championships at Reno’s Bishop Manogue High School over the Fourth of July.

“It was pretty good,” coach Paul Orong said. “We were one of the smallest teams. You had teams coming from all over and they’re huge.”

The holiday weekend meet featured about 185 teams and Fallon’s group of 21 competitors placed eighth — the highest from the Silver State. Fallon also had individuals competing from Lowry, Dayton, Galena and Wooster.

Teams came from as close as the neighboring states and within Nevada to as far as Florida. The meet also included athletes outside of middle and high schools with the youngest category being 8-under.

For the high school girls, Whitney Skabelund won the 400-meter hurdles and took third in the long jump and 100 hurdles. Brynlee Shults won the javelin and medaled in the long jump but came one spot short in the 200 dash. Cassidy East was third in the high jump, fourth in the triple jump and fifth in the long jump. Elizabeth Ebner medaled in the 100 hurdles.

Stacy Bog, age 11, won the shot put and discus and took eighth in turbo javelin.

Also competing for Fallon, Lowry’s Kenadee Jepson won the high jump, and took third in the triple jump and sixth in the long jump. Dayton’s Ashley and Rebecca Mason medaled in the long, triple and high jumps, while Galena’s Hannah Smrt was second on both the triple and high jumps and seventh in the long. Wooster’s Maddison Lee took seventh in the triple jump and barely missed in the long.

Several barely missed the top eight to earn a medal. Emily Evett missed in the long jump and 200 as did Glenda Lee in the triple jump.

For the boys, Jordan Boothe took second in the pole vault, fourth in the 400 hurdles and fifth in the triple jump. Trevor East was second in the 400 hurdles, third in the triple jump and fifth in the long jump. Colton Peterson, Drake Copley, Clayton Steelmon and Broder Thurston won the 4x100 relay.

Peterson also took sixth in the 200, Steelmon won the high jump and Thurston placed seventh in the long jump and eighth in the 200. Bryan Duenas was second in the triple jump and third in the long jump. JR Demillo placed second in the triple jump and seventh in the 800, while John Kirkland was third in the high jump, fourth in the triple jump and sixth in the long jump.