By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Sports Editor
Two more records fell to Sitka High’s star freshman runner Clare Mullin at the Region V track and field meet in Ketchikan on Saturday.
She broke the old Sitka High record in the 800 meter race two weeks ago and this weekend she cracked the Region V record in the event by nearly a second. She crossed the finish line in 2:17.01, breaking Naomi Welling’s 2016 regional record of 2:17.95.
Overall, the Wolves men’s and women’s teams took first place in the regional meet.
Before the race, Mullin and coach Jeremy Strong discussed what was needed in setting a new record.
Sitka High School junior Silas Demmert runs in the combined Division I and Division II boys 3200-meter run on Friday during the first day of the two-day Region V track and field meet in Ketchikan. (Dustin Safranek/Ketchikan Daily News)
“I talked with her about a day before and kind of gave her an idea of what the splits needed to be. And I said, ‘You know, if we get around the track around a 1:08 and then just kind of see how we feel, we go for it.’ Because nobody was going to be near her,” Strong recalled on Monday. “She’s the fastest girl in the state. So she’s going to have to do this by herself. There’s nobody to push her. It’s not running with the boys who run it at 2:17 pretty regularly. She gave it a good effort and she felt likeshe had it. So she went after it and really just took the moment.”
Welling, a former Thunder Mountain High runner, was present at the meet to see her record fall.
Just as in the last regular season track meet of the season, Mullin swept the first place spots in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200 meter events. In the mile, she set a new Sitka High record in a blistering 5:18.12. In the 3,200 she took first in 11:40.06.
In all three distance events, Mullin clocked the fastest times in the meet by over 10 seconds – even when including Division I schools Juneau-Douglas and Thunder Mountain.
Strong was impressed with the young runner.
“She set a school record in the 1,600 as well and got Athlete of the Meet – also well deserved. She’s put in a lot of good work and, you know, hitting those marks and times is pretty impressive,” the coach said.
With the state track and field meet this weekend in Anchorage, Mullin will have one more chance this year to set new records.
“Depending how the week goes she could get the third one. We’ll find out next week for the 3,200. We’ll find out. It’s likely, if she feels well,” Strong said. Mullin was absent from Monday’s practice with a cold.
Her stellar running performance wasn’t the only Sitka standout in Ketchikan.
Running distance events on the boys side, junior Silas Demmert set a personal record and took first in the mile in 4:41.69. He did the same in the two-mile race, crossing the finish line in 10:12.75.
The mile race was a tight contest between Demmert and Haines runner Luke Davis.
“I wanted to go into it pretty confident. So I was basically trying to prepare myself for anything,” Demmert told the Sentinel. “The week leading up to regions, I wanted to hit my splits, go in as confidently as I could… I wasn’t necessarily expecting that from (Davis). But I can’t say I’m super surprised either. He muscles through everything.”
Demmert’s time was 9 seconds faster than his previous best.
“At first you’re just exhausted,” he said. “Your head’s pounding, you can’t breathe. After everything kind of settled, I went up to him. We talked about it… You’re just kind of grateful for it, for sure. You appreciate that you were able to put yourself through that.”
He’s already looking forward to the state competition and opportunity to race against northern runners.
“I’m just going to put my best effort out there. There’s nothing else I can really do. I’ve been training as hard as I can,” he said. “My coaches have been pushing me and just last weekend I was pushed to the limits, the threshold red lines… I’m going to try to prepare myself for anything.”
He’d like to push his mile time below 4:40 to close out the year.
It was Sitka senior Sergio Carlos’ last track meet in Southeast, and his first time competing in the 300 meter hurdles event, but he took third place in 47.73 and qualified for state.
Carlos said his teammates inspired him to try the event.
“It was my very first time… This year, it was all last minute. I really wanted to do hurdles at the beginning. But when I saw my fellow teammates like Dave Davis, Addie Poulson and Asa Dow do hurdles, I guess you could say that everyone inspired me to just do it and give it a shot.”
He only regretted not taking the leap into the event sooner.
“It felt somewhat unrealistic, but also very surprising. It’s just because it is my first time doing hurdles. But man, it’s a bummer that I didn’t do this in the beginning,” he said.
He’d like to set a new personal record at state to close out his high school sports career.
In the fall, Carlos plans to study medicine and physical therapy at Western Washington University.
“It’s sad that this is my last year to compete as a senior in high school. I really do want to run because I’m going to be attending Western Washington next year and I’m definitely going to try out for the team there,” he said. “I guess Southeast is just a very remarkable place to be doing track. I’m definitely going to miss it.”
Though she’s not a senior, the upcoming state meet will be sophomore Maitlin Young’s final time competing alongside the Sitka Wolves – her family is moving to Oregon.
“It’s kind of bittersweet. I’ve had an awesome time in Sitka. And I’ve really appreciated everything that supported me throughout my life, athletics and Sitka, but it was still fun to go out and compete with the team and enjoy the last few times I get to compete for Sitka High School,” she said.
In Ketchikan, she took first in the 400 meter race in 1:08 and third in the 200, at 30.12 seconds.
“It was just a fun meet. Everyone just performed well, it was a sunny, warm, gorgeous day to run and it felt good to be on a rubber track. And it was regions, so it was an exciting competition,” Young said.
Coach Strong highlighted a number of his athletes, many of whom qualified to compete again at state.
“Asa Dow had a good meet. Sergio Carlos had a good meet. They both did hurdles for the first time and they both qualified for state in the 300 meter hurdles… Dez Chong won the 100 meter dash… Felix Meyers and Angelo Elephante are doing triple jump at state. It’s just a wide mix of people kind of putting it together at the right time,” the coach said.
Full meet results are below.
Women’s Results
100 Meters
1. Deszerei Chong 14.17 PR Q
3. Jamison Dunn 14.44
7. Gwen White 15.19
200 Meters
2. Adelaide Poulson 29.29 Q
3. Maitlin Young 30.12 Q
4. Deszerei Chong 31.03
5. Hayla Trigg 31.08
400 Meters
1. Maitlin Young 1:08.12 Q
2. Marina Dill 1:09.80 Q
3. Jamison Dunn 1:14.90
800 Meters
1. Clare Mullin 2:17.01 PR Q
2. Anna Prussian 2:33.52 PR Q
4. Emma Gassman 2:39.15 PR Q
1600 Meters
1. Clare Mullin 5:18.12 PR Q
2. Anna Prussian 5:38.64 SR Q
4. 11 Emma Gassman 5:46.64 PR Q
3200 Meters
1 Clare Mullin 11:40.06 Q
2. Anna Prussian 12:09.13 Q
3. Emma Gassman 12:12.13 PR Q
100m Hurdles 33”
1. Adelaide Poulson 18.00 Q
300m Hurdles 30”
1. Adelaide Poulson 51.60 Q
4x100 Relay
1. Deszerei Chong, Jamison Dunn, Hayla Trigg, Gwen White
58.56 Q
4x200 Relay
2. Deszerei Chong, Hayla Trigg, Gwen White, Maitlin Young
2:03.40 Q
4x400 Relay
1. Adelaide Poulson, Maitlin Young, Anna Prussian, Clare Mullin
4:33.36 Q
4x800 Relay
1. Emma Gassman, Marina Dill, Hayla Trigg, Jessica Christner
11:36.33 Q
Shot Put 4kg
2. Ava Brady 27’ 8 PR Q
4. Elise Brady 26’ 3
7. Meriedi Morrison 23’ 2
Discus 1kg
1. Ava Brady 80’ 0 PR Q
3. Meriedi Morrison 71’ 5 PR
8. Elise Brady 59’ 0
9. Jessica Christner 56’ 1
High Jump
1. Ada Parker 4’ 2 Q
Long Jump
3. Jessica Christner 12’ 9.5 PR Q
4. Marina Dill 12’ 4.5
Men’s Results
100 Meters
2. Caleb Hutton 12.11 PR Q
4. Rex Adres 12.62
5. Tyler Adres 12.75
200 Meters
2. Dezi Olney-Miller 25.92 Q
3. Sergio Carlos 26.45
400 Meters
2. Dezi Olney-Miller 56:02.00
3. Dylan Crenna 57:10.00
800 Meters
1. Annan Weiland 2:07.07 Q
3. Hank Maxwell 2:14.28 Q
4. Trey Demmert 2:15.57 PR Q
5. James Helem 2:15.60 PR Q
1600 Meters
1. Silas Demmert 4:41.69 PR Q
4. Trey Demmert 4:51.41 PR Q
6. Hank Maxwell 5:00.91 PR
8. Connor Hitchcock 5:06.03 PR
9. Jeremia Fergueson 5:20.09
3200 Meters
1. Silas Demmert 10:12.75 PR Q
5. Connor Hitchcock 10:51.54 PR Q
7. Jeremia Fergueson 11:48.11
9. James Helem 12:23.15
110m Hurdles 39”
2. David Davis 19.36a PR Q
4. Asa Dow 20.33a PR Q
5. Rowan Olney-Miller 23.45a
300m Hurdles 36”
2. Asa Dow 47.41a PR Q
3. Sergio Carlos 47.73a PR Q
5. David Davis 50.58a
4x100 Relay
2. Tyler Adres, Rex Adres, Josh Antolin, Caleb Hutton
49.15 Q
4x200 Relay
1. Sergio Carlos, Angelo Elefante, Dylan Crenna, Dezi Olney-Miller
1:41.69a Q
4x400 Relay
2. Annan Weiland, Hank Maxwell, Dylan Crenna, Dezi Olney-Miller
3:46.58a Q
4x800 Relay
1. Annan Weiland, Dylan Crenna, Silas Demmert, James Helem
9:19.77a Q
Shot Put 12lb
2. Caleb Hutton 35’ 5.5 PR Q
3. Alex Johnson 32’ 9.5
5. Edward Richards 30’ 4.5 PR
7. Jack Mickelson 15’ 0.5
Discus 1.6kg
3. Caleb Hutton 88’ 10
5. Edward Richards 83’ 3 PR
6. Alex Johnson 79’ 0
High Jump
2. Asa Dow 5’ 6 PR Q
3. Hank Maxwell 5’ 4 PR Q
3.Trey Demmert 5’ 4 PR Q
Felix Myers NH
Rowan Olney-Miller NH
Long Jump
1. Annan Weiland 17’ 8 PR Q
2. Angelo Elefante 17’ 5.25 PR
4. Felix Myers 17’ 2.25 PR
7. Josh Antolin 16’ 7 PR
14. Jack Mickelson 9’ 1
Triple Jump
2. Felix Myers 36’ 10.5 PR Q
3. Angelo Elefante 36’ 9.25 PR Q
Josh Antolin ND
