Boys, girls performed great at state, Henslee takes home hardware
(Photo courtesy of Maureen Blackmore) Charle Henslee 3A State 1600m Champ with sixth place Connor Alexander
(Photo courtesy of Maureen Blacmore) Asha Abubakari 3rd Place Shot put 3A State
(Photo courtesy of Maureen Blackmore) Boys 4x200m Relay taking second place 3A State
(Photo courtesy of Maureen Blackmore) Boys 4 x 200m with Hayden Stockton in the final leg of the relay 3A State taking second place
(Photo courtesy of Maureen Blackmore) Girls 4x400m Relay 3A State taking second Place
(Photo Courtesy of Maureen Blackmore) Girls 4x400m with Madi McIntyre running the third leg at 3A State competition and taking second Place.
Charles Henslee takes first place for the 1600-meter run at the 3A state championships, bringing back some hardware for the Badgers.
According to head coach Travis Hinthorn, Henslee ran a near flawless race in the 1600-meters to overtake Owen Rogers of Gooding high school in the final 100 meters — Rogers, a senior, won the 3200 race a day earlier.
Henslee was boxed in and spent a lot of his energy weaving around a crowded track, trying to pass the competition on the inside.
“He is usually not behind in all his races up here in the north,” Hinthorn said, “Paul Bonnell and Jason Trujillo, our distance coaches talked to him about getting out with the front of the pack and he did just that.”
Still, just a sophomore, Henslee learned a lot from that 800 and ran an intelligent 1600 by staying in the open with the front pack and letting the other runner lead until the end.
The boys and girls 4x400 teams placed second at state with exciting finishes. Mia Blackmore, Camille Ussher and Madi McIntyre got the baton to anchor Emma Pinkerton in second place; Pinkerton fought off a late surge by the McCall-Donnelly team in the last 30 meters.
In the boys relay, Daniel Walker, Ian Beazer and Willy Wall got the baton to anchor Hayden Stockton in second place. Stockton and Sugar-Salem battled down the final straight, both teams passed Buhl in the last 10 meters, but Sugar-Salem came away with the win, beating the Badgers by .08 seconds.
The same group of boys also placed second in the 4X200.
"It was a bit intense that the team was close to a trophy, but Friday did not go well for the boys team," Hinthorn said. "But the energy was running high with Henslee placing."
“With Charles winning the 1600 and then those two [boys and girls] 4x400 teams getting second in those exciting races, it ended on a real high for us,” Hinthorn said.
Stockton also placed fifth in the 400-meters and eighth in the 200-meters. The boys medley relay team of Beazer, Walker, Wall and Henslee placed fourth. Henslee also placed sixth in the 800.
The top four teams received a trophy; Badger boys took 5th place, just short of fourth place by three points, while the girls placed sixth.
Conner Alexander got on the podium by placing 6th in the 1600 relay, and Daniel Zech got a two-foot personal best in the pole vault to place eighth.
Rounding out the scoring for the Badger boys was the 4x100 meter team of Josh Pinkerton, Eli Richards, Tully Reinhardt and Noah Walker placing eighth.
Freshman Asha Abubakari placed third in the shot put. Pinkerton placed fourth in the 400 and teamed up with Sierra Petesch, McIntyre and Ussher to sixth place in the medley relay; Ussher also placed sixth in the 800, with teammate Chloe Kupper placing seventh.
Holly Ansley placed fifth in the long jump and eighth in the triple jump. Markynn Pluid placed seventh in the high jump and Morgan Burt placed fifth in the pole vault.
Marianne Pinkerton placed eighth, Pinkerton joined teammates Petesch, Morgan Swanson and Jenna Brooks in the 4x100 placing seventh.
Hinthorn stated that it was an excellent year for the boys and girls Badgers; after a previous spring season being canceled, the student-athletes were diligent and focused.
“These kids had a lot of success this year because of their commitment and hard work, they are great athletes, but even better people!” Hinthorn said, “They did a great job of representing themselves, their team, their school and their community on and off the track all year long.”
Additionally, Hinthorn stated his appreciation for all the seniors but is incredibly proud of their success and looks forward to seeing what they accomplish in the future.
