SHOSHONI – Big Piney High School tracksters pulled out all the stops at the Shoshoni Invitational on Friday, April 19, where twenty-one schools gathered for one of the largest meets in the region.

The Lady Punchers beat 19 other squads to place second as a team, posting 89 points. The Puncher boys secured seventh place with 39 points.

Junior Micah Strong garnered hardware in three girls’ events. Clocking the 400-meters in at 1 minute, 0.67 seconds, Strong captured gold in the event. The race for the top two spots came down to several hundredth of a second, with Strong pulling ahead of Lander’s Ellie Kaufman to win by 0.08 seconds.

Strong went on to clinch second place in the 800-meters, timing in at 2:33.27. The junior rounded out the meet with a fourth-place finish in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 18.83 seconds.

Junior Jolynn Jones snagged gold in the girls’ 1600-meters, timing in at 5:38.11. Jones battled Lander’s Ameya Eddy in a neck-and-neck race for the top spot that Jones won by 1.66 seconds.

Jones also placed eighth in the 400-meters, posting a time of 1:06.29.

The girls’ 4x800-meter team – sophomores Addalee Cunningham, Kaydence Guest and Kamia Runyan and senior Julia Hymas – scooped up first place with a time of 12:36.48.

“The Punchers had an amazing meet in Shoshoni,” head coach Jess Nugent said. “We had lots of competition as we competed against 21 other schools. We had huge PRs and some great performances. The results speak for themselves. Our kids are working hard and are right on track to achieve our goals this season.”

Top eight – girls

Timing the 1600-meters in at 5:54.09, junior Emma York earned third place in the event. York went on to garner fourth place in the 800-meters at 2:37.90.

Sophomore Lizzy Brandt captured fifth place in the 800-meters, posting a time of 2:40.77.

In throwing events, junior Charleigh Smith picked up third place in the shot put with a toss clearing 30 feet, 6 inches.

Hymas snagged bronze in the pole vault, hitting a mark of 8-00.

Sophomore Ahbreanna Nunn came in eighth place in the 100-meter hurdles, clocking in at 18.83 seconds.

Representing Big Piney in the 4x100-meter relay, sophomore Tilly Evans, sophomore Kodee Greene, junior Addison Losik and freshman Myka Wicks pulled into second place at 55.16 seconds.

The 4x400-meter relay team – Jones, Strong, York and Brandt – also crossed the finish line in second place, timing in at 4:36.25.

Freshman Jada Banks, Nunn, sophomore Clairee Bingham and freshman Reba Penfield placed eighth in the 1600-meter sprint medley relay at 5:31.30.

Top eight – girls

Two Punchers advanced to the top eight in the 200-meters. Junior Kelby Staley led the Big Piney pack with a fourth-place finish at 24.05 seconds. Senior Karsyn Gurr came in seventh place, clocking in at 24.36 seconds.

Staley also snagged hardware in the 300-meter hurdles, placing third at 42.98 seconds. 

Gurr snapped up sixth place in the 100-meters with a time of 11.80 seconds.

Freshman Zach Ferguson captured bronze in the high jump, hitting a mark of 5-06.

In the 110-meter hurdles, freshman Gerardo Galvan secured seventh place, timing in at 18.67 seconds.

Representing Big Piney in the pole vault, sophomore Nate Brown tied for seventh place with a mark of 9-00.

In throwing events, sophomore Zef Zuniga achieved sixth place, clearing 38-03 ½.

The 4x100-meter relay team – Caden Clifford, junior Dominic Sanchez, Gurr and Staley – pulled into third place with a time of 46.20 seconds.

Staley, junior Karsyn Busby, junior Ben Ferguson and freshman Zavier Clifford placed sixth in the 4x400-relay at 4:01.17.

In the 4x800-meter relay, freshman Cactus Chrisman, sophomore Judah Farrington, freshman Josh Scherbal and sophomore Scotty Ring placed eighth at 11:11.79.

Rounding out top-eight finishes, Galvan, Zavier Clifford, senior Jackie Meador and Ben Ferguson took eighth place in the 1600-sprint medley relay, timing in at 4:29.60.

Additional girls’ top 20

• Discus: Smith in 12th place at 79-07 ½.

• Long jump: Smith in 15th place at 12-00.

• 100-hurdles: Banks in 18th place at 20.43 seconds.

• 100-meters: Greene in 17th place at 14.07 seconds.

• 1600-meters: Hymas in 11th place at 6:42.74 and Runyan in 16th at 6:53.

• 400-meters: Brandt in ninth place at 1:06.62, Greene in 16th at 1:08.89 and Wicks in 17th at 1:09.34.

• 300-hurdles: Banks in 11th place at 54.82 seconds, Nunn in 15th at 57.80 and Bingham in 16th at 57.89.

• 200-meters: Wicks in 10th place at 28.78 seconds and Greene in 12th at 29.05.

Additional boys’ top 20

• 110-hurdles: Meador in ninth place at 18.76 seconds and Christian Dennis in 19th at 30.33.

• 100-meters: Caden Clifford in ninth place at 11.90 seconds and Sanchez in 20th at 12.32.

• 400-meters: Zach Ferguson in 14th place at 58.27 seconds and Zavier Clifford in 15th at 58.28.

• 300-hurdles: Galvan in 15th place at 49.06 seconds and Meador in 20th at 50.55.

• 800-meters: Ben Ferguson in 12th place at 2:21.40.

• 200-meters: Zavier Clifford in 15th place at 24.98 seconds and Caden Clifford in 20th at 25.20.