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Wednesday, May 26, 2021
AERIAL SKIER PARTICIPATES IN THE FFA ALUMNI CHAMPIONSHIP RODEO—U.S. Freestyle Aerial Ski
Team member and native Alabamian Dani Loeb participated in her first rodeo on April 30 and May 1. Loeb performed the clown bit both nights at the Wetumpka Future Farmers of America Alumni Championship Rodeo, acting as Annie Oakley’s last descendant the first night and doing a Duck Dynasty bit the second night. “It was an exciting weekend, and it was great to see all of my friends from home,” Loeb said. The proceeds went to Wetumpka High School’s FFA Chapter and the WHS agricultural department.
Sports EDITOR JON MENTZER: (208) 726-8060 sports@mtexpress.com
U.S. ALPINE SKI TEAM ANNOUNCES ADDITIONS TO 2021-22 STAFF—Following spring planning meetings, the U.S. Alpine Ski Team has announced key staffing changes for the 2021-22 season, which has already kicked off with initial prep period camps at official training sites at Squaw Valley and Mammoth Mountain Ski Area, Calif. The Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team posted their best collective result in years, grabbing 18 podiums and four victories across five athletes—led by two-time Olympic champion and six-time world champion Mikaela Shiffrin with three victories, and Olympian Ryan Cochran-Siegle with two podiums and his career-first World Cup victory.
Express photos by Jon Mentzer
The IHSAA 1A Boys Track and Field State Champions. Back row, from left, are coach James Morey, Chase Bennion, Hunter Smith, Ashton Sparrow, Sawyer Mecham, Berkeley Squires and Ashton Drage. Front row, from left, are coach Jan Morey, Cris Gamino, Dallan Parke, Connor Simpson, Ellis Jensen, Riley Morey, coach Lane Kirkland and coach Elizabeth Young.
Running like there’s no tomorrow The Carey boys track & field team are IHSAA 1A champions By JON MENTZER
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Express Staff Writer
omething about this Carey Panther senior class was meant for greatness. After a heartbreaking loss in football in the fall and coming up short in basketball during the winter, those lingering losses only fueled the fire, which gave this group of fine young men something to aim for in the spring. Regardless of how a championship came, the 2021 Carey High School boys track and field team held the Idaho High School Activities Association 1A State trophy high, proud and joyful. This also marked the first time in school history that the Carey boys team won the championship. Totaling up 96 points for the final meet of the season at Middleton High School last weekend, the Carey boys dominated with smiles and personalities that don’t come around very often. In all, the Panthers had four firstplaces, four second-places and three third-place finishes to finalize the 2021 season. The field events were held on Friday, May 21, and the running events concluded on Saturday, May 22. Raft River was the closest team with 59 points. As the final results ended, all that remained were the Panthers of Carey. “This means everything,” senior Ashton Sparrow said. “We didn’t get to compete last year so we knew we’d have to come out strong this year and just get it done.” Last season’s track and field season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Coming back this season, however, the Panthers were stronger than ever. The track and field championships were summed up when the Panthers pulled away from the pack during the 4x200-meter relay race, in which Sparrow and Hunter Smith—both seniors—felt a title coming their way. Sparrow and Smith sealed the victory with support from two sophomores, Cris Gamino and Riley Morey. In the end, the 4x200m relay race captured the season in a nutshell, as Carey won in a dramatic fashion with a time of 1 minute, 32.5 seconds.
Senior Sawyer Mecham running in the 800-meter run. “Right as the gun went off I kept my head down throughout the whole corner and got up and realized I was gaining and couldn’t slow down and kept going,” Sparrow said of the race. With a clean handoff to Smith, the Panthers were feeling great. “It felt pretty dang good right at the corner,” Smith said. “I got up tall on the straight away and focused on Cris. I got a really clean handoff with him and [Cris] took off. That’s usually right around where we start to gain.
That’s where we took the race. [Cris] took off and got ahead.” Gamino didn’t let up and pushed hard towards the handoff to Morey. “There are some really good competitors out there and I saw the two other runners around the corner,” Gamino said. “I had to catch them and get right into the lead. And as expected, I got faster right as I delivered the baton.” When Gamino delivered the baton to Morey, that’s when the race got interesting. “I was scared to death,” Morey exclaimed. “When I was coming around the corner, I clipped my hand and the baton went flying in the air and I had to grab it in the middle of the race. I was just so glad we got across the finish line.” With a near fumble, the Panthers scored important points to put the momentum with Carey. The relay was the first first-place of Saturday’s races for Carey, and broke open the day. Smith led the Panthers in scoring with 28.5 points through four events, including the 4x200m relay. He took first in the 300-meter hurdles (41.69 seconds), second in the 110m hurdles (16.30 personal record) and second in the high jump (5 feet, 10 inches). Senior Sawyer Mecham took 18 points through four events with one first-place and three third-place finishes. He took first in the 4x400m relay (3:31.42). That team also included senior Dallin Parke, Gamino and Morey. Mecham also took third in the 800m run (2:01.56) and third in the distance medley relay (3:48.17). The distance medley team also features sophomore Connor Simpson, Gamino and junior Chase Bennion. Morey finished with 17 total points through four events. Including the first place finish in the 4x200m relay, he also took second in the 200m run (23.27) and second in the 400m run (51.99). Sparrow finished with 14.5 points through three events. He took first in the high jump (6-02), first in the 4x200m relay and third in the 4x100m relay (45.91). The 4x100m relay team consists of Sparrow, Simpson, Gamino and sophomore Ellis Jensen. Another top scorer for Carey was Gamino (8.5 points) See CAREY BOYS TRACK, Page 24