Friday, March 29, 2024

Shiwi Ye’la:ha Invitational

Shiwi Ye’la:ha Invitational

Miyamura boys, Zuni girls take team titles

ZUNI, N.M.

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Navajo Times | Paul Natonabah
Miyamura’s Blake Walare edges a Zuni runner in the 100-meter dash at Zuni Track and Field Invitational on April 1.

here was nothing you could do about the weather at the Shiwi Ye’la:ha Invitational last Saturday.

The athletes had to battle the elements as light snow came down during the first four hours of the Zuni home meet.

Despite the conditions the Miyamura boys and the Zuni girls came away with the team titles with the Patriots dominating the nine-team field with 172.50 points, which was 104.5 points better than second place finisher Gallup.

Zuni, meanwhile, edged the Lady Patriots by a slim 1.5 points as the Lady T-Birds finished with 86.5 points.

“We had a full team so I expected us to do really well here,” Miyamura coach Peterson Chee said. “With this weather it’s hard to qualify in the throwing events. The shot put and disc are too slick.”

Chee added that with the unpleasant weather conditions, hand-held timing devices were used so the meet officials opted not to use the Shiwi Ye’la:ha Invitational as a state qualifying meet.
“We had a good week of practice so we’re going to see if we can get some qualified at our invite,” Chee said.

The Miyamura boys team won 14 of the 18 events including a pair of first place finishes by senior long distance runner Nicolas Jameson.

“Our team is looking real strong,” Jameson said.
As for his events, he won the 1600 in 4:44.84 and in the 3200 he recorded a time of 10:10.94.

“I feel way stronger than what I did in cross-country,” Jameson said. “I feel more confidant and I am basically I’m taking it step by step for each meet.

“I’m destroying my PRs from last season,” he added. “I’m improving each week.”

In addition to Jameson, the Patriots also had the following athletes win their respective event: Ernesto Giron (100), John Rutherford (200), Angelo Pawlowski (400), Ty McCray (800), Josiah Kruis (110 hurdles) and Aaron Alejo (long jump and triple jump).

Miyamura made it a clean sweep in all of the relay events.

“I think we’re right where we should be at,” Chee said, while noting that he has a handful of athletes getting close to meeting the state qualification marks.

On the girls’ side, the Lady T-Birds won three individual titles and two of the four relays en route to their team title.

Zuni had Tessa Killsontop (triple jump), Kylie Tsikewa (javelin) and Courtney Lementino (shot put) win their respective events while the relay team took the 4×200 and 4×400.

Miyamura also had five first place finishes. Sophomore Ariel Josafat took the 100-meter crown while Mariah Rutherford won gold in the 400 and Jessica Begay took home the discus title.


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About The Author

Quentin Jodie

Quentin Jodie is the Sports Editor for the Navajo Times. He started working for the Navajo Times in February 2010 and was promoted to the Sports Editor position at the end of summer in 2012. Previously, he wrote for the Gallup Independent. Reach him at qjodie@navajotimes.com

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