Seven individuals and five relays from Mingus Union High School’s track and field team qualified for the Arizona Interscholastic Association Division III state championships, and a few are in contention to win individual state titles.
Not only are seasoned veterans going to the final competition of the season, slated for Friday and Saturday, May 4 and 5, at Mesa Community College. A handful of the younger Marauders will make the trip south to the Valley, as well.
“I’m most excited to see what the kids do. They worked so hard all season,” first-year Marauders head coach Molly Westcott said. “A few of the younger kids are going this year. We get to give them an opportunity to experience state and everything that comes with it, so it’s always nice to get them in there.”
One of them is freshman Natalee Rogers, who is ranked eighth in the 200-meter dash and 11th in the 100-meter dash. Mingus junior Meg Babcock and senior Hannah DeVore are not running on the 4 x 800-meter relay team, allowing others to go.
Babcock, runner-up in the 800-meter run in 2017, is ranked first this year with a 2:17.70. That time is eighth-best of all Arizona high school runners. She is second in the 400-meter dash.
DeVore had qualifying times in four individual events, but will stick with her specialty in the hurdles. She is first in both the 100- and 300-meter hurdles. Last year, she finished fifth in the 100 hurdles and failed to reach the finals in the 300 hurdles.
Babcock and DeVore will be with the 4 x 400-meter relay team, which is seeded fifth. The 4 x 800 team is 13th.
Four boys qualified for individual events. Junior Kendrew Streck carries the top shot put distance [53-11], which is also fourth-best in Arizona, and is third in the discus [131-04]. Senior Jonathan Jung qualified 17th in the triple jump and high jump. Sophomore Andrew Peterson is 27th in the high jump.
Junior Dallin Gordon is 20th in the 800 meters. The boys 4 x 800 relay was one spot out of qualification, but moved up into the 18th and final spot.
If the teachers’ strike were to continue until the meet, Westcott, a teacher at the school, said she would be allowed to coach the team.
