Compete at the Abel Velasquez Invitational, you'd best know how to throw.
Bayfield's Sam Westbrook definitely knew this, and placed first in the discus with a 125-foot, 5-inch best. It was more than 14 feet farther than the nearest challenger and helped the Wolverine boys cop the championship last Saturday in Ignacio at the meet's 2016 edition.
Heaving the shot 41'2", Westbrook took second in the AVI's other marquee attraction, trailing only 4A Montezuma-Cortez senior Victor Perez (43'1").
Sophomore hurdler Carl Heide also threatened to prevail in his two specialties, taking first in the 110-meter variety in 16.61 seconds, but settling for second in the 300 sort with a time of 43.19 (0.02 behind 2A Dolores' Tristan Medina). That left sprinter Brian Mashak, and the junior performed up to expectations by winning the 100 meters in a blazing 11.33 seconds, and also took the 200 but with no official time after a timekeeping mistake.
No matter; Mashak merely helped the 4x200 relay-joining Heide, freshman David Hawkins and junior Gus Roberts-lay down a first-place effort of 1:34.6.
Roberts then teamed with fellow juniors Ethan Tate, Jesse Westbrook and Josh Westbrook to win the 4x400 in 3:44.67, and Bayfield also captured the 4x800 title with junior Alex Knight, sophomore Sloan Mazur, senior Brandon Stuever and junior Cody Speece registering an 8:59.17.
The 4x100 (Mashak, Josh Westbrook, sophomore Jaden Vitagliano, Hawkins) took second, clocking 46.06.
And in another BHS forte, senior Cash Snooks won the pole vault by clearing the bar set 9'6" high. Teammates Chad Winkler and Colton Fine followed in the standings at 9'0" and 8'6", respectively. Heide took second in the high jump (5'5") with Snooks fourth (5'3"). Roberts ran fourth (54.96) in the 400 meters, and sophomore Dawson Heide was fourth (46.95) in the 300m hurdles.
Mazur took fourth in the 800, in 2:14.49, with Knight (2:17.59) not far behind in sixth. Overall, the team amassed 148.5 points,
Up next, the Wolverines will host the Pine River Invitational tomorrow inside Wolverine Country Stadium.
