SCRIMMAGE IS FIRST STEP IN TRACK AND FIELD REBUILDING

The Dock track and field program knew that graduation losses of 23 total student-athletes would leave some big holes, and a scrimmage meet on March 21 gave the boys and girls teams their first chance to see how to fill them.
Among those that departed are school 300-meter hurdles record holder Clara Benner (now competing for Messiah College) from the girls side that was second in the Bicentennial Athletic League and District I championships last year, and the school’s second-best all time javelin thrower, Jonah Chavez, and pole vaulter, Cole Smeland from the boys team that won its fourth straight BAL title and repeated as district champs.
Plumstead Christian and Faith Christian visited Dock on Tuesday to explore options for this year. With so many Pioneers new to high school track and field, the meet was a chance to compete in a lower pressure environment while getting a taste of the pace of a meet, work at being ready for each event and sort out the transitions and responsibilities during the schedule. Even the timers and officials got a tune-up.
The girls return five major contributors from a year ago and they help to give the Pioneers a starting point in each major area. Ainsley Moyer is a top thrower, Bobby-Jo Dodds stars in hurdles, jumps and is a key relay member. Celeste Derstine, Liv Moyer and Sadie Bernd give Dock the top returning distance trio in the BAL. A sixth significant contributor, multi-event competitor Maddy Churches, is out for the season due to injury. A large freshman contingent and newcomer Ceara Barnes were able to start sorting out their roles Tuesday in their first high school meet.
Dodds was second in the high jump with a 4-feet-4 clearance. The returning senior was the lone competitor in the triple jump and was consistent with a best of 30-feet-10, just two inches shy of the district standard. New faces highlighted the long jump with freshman Sophia Veltre second among eight competitors with a jump of 14’2”, just eight inches off the district qualifying mark. Classmates Olivia Mozzone jumped 12’8¾” and Maddie Afanador reached 11’1”, while newcomer Ceara Barnes jumped 10’7½”.
In the girls throws, Ainsley Moyer had the top shot put of 26-feet-2, less than seven inches off the best she has ever thrown. Freshman Gretchen German was next best with 22’¼”. Moyer also had the top throw of 86’7” in the discus, well over the 80-feet standard for districts. It was the same order as shot in the javelin with Moyer throwing 87’3” and German hitting 60’7”. The district mark is 90-feet, and Moyer’s throw was barely three feet off her personal best. Veltre threw 51’8” in her second attempt.
The sprinters also showed promise on the track as well as chances to grow. Dodds, the top returning 300 hurdler in District 1, ran 50.19 in her top event. Veltre won the 100 meters in 14.46 seconds. The district qualifying time is 13.64 seconds. Barnes ran 14.69, and Mozzone posted a 16.00 time. Another second heat allowed Toni Phillips (16.58) and Afanador (16.79) a chance to get an early time. The Dock girls got the baton around the track in the 4x100 relay but exchanged it out of the zone, which would be a disqualification in an official meet.
Barnes highlighted the 400 with a win in 1:08.65. The district qualifying standards is 1:05.74. Phillips ran 1:28.90, then came back to run 36.25 seconds in the 200. The girls won the 4x400 relay in 4:55.06 with German, Bernd, Dodds and Liv Moyer. Barnes, Mozzone, Afanador and Phillips ran 5:33.08.
The distance running events had a more familiar feel with two of Dock’s top three girls competing Tuesday. Liv Moyer won the 1,600 meters in 6:03.4 with Bernd fighting through a side stitch to clock 6:17.96. Moyer was second in the 800 in 2:48.71 and Bernd was next in 2:56.21. Moyer and Bernd hit the finish line together in 14:19 in the 3,200 meters.
The boys team has a similar make-up with a few high-scoring veterans back to mix with a strong batch of freshmen. Hurdler/pole vaulter Micah Mast, hurdler/javelin Drew Bauman, and distance runner/high jumper Daniel Ringenberg as the top scorers back.
Ringenberg was the only boys high jumper to clear opening height and he finished with a 5’4” clearance despite already running the mile and 2-mile races. Five Pioneer freshmen gave the long jump a try. Jayden Waters was the top jumper with a best of 15’5”. Matthew Mast jumped 13’5” and Myles Johnson hit 12’7”. Josh Frederick was just behind at 12’5” and Roman Kurian leapt 12’1”.
In the throws, Luke Smeland, a returning sophomore, tried something new with the shot put and threw 28’8” in his season debut. Bauman had the top javelin throw of 108’10”. Micah Mast gave the javelin an attempt as well and the senior threw 75’6”. Smeland had his best throw on his final attempt, 70’3”.
Micah Mast was the top finisher in the 300 hurdles in 44.23 seconds. Bauman came in behind in 47.69, almost two seconds faster than his first race last season. Mast came back to win the 110-meter hurdles in 17.80 seconds while Bauman was runner-up in 18.65 seconds. Waters ran 12.66 for Dock’s top finisher in the boys 100. Smeland was one-hundredths of a second behind him. In the second heat, Alex Kostler ran 12.98 seconds, Roman Kurian clocked 13.17, Josh Frederick finished in 13.34 seconds and Myles Johnson ran 13.84. The 4x100 relay of Kurian, Frederick, Johnson and Waters ran 51.33. Kostler ran 59.62 to top the Dock contingent in the 400 meters. Ohm hit 1:04.79 and Matthew Mast ran 1:06.65. Smeland ran 26.88 seconds for the 200. In the final event, the Dock boys relay of Ringenberg (61), Bauman (58), Waters (59) and Micah Mast (56) ran 4:01.06. The relay of Johnson (66), Kurian (67), Ohm (66) and Frederick (68) ran 4:29.52.
Ringenberg dominated in the distance events. The senior ran 5:04.76 for the 1,600 meters. Newcomers Michael Pustay finished strong in 6:06.49 and Josh Ohm was right with him in 6:08.72. Pustay was the top finisher in the 800 in 2:55.80. Ringenberg came back to capture the 3,200 meters in 10:57.86. Last year, he ran 12:12 in his first 3,200 of the season.
The Pioneers will be spending the first several weeks of competitions ironing out where each athlete can excel best. The scrimmage gave them a solid starting point. Dock next will compete Monday in the Bristol Relays.