Second week sees many a close race at the Kiwanis All-Comers Track Meet

By Kitsap News Group staff • July 26, 2019 9:20 am
Luciano Marano | Bainbridge Island Review - Dalton Pfeiffer, 3, and Addison Nuccio, 3, run neck and neck during an sprint event at Monday’s Kiwanis All-Comers Track Meet.
Luciano Marano | Bainbridge Island Review - Dalton Pfeiffer, 3, and Addison Nuccio, 3, run neck and neck during an sprint event at Monday’s Kiwanis All-Comers Track Meet.

Another huge crowd turned out to enjoy the second week of the Kiwanis All-Comers Track Meet Monday evening.

A big field of 41 runners reportedly competed in the opening event, the jogger’s mile, with times ranging widely from 5:40 to 13:11, as the fastest (Leci Larson) lapped many of his competitors.

The winners (that is those closest to their predicted time) were Liam Jurcak (+:02), Evan Saintclair (-:03) and James Connolly (-:04).

In the races that followed, Parker Clement stood out among a large group of 6-year-old boys, winning all four events he entered, though Gideon Hales was a close second each time, and finished the 200-meters in a near tie with Parker.

Speedy Cole Haizlip (age 10) also won four races, with times faster than the 11- and 12-year-old winners.

Other age groups featured close duels — between Owen Haizlip and Christopher Bourgeois (age 7), for example, and between Ben Wodnik and Garza Wooton (age 8).

Three of these boys battled it out in the first heat of the 400, with Garza (1:29) edging out Ben (1:30) and Owen (1:32), all with faster times than those in the heat of older boys.

Many of the girls races were even closer, said event organizer Paul Benton, with 10 actual ties recorded.

Ella Jo Bell squeezed out three firsts in a big field of 6-year-olds, but in the 100 she was only 00.1 of a second ahead of Amara Lum and Vivian Gray (who tied for second); and in the 200 Vivian tied Ella Jo, both in 45.3.

In the older girls heat of the 400, the first three places were within 00.2, with Elsa Wetzler (11) edging out Wini Deitrick (10) and Sadie Engelson (11), running 1:37.1 to their 1:37.2 and 1:37.3.

By contrast, perennially swift 10-year-old Darya Dennon returned to dominate four events, though Anora Morrow, Josie Knapp, and Amanda Herten were involved in multiple ties behind her.

Perhaps the meet’s outstanding performer, Benton said, was Elianna Rehder (age 7), who won the 60, the 100, and her heat of the 60-meter hurdles before running a blistering 1:36 in the 400 — fast enough to have beaten the three girls (all at least three years older) who nearly tied in the other heat.

Four more free Kiwanis All-Comers Track Meets remain this year, happening at 6:30 p.m. every Monday at Bainbridge High’s Memorial Stadium.

Attendees are encouraged to arrive by 6:15 p.m. to sign in, as parking is currently limited on the BHS campus due to construction at the 100 Building.