Cougars Qualify for State Track Meet

Steven Davidson qualified for this week’s Class 5A state track meet in two events, and Colin Earle was a supplemental qualifier in the 3,200 Meters to lead a solid showing by the Ada track squad at last week’s regional meet at Mustang.

Davidson earned an automatic bid to the state meet with a runner-up finish in the 800 meters in a time of 2:04.41, and he was one of the fastest times for the non-automatic qualifiers from the four regional meets in the 1,600 Meters and will also compete in the state meet Friday and Saturday at Yukon High School at that distance.

Earle was fourth in the 3,200 Meters, and his time of 10:39.81 was also fast enough to earn him a berth at the state meet.

We knew going in that the distance races would be stacked,” Ada track coach Nathan Elliott said.  “Some of the best mile and two-milers were in our region. Just by placing, our kids proved that they belong with the best in 5A in their events. 

“We were very proud of the way our kids went and competed,” he added.  “They gave it everything they had, and you can’t ask for much more than that. Chase Bowker, and Shane West did a great job giving our young team leadership all year. Those two have made great contributions to the track team the last few years.  Our young guys are laying a great foundation for the future. We did not qualify as many for the state meet as we have in the past, but we felt like our team worked hard and got better each week.”

Although they didn’t qualify for state, Tryce Prince was fourth and Chase Bowker finished fifth in the 400 Meters, Giovanni Gutierrez was fifth in the 300 Meter Hurdles, and the mile relay quartet of Prince, Bowker, Earle and Shane West finished fifth.

Cougar Track Results

On the boys side, Colin Earle continued an outstanding season with a victory in the 3,200 Meters, and Steven Davidson placed in both the 800 and 1,600 Meters to lead Ada to a sixth-place finish at McGuinness.

Earle, who won the same event at the Carl Albert Invitational last Tuesday, posted a winning time of 10:22 at McGuinness that was his best of the spring, and he joined Chase Bowker, Tryce Prince and Ben Godwin on the 1,600-Meter Relay that finished fourth.  Davidson, coming off a victory in the 1,600 meters at the Carl Albert, was second in the same event and third in the 800 Meters at McGuinness.

The Cougars also got points from Bowker, who finished fifth in the 400 Meters, and from the sprint relay squad (Shane West, Tryce Prince, Godwin and Bowker), which finished fourth in :44.74.

“We are getting better each meet, and we like the way our guys go compete,” Ada boys coach Nathan Elliott said.  “Colin has posted his best times of the year in the 3,200 Meters at both meets (last) week.  Chase and Shane are doing a great job leading our team in practice and at the meets.”

Both Ada squads return to action at Thursday’s district meet at Duncan. The regional meet will be in Mustang on Saturday, May 5.

Ada’s Steven Davidson and Colin Earle swept the distance events on the boys side, and the Ada girls squad finished first or second in six events at Tuesday’s Carl Albert Invitational Track Meet.

Davidson won the 1,600 Meters in 4:46, and Earle captured the 3,200 meters for the Cougars, who also got a runner-up finish from Davidson in the 800 Meters with a time of 2:05.

Earl anchored the Ada 1,600-Meter Relay squad to a sixth-place finish, while Chase Bowker and Tryce Prince — who joined Earle and Shane West on the relay — were fifth and sixth, respectively, in the 400 Meters.

At Carl Albert Invitational

BOYS

Ada High Results

400m Dash: 5. Chase Bowker, 52.71; 6. Tryce Prince), 52.90

800m Run: 2. Steven Davidson, 2:05

1600m Run: 1. Steven Davidson, 4:46

3200m Run: 1. Colin Earle, 10:20

1600m Relay: 6. (Tryce Prince, Chase Bowker, Shane West, Colin Earle), 3:39

Even after Saturday’s Reirdon Relays at the Craig McBroom Football Complex, Ada track coach Nathan Elliott doesn’t expect to know a lot more about his youngest squad ever than he does heading into the first meet of the season for the bulk of his team.

“I’ve always looked at the early meets as just improving,” said Elliott, who is in his fifth season as head coach of the Cougars. “We go compete, but I’ve never been concerned about how many points we score early. A lot of it is just getting in shape and getting ready for the regional meet the first of May.

“I just stress to the kids to get better,” he added. “These early meets are like live practice.”

Elliott lost three of his team leaders — Nick Anderson (pole vault and long jump), Christian Johnson (third in Class 5A in the high jump) and Travis Cowan (who won a state champion in the 330 Meter Hurdles and anchored the Ada sprint relay team) — to graduation and returned only five members of his 2011 team this spring. Colin Earle and Steven Davidson will compete in distance events, Chase Bowker and Shane West return at the shorter distances, and Nathan Blakley — who won’t compete Saturday because of an injury — will run the 400 Meters and the Mile Relay.

In fact, nine of the 17 members of the team Elliott will field this weekend are freshmen. 

“As far as our overall team, we’re really young,” he said. “We graduated Nick, Christian and Travis last year. I only have five guys back, but we had some guys come out and I’ve got nine freshmen running with the high school team.

“The good thing is we have a lot of potentially good young kids,” Elliott said. “They work their tails off. They just need to get some experience.”

A key to his team’s success this season, Elliott said, is the leadership provided by his returnees.

“One thing I’ve noticed is our returning guys are doing a good job of bringing those younger guys along,” he said. “It’s a real hard-working group, and they’re really good kids. I think we’ll be competitive by the end of the year.”

Ada will be one of nine teams in the Reirdon field, and although no team point totals will be kept, Elliott said the Shawnee boys and girls will be among the top teams in action Saturday.

“Shawnee’s boys and girls teams are both good,” he noted. “I haven’t seen any of the other teams who will be there.”

In addition to the Cougars, the Reirdon field will include teams from Coalgate, Byng, Sulphur, Shawnee, Idabel, McAlester, Tishomingo and Atoka.

Coach Drake Daniels’ Ada girls squad won’t have the numbers of Elliott’s team, but the Lady Cougars have three seniors — Charisma Graham, Victoria Lotter and Jenna Huling — who are complemented by talented sophomores Aaliyah Blakley and Markeisha Black and freshmen Jayden Green, Olivia Wells, Rhyleigh Cooper and Addison Rhynes. 

Reirdon, who won track state championships at Ada High in the 1970s, is expected to be on hand for Saturday’s meet. The meet will also honor former Cougars and Lady Cougars who won state titles or set school records during their careers. 

The Ada Evening News

Ada — AHS senior tracksters Christian Johnson and Travis Cowan took on the all-classes Meet of Champions Tuesday evening at Moore High School.

Both placed third in their respective events behind only Class 6A competitors.

Cowan, who won Class 5A in the 300m high hurdles last week, traveled the distance for the last time in a high school meet in 38.87. Johnson, third at state in the high jump, went 6-4 again at the Meet of Champions.

“They represented their school and team very well all during their high school careers and again at the Meet of Champions. Whenever we needed a boost they reached down and got it,” head coach Nathan Elliott said.