TRUCKEE, Calif. — With wind-chill temperatures dipping into the ‘30s at Carson High School this past weekend at the NIAA Track & Field State Championships, it felt more like early March than late May.

Truckee High School’s squads felt right at home.

The girls team took home their first ever state championship in school history, winning by a commanding margin of more than 20 points against perennial rival Spring Creek, 110.5 to 90, and leaving their southern competitors shivering, with Cheyenne in 3rd (79), three-time D1A defending champions Faith Lutheran in 4th (77) and Sierra Vista in 5th (51).

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Meanwhile, the boys team had their strongest and highest place finish in recent history, placing 13th in a field of 23 teams, with 26 points. Desert Pines won the championship with a score of 85.

Head Coach Diana Yale was overwhelmed by her teams’ performances.

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“It’s extraordinary to win Truckee High School’s first ever Track and Field state championship title,” Yale said. “To accomplish that without the new track facility to train on is even more impressive. Training in adverse conditions keeps our athletes tough mentally. They have guts and grit, and showed what they are made of this weekend.

“We’ve said all along — anything is possible, anything can happen — and they proved that.”

GIRLS RESULTS

The Wolverines were led by Brenna Wapstra-Scott, who garnered two individual state championships in the 800-meter run (2 minutes, 18.64 seconds) and 1,600-meter run (5:26.99) and placed 3rd in the 400-meter dash (59.09), a new PR.

She also anchored the winning 4×400-meter relay team by overtaking 2nd place Cheyenne at the wire, with a season-best time of 4:08.55. Cheyenne clocked in at 4:09.63.

Joining Wapstra-Scott in the victorious 4×400 were Claire Lang-Ree, Olivia Yale and Sophie Curtis. Truckee also won the 4×800-meter relay championship with another season-best time of 9:42.37. Rival Spring Creek finished 2nd in 9:46.34. Lang-Ree anchored the team, joined by Syra Fillat, Abby Baier and Carrie Bradley.

In addition to her gutsy relay performances, Lang-Ree also shined in her individual events, finishing 2nd in the 800 with a new PR (2:20.95) and 5th in the 1,600 (5:32.30).

Pole vault specialist Chloe Wall showed her grit and versatility by doing triple duty on the track. Not only did she place 2nd in her primary event, with a vault of 10 feet, 9 inches, she finished 8th in the 200-meter dash (27.58), and ran the anchor leg in both the 4×100 and 4×200 relays.

Both the 4×100 and 4×200 relay teams finished impressively in 5th place, in fields of strong sprinters from the southern region. In the 4×200, the Wolverines had the top finish among northern region teams. Joining Wall in the 4×100 were Curtis, Ava Seelenfreund, and Zoe Brunings, and in the 4×200, it was Curtis, Olivia Koster, Olivia Yale.

Freshman phenom Ava Seelenfreund, who individually qualified in the three sprint events and ran the fastest leg in the 4×100, finished 4th in the 400 (59.09), a new PR, and 6th in both the 100-meter dash (13.34) and 200 (27.43). She holds the THS all-time freshman records in both the 200 and 400 distances.

Multi-event specialist Heather Pendleton joined her teammates in the individual 400, finishing 6th (62.65), and then went directly over to the high jump competition where she tied for 5th place (4-10). Earlier in the meet, she finished 6th in the long jump (15-5.5).

In hurdles competition, sophomore Olivia Koster individually qualified in both the 100 and 300 distances. She was joined by her senior teammates Lindsay Steinmaus in the 100 and Nicole Rathbun in the 300. In the 100, Koster finished in 6th (17.36) and Steinmaus in 7th (18.44). In the 300, Koster finished in 7th (49.71) and Rathbun in 8th (51.85).

Showing Truckee new-found depth in field events were Hayley Thomas’ 5th place finish in the triple jump (34-4.25) and Marlena Montano’s 6th place showing in the Discus (92-4).

BOYS RESULTS

On the boys side, Zack Barta led with his twin 4th place finishes in the 1,600 (4:36.35) and the 3,200 (10:14.17). Colin Deurlington placed 5th in the 400 (51.83) and 8th in the 300 hurdles (42.47).

Deurlington also anchored the 4×800 team who placed 3rd in 8:26.23. Joining him were Hudson Verbeck, Ryan Murphy and Zach Williams.

The 4×400 team of Deurlington, Williams, Murphy and Teliz Manahan finished in 8th place with a time of 3:32.23.

On the field, Manahan placed 6th in the Long Jump (20-6.75) and Zach Smith finished 8th in the triple jump (37-4.75).

“I’m proud of the boys team scoring the most ever state points and having the strongest and highest place finish in recent history,” explained Coach Yale. “All the boys put their heart and soul into each of their performances, and we are hoping to continue to grow the boys’ team in the future.”

Indeed, the future looks bright for the Wolverines. Less than 20 percent of the individual qualifiers will be graduating next month, so the team is relatively young, yet already accomplished and obviously talented.

“This team continues to grow, and with the new track and field facility being completed this summer, we will have a real place to train and improve in the years to come — very exciting for our team, our school, our town,” enthused Yale. “Without the dedicated staff of coaches most of which are volunteers, we could not be this successful. We are always looking for coaches to help out and be a part of the team.”

If interested, contact Diana Yale at dianafyale@gmail.com.