DW Tracksters Kirsten Miller and Mason Finney head to State meet

QUINCY, Wash.- Kirsten Miller will represent Dayton-Waitsburg in two events at the state track meet in Cheney, Wash. on Thursday after qualifying at the District 5/6 meet here last week.

Miller placed second in the 300m hurdles with a time of 51.46 and finished fifth in the 200m run with a tie of 28.90 to earn state spots in both events.

For the boys Mason Finney qualified at sixth place in the 3200m with a time of 11:14.26.

"It's encouraging, at the end of the season, that athletes know exactly what they need to do to be fully prepared for their events. Both Kirsten and Mason paid attention to their eating, hydration, sleep and warmup during the preceding days and hours. Mason was disappointed that he was unable to get his steps right for high jump and scratched on all three attempts at 5 feet. But he put it aside and focused well on the 3200m. It was a good race, with a strong field, and he stayed right in the lead pack for most of the race. He didn't have the race he wanted, but held on to qualify for state," Coach Dan Nechodom said.

"Kirsten competed in strong fields in each of her races. She ran fairly well, running PRs in two of her events. The endurance work that Coach Kelley has been running her through paid off well in the 300m hurdles. She was able to keep a consistent pace for essentially the whole race, and kept her form clean for each hurdle," Nechodom added.