Vandals bring home titles at state meet

The Eureka County High School track team concluded their season with a medal for everyone at the 2014 NIAA State Track & Field Meet in Carson City May 23 and 24.

Sprinter Megan Damele took two state titles in 100 meters and 200 meters with her time of 13.33 and 27.35, respectively. Damele also placed second in the 400 meter with a time of 1.02.1 and a third in the girls 4×100 relay.

Gracie Damele took home a second in the 300 meter hurdles with a 51.39 time and two third place medals in the 4×200 and 4×400 relays.  

Distance sprinter Katie Damele also took home several individual medals and a relay medal. K. Damele placed fourth in the mile and two mile with a time of 6.07.4 and 13.38.37, respectively. She was also a member of the fourth place 4×800 relay team.

Individual winners in the boys team included Trevor Merritt and Brendan Mears. Mears, a distance sprinter, broke the five minute mark in the mile with a time of 4.59.22 earning him a third place. Merritt placed third in the high jump clearing the bar at 5’6”.

All four Eureka girls relay teams medaled. The 4×100, 4×200, and 4×400  teams placed third while the 4×800 team took fourth. 

The 4×100 team members included Nicole Burton, Natalia Burton, Nicole Orozco. and M. Damele. Members of the 4×200 team included G. Damele, Orozco, Kylie Merritt, and Nicole Burton. The 4×400 relay team included members Kylie Merritt, Kelsie Merritt, Orozco, and G. Damele. And the 4×800 team participants were Nicole Burton, K. Damele, Kelsie Merritt, and Kylie Merritt.

Several team members had season personal bests at either the State or Regional meet, both end-of-year meets. M. Damele, K. Damele, and G. Damele all recorded a personal record in their individual events at State with a record in the 400, 800, and 300 hurdles, respectively.

At Regionals, a State-qualifying meet, K. Damele recorded a personal best in the mile and two mile with a time of 6.07 and 13.34.1, respectively. At Regionals, Mears also ran his best mile, breaking the five minute mark at 4.57.49. His 800 meter race time of 2.07.74 was also his best of the year.