Joseph finishes second at Baker Relays

JOSEPH’S LUCAS STAIGLE cleared 13-7 in the pole vault at the Baker Relays Saturday, helping lead Joseph to second place. BRAD MOSHER / The Observer

BAKER CITY — In an invitational devoted almost entirely to relays on the track, Joseph was able to use a strong showing in field events to finish a close second to the host team in the Baker Relays Friday.

On the boys side, Baker won the meet with 159 points, followed by the Joseph Eagles with 133 points. Imbler was third overall, with 67 points, while the only Idaho team competing (Homedale) finished fourth with 65 points. Mitchell (fifth, 33 points), Crane (sixth, 32 points) and Powder Valley (26 points) rounded out the scoring. 

Joseph began its strong showing with a second-place finish in the 4x100 meter relay when the quartet of Trevor Lewis, Lucas Staigle, BJ Warnock and Wyatt Warnock combined for a 46.64 effort that beat the Baker team.

But Staigle made the biggest mark of the day for Joseph  when he cleared 13-7 to win the pole vault.

David Parker cleared 10-0 to place second, while Gage Jarman (fifth, 8-0) and Wil Story (sixth, 7-6) helped Joseph take four of the top six places in the event. Powder Valley’s Levi Allen broke into the flock of Eagles with a fourth place finish (9-6).

Staigle also broke his personal best in the event by more than a foot.

His 13-7 effort also increased his lead in the district to more than a foot and a half over his nearest competitor. Allen of Powder Valley has the third-best mark at 10-0 that he shares with Parker of Joseph. The Eagles also have the fifth and sixth-best marks in the district from Jarman (9-0) and Story (7-6).

The record-setting effort also moved Staigle atop the 1A pole vaulters by one inch over Paisley’s Lucas McKay. It also would give him the best mark in the 2A and 3A divisions and third best in the 4A division.

While Baker’s Jorden Osborn picked up a double victory in both the shot put and the discus, he had Joseph athletes finishing right behind.

In the shot put, it was Wyatt Warnock who finished third, behind Osborn and a Baker teammate.

In the discus, it was Anthony Smallen taking second.

In the javelin, it was Joseph taking first and second with Cole Warnock winning with a 150-05 throw, followed by Wyatt Warnock’s 145-06 effort in second.

In the high jump, Kaden Lathrop grabbed a second place finish when he cleared 5-8, while Powder Valley teammates Levi Allen and Quin Stephens tied for third at 5-6.

Trevor Lewis of Joseph won the triple jump with a leap of 41-06.

The only 4A school in the relays also won the girls division with 116 points, while Homedale was second with 80.5 points. 

In the battle between the remaining 1A schools, Mitchell placed third with 44 points, ahead of Crane (fourth, 37 points), Imbler (fifth, 35 points), Powder Valley (sixth, 16 points), Huntington (seventh, 13.5 points) and Joseph (eighth, 10 points).

Imbler got a boost toward its fifth-place finish Friday when Emma Bowers won the triple jump with her 30-06 effort.

Powder Valley picked up a win in the high jump when Ali Abrego cleared 5-0.