ROCK SPRINGS – Coming off a strong indoor season, the Rock Springs Tigers opened up the 2015 Track and Field with Tigers bringing home top honors at two different invitationals.
Several members of the Rock Springs Tigers traveled to Casper to open the season at the 2015 Glen Legler Memorial Early Bird Invite. Even with half the team competing in Utah, Rock Springs brought home a sixth-place finish as a team. Natrona dominated the team title scoring 80 points more than second place Kelly Walsh. Big Piney finished in third followed by Riverton, Buffalo and Rock Springs.
The Tigers had several strong individual performances led by a familiar face. Carlos Salcido showed why he is one of the top runners in the state with wins in the 100 meters and 200 meters.
Chandler Cork was also strong in Casper. In the 400 meters, Cork posted a time of 52.91 for the title. Cork also had a top ten in the 200 crossing the line in ninth and finished in 17th in the 100 meters. It was just not the running events for Cork as he had a strong finish in the long jump as well. Cork jumped a distance of 18-08.25 which gave him a 10th-place finish.
Trent Rasmussen ran strong in the hurdles for Rock Springs. He finished in 10th in the 300-meter hurdles and just missed another top ten crossing the line in 12th in the 110-meter hurdles.
Other top-ten honors went to Jesse Diaz who finished fifth in the shot put and Brenden Lapp who crossed the line in eighth in the 400 meters.
UHSTCA Invitational
A bus load of Tigers headed the opposite way on Saturday as they competed in the UHSTCA Invite in West Jordan, Utah. Even with a partial team, Rock Springs was able to finish 16th in a field of over 30 different squads.
Preston Portillo provided the top finish for the Tigers. After a strong freshman year, Portillo started his sophomore year off on the right foot as he took the 800 meter title. He ran a 1:59.76 to take top honors. Krey Ramsey was not far behind Portillo in the 800 as he crossed the line with a time of 2:00.27 which put him in third overall.
Both Ramsey and Portillo were not done there as they both finished in the top ten in the 1600 meters. It was Ramsey who crossed the line first as he finished in eighth while Portillo crossed the line in 10th.
Joe Depoyster also ran the 800 and 1600. In the 800, he finished in 20th and in the 1600 Depoyster finished in 30th. Tiger Call Butterfield also had a top 30 run in the 800 crossing the line in 28th.
