Malta Middle School Invitational

The Malta Athletic Club Middle School invitational is in the books after more than one hundred students from Class A, B and C descended upon Mustang Stadium and Murray Park last Saturday morning.

Early at the Malta Invitational, Dodson eighth grader Christina Jaynes showed some strength in discus posting a throw of 73 feet which was good enough to win her heat, but not good enough to pass her personal best.

“My very first meet this year I threw an 85,” Jaynes said. “This year we actually have a good coach for our throwing events. It’s Ryan Lefdahl. He was an excellent thrower when he was in high school.”

Jaynes’ only other event was shot put an event in which she had a goal to make a throw over 40. Her closest throw before the event was a 37-6.

Seventh grader Erica Smith placed second in the 110 meter hurdle event losing to an athlete from Fergus, but she did post a new personal best of 18.93 seconds.

“I have kind of been practicing a little bit,” Smith said.

She was right on the heels of the first place finisher and it made for an exciting finish, though it didn’t go Smith’s way. She enjoyed the competition.

“It makes me push harder than usual anyways,” she said.

She also had to do long jump, triple jump, high jump and the 800. She was encouraged by the day’s weather.

”It’s nice,” she said. “Kind of perfect. It would be better if it had a little breeze but just to cool us off.”

Eighth graders Ty Murphy of Saco and Tanner Smith of Malta had quite the jump off in high jump as both competitors were able to clear 5-4.

Murphy was going to go for the school record of 5-5 because he has already tied the current one of 5-4.

Early into the event, after clearing 5-0, he knew it was possible.

“Today is a nice day and I can get a really good run at it,” Murphy said. “If I’m in the lead (after 5-4) I’ll take it up one inch to 5-5. I’ve tied the school record. If I can take it up to 5-5, I’ll knock the other names off the list.”

Tanner, who won the event with a jump of 5-6, shared the key to a good jump.

“Throw your arm back, look back and it’ll bend your back and your butt will come up,” he said. “Most people hit it with their butt.”

Smith, who easily clears 5-0, faced a little adversity at the height.

“I clipped it with my heel, I didn’t flick my feet,” he said.

Malta’s Kylie Hunter, a seventh grader, ran the 100, but it didn’t go as she had hoped.

“Not as well as I expected but I still did pretty good,” Hunter said. “I got third in my heat.”

Her time was a 21.5.

Hunter participated in long jump, triple jump, high jump and the short relay but triple jump is her favorite.

“It’s just a unique jump that you do and I’m actually really good at it,” she said.