Mustangs perform at State B in Laurel

The Malta Mustangs Track Team was represented by five competitors at the 2021 State Track Meet in Laurel last weekend.

Malta was led by junior Cash Salsbery, who was the lone Mustang to earn points, by taking third in the shot put competition.

He hit a mark of 49-0.25 in the first throw of preliminaries, a new best.

"I feel great but yesterday I had a rough day at discus," Salsbery said.

The mark came after Salsbery was unable to place a solid mark in the prelims of discus one day prior. He hit a mark of 110-03 that day after a storm put the meet on hold on Friday afternoon.

Teams were forced to take refuge under the roof of the Laurel gymnasium for two hours before competition resumed.

"I sectored one that would've put me in second place," Salsbery said. "It is what it is, I have next year, and I am going to be working hard this summer."

The next day Salsbery bounced back and his first throw of shot put sent the crowd into cheer. His mark stood for a couple of rounds but was eventually overtaken by Jefferson's Wade Rykal, and eventual champion Cody Burke of Thompson Falls, both hitting a nearly identical mark of 49-11.

Salsbery was asked how he was able to get back in a groove.

"Family," he said. "Not just my family watching me. It was these guys (fellow throwers). There is a lot of camaraderie."

He also gave credit to his throw coach Andy Schell.

"I really want to thank my coach," Salsbery said. "He came and volunteered. I really want to thank him for that."

Salsbery was still unable to spin, but using a glide throw he still set a new best by three feet.

"It was great," Salsbery said.

Junior Rex Williamson took seventh in javelin with a mark of 146-10. Williamson also competed in triple jump, leaving a mark at 38-02.50, a mark good enough for sixteenth overall.

Junior David Pitman was ninth in discus with a throw of 119-0.

The short relay team consisting of Salsbery, Kyle Darrington,Williamson, and Gavin Slade was seventeenth with a time of 47.37.