By Bob Hamar
bob.hamar@theindependent.com

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Independent/Barrett Stinson Wood Riveršs Tim Rennau clears 6 feet, 6 inches to tie a meet record in the boys high jump event during the Wood River Track Invitational on Friday in Shelton. Rennau won the event with the jump. Independent/Barrett Stinson Wood Riveršs Nicolle Sautter won the girls shot put event Friday at the Wood River Track Invitational with a toss of 36 feet, 11 inches. Independent/Barrett Stinson After being rained out Thursday, it was a beautiful day for the Wood River Track Invitational on Friday in Shelton. Blue skies and warm temperatures surround Doniphan-Trumbullšs D.J. Hurst as he competes in the boys long jump event. Click Thumbnails to View

The Eagles got the boost they needed from the 1,600-meter runners. Colton Schellpeper won the event with Jesus Guerrero third and Jose Rodriguez fifth.

Those 18 points helped Wood River to the team title with 126 points. Cross County was second with 114 and Doniphan-Trumbull third with 102.

"I knew it would be close," Wood River coach Kevin Mayfield said. "It was very even. It could have gone either way, but we had some kids participate really well. Jesus Guerrero did great in the distance races. Cooper Wissing did well in the hurdles and our relays came through and did really well.

"It was a pleasant surprise."

The Eagles also got a huge performance from Tim Rennau in the high jump. The senior, who finished third at state a year ago with a leap of 6 feet, 5 inches, tied the meet record by clearing 6-6.

"I think he can," Mayfield said when asked if Rennau could go higher. "He has really good technique and we have as good a high jump coach around as anybody in (Marilyn) Dubbs. He works hard at it. Hopefully he can get higher."

The Eagles needed all the points they could get to hold off Cross County. The Cougars got a first from Daniel Meradith in the 800, Heath Leitz in the 3,200 and the 3,200 relay team.

Cross County coach Dennis Koinzan said the Cougars are loaded with 800 runners this season.

"We have so many kids in the 800 that run 2:14, 2:12, 2:10," Koinzan said. "You have to find something to spread them out with. We have six kids that can run that. We've told all of them that each one has to run the 3,200 once this year. Now this kid (Leitz) might not want to give it up because he ran a 10:46. That's pretty good for the first time."

Koinzan said for the most part, the Cougars got points in a lot of different events, including Isaac Moore in the triple jump and Anthony Snyder in the high jump.

"We just had different kids in different events," Koinzan said. "A couple did two things but mostly they're all spread out.

"The Moore kid triple jumps, long jumps and runs hurdles. The Snyder kid tore his shoulder up skiing just before track started. He high jumps 6-2. He's a pole vaulter who usually would be over 13-0."

Doniphan-Trumbull was led by meet MVP Keith Wetovick who won the 100, 200 and ran on the winning 400 relay team. Wetovick ran 22.7 in the preliminaries of the 200.

"Keith Wetovick did pretty well in the 100 and 200," Doniphan-Trumbull coach Art Kuhl said. "The four-by-one relay did pretty well also.

"The jumpers did a good job. We had some young guys that performed better than I thought they would. We had a good day."

The Cardinals have a large group of seniors with nine on the team, including Wetovick, Kelan Buhr and D.J. Hurst.

"The seniors all the way around did a good job today," Kuhl said. "I have a bunch of seniors this year that are scoring most of our points. They're a good group to have around."

Loup City's boys had a good day in the field events. Kaleb Henry had a big throw in the discus at 162-3 and also won the shot put with a personal best 47-4 1/2.

Jordan Smith won both the long jump (19-9 1/2) and the triple jump (41-11).

Southern Valley took the girls team title with 136 points while Wood River was second with 98 and Cross County third with 80.

Wood River sophomore Morgan Fischer, who was named the girls MVP for the meet, won the 100 and 300 hurdles and anchored the 1,600 relay team to a win.

Fischer set a school record in the prelims of the 100 hurdles at 15.2.

The Eagles' Nicole Sautter won both the shot put (36-11 1/2) and the discus (110-10).

"We participated very well," Mayfield said "A lot of kids had their best times of the year."