No Backing Down: Herder track takes on seven 4A programs at Kelly Walsh Invite

The best way to achieve faster times and longer distances is to chase better competition. The Glenrock High School track & field team did plenty of chasing in Casper and posted several best efforts May 1 at the Kelly Walsh Invite.

Most of the competition was from the 4A programs mixed in with small teams like Glenrock, Little Snake River and Southeast making the most of another big test to push State pre qualifications and personal bests.

The Herders were the small fish in a big pond of more than 800 athletes. Still, the program chalked up nine top-10 finishes and many other fantastic efforts.

Girls

A dozen teams packed the track at Kelly Walsh High School where Natrona County girls won the team title with 175 points, while KWHS was second with 130, Cheyenne Central third at 113 and Glenrock 10th among 12 teams. 

Senior Hayden Lythgoe was among the top finishers in 100-meter hurdles where she came through seventh against 36 others with a time of 17.46 seconds. Teammate Taitum Helmey was next on the squad at 19.00.

Lythgoe didn’t stop there as she also finished near the leaders in 300 hurdles where she earned eighth out of 23 with a time of 51.11. Helmey was just two places behind at 52.20.

Freshman Maddi Carson embraced yet another tough test and passed it by earning 24th out of 89 in the 100 dash where she clocked a 19.19.

Junior Gillian Holman continues to put in the work and pushed herself in the 400 where she finished just outside the top runners when she stopped the watch at 1:10.18. She later finished among in the top half in the 800 and sixth against small schools with a 2:56.53. Sophomore Sheridan Sarvey was nearby at 2:58.70.

In field events, 2025 school-record holder senior Megann Farley cleared sixth place in pole vault with a height of 9-6. Helmey delivered a top-10 performance in triple jump with a distance of 30-9.

Senior Zhane Johnson led the Herders in shot put with a throw of 30-3.5 to take 18th out of 74. Senior Brook Redig was next at 28-2.

Boys

Glenrock youth and veterans alike had a solid  afternoon in Casper. The group captured top-10 performances in both field events and running.

Natrona County held on to sweep the team titles when they took first among the boys with 132.11 points, less than seven ahead of second-place  Cheyenne East at 126. Kelly Walsh was third with 107.33 while Glenrock scored eighth with 23.67.

Sophomore Caden Tillard is just at the beginning of a great career and continued that by placing seventh among 34 in 110 hurdles where he clocked a 17.22. Junior teammate Preston Sorenson was next for GHS at 18.70.

Glenrock was well represented against the big boys in 300 hurdles when Tillard captured 11th out of 25 at 44.82. Sorenson was just one place and a half second back at 45.02.

In sprints, junior Brady Dona was fantastic against the large schools in the 200 where he was seventh out of 132 runners in 23.34 seconds. Sophomore Terryn White came through in the top third of finishers in 25.07 and sophomore Ayden Lamb clocked a 25.12.

Sophomore Carson Tomlin was 23rd out of an incredible 176 athletes in the 100 but third against 3A runners in 11.87 seconds. Freshman Koi Horn cracked the top 20 in the 1,600 where he crossed the finish line in 5:26.30.

Another freshman pushed for a PR in 400 where Rian Selby camae through in the top half of the finishers in 59.68 seconds. Freshman Talon Humphrey wasn’t far back at 1:02.01 and junior Miles Wieser in 1:02.89.

Sophomore Michael Schowengerdt cracked the top 20 in the 800 where he came through at 2:25.52.

Junior Owen Partridge was 13th overall and second among 3A schools in the 3,200 when he recorded a 11:23.08. Also on the track, the speedy 4x400 team took home fifth at 3:38.22.

In field events, Herder sophomore Haiden Ward and junior Easton low finished eighth and ninth in high jump, respectively, at 5-8.

Lamb also delivered a solid effort in pole vault where he took sixth at a mark of 11-0. Senior Ayden Moulton also landed a top-20 finish in long jump with a leap of 18-6.75.

Senior Brigham Partridge had a great day for Glenrock when he soared to fifth overall in triple jump when he hit the pit in 41-1. Ward made the top 20 with a 37-3.

Senior Casey Sarvey had the highest placing of the day for the Herders when he threw his way to fourth overall in discus with a toss of 140-4. Sophomore Declan Federer was next for GHS at 117-10.