Payson Roundup

Andy Towle/Roundup - atowle@payson.com

Class B participant Jacob Enlow gives this shot put attempt his greatest effort during the junior high school track and field meet Wednesday.

More than 300 track and field qualifiers representing 10 small town, middle and junior high schools battled May 6 on the Payson High School track for White Mountain League individual and team honors.

Among the contingent were about 30 Rim Country Middle School athletes who earned the right to compete in the WML finals at qualifying meets held a week earlier.

The boys qualifying meet was held in Payson and the girls in Eagar-Springerville.

To reach the finals, athletes had to finish in the top four in their event.

In White Mountain League track and field, sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders compete in one of three divisions — A, B or C — based on their height and weight.

The classes are also divided into boys and girls.

The events are an abbreviated version of a high school meet, but do include shot put, long jump, high jump, 100-meter dash, 4x100 relay, 400 meters, 800 meters and 1600 meters.

Among RCMS’s top qualifiers was Matt Schreur who turned in the quickest qualifying time (2:24.65) in the Boys Class A 800 meters.

In the Boys Class B 1600 meters, RCMS’s Raymond Martinez qualified No. 1 with a time of 5:28.39.

Among the teams participating with RCMS were Show Low, Snowflake, Blue Ridge, Joseph City, Mogollon, Holbrook, Round Valley and St. Johns.