Corbin Welzien smoked the competition in the 100-meter at the Zelda Haines Invitational May 11 finishing nearly a second ahead of the nearest competitor in 12.29. Welzien broke six eighth grade records at Potomac School this year.
Sixth grader Brayden Cooney took second at the Zelda Haines Invite with her Discus throw of 49 feet 8 inches. She also set a new shot put record for Potomac School with her throw of 22 feet 8 inches.
Seventh grader Gabrielle Henry jumped 11 feet 8 inches for sixth place at the Zelda Haines Invite in Missoula. She also set a new school record in the 400m.
Seventh grader Levi Brown hands off to sixth grader Oliver Caton in the 4X100m relay that put the first time in the Potomac School record book. They finished in 59.91 and placed third at the ZH Invite.
Seventh grader Kayce Salter finished fifth in the 100m at the Zelda Haines Invite with a time of 14.78, 0.5 seconds off first place.
Eighth grader Grady Caton won the 800m at the Zelda Haines Invite finishing in 2:19.81. He broke three school records this year.
POTOMAC – The Potomac School track and field team wrapped up their less than six week season May 20 with six track meets and 15 new school records. With two-thirds of the 18-member team never having tried track before, Coach Beth Copenhaver said it was a great season with "a good set of kids. The kids showed up, they worked hard and you can always tell those kids that wanted to push themselves harder and go out and break some records."
Potomac's season started mid-April. There were more junior high students that came out this year than in years past.
"It was trying something new since they haven't really been able to do anything for the last year," Copenhaver said adding that the season last year was canceled due to COVID. "Then I think also being with friends was another part of it."
Copenhaver said the highlights really came from the individual participants' initiative of setting goals for themselves and meeting them. Many tried new events and they either stayed the same or improved each meet.
"That was really cool for them to see putting in that hard work really showed them some return," Copenhaver said.
Since the Meet of Champions was canceled this year, there was not a culminating meet to work towards. Instead Copenhaver had the students treat the Zelda Haines Invitational May 11 as a qualifying meet. She said it was a big highlight to compete against so many teams, many of whom they had never competed against before. Another highlight was having a lot of the teaching staff come and support the team at one of their Friday meets.
Copenhaver said the biggest challenge Potomac always faces is having the diversity with coaches to coach all of the events. Potomac School teachers Sarah Schmill and Jessica Van Kerkhove helped out as well as a few parents and five high school students who graduated from Potomac and are now participating in track in high school.
"I do try and utilize high school students. I think it teaches them that you need to outreach and stay in touch with the community," Copenhaver said. "You look at that peer-to-peer relationships. Here are some high schoolers that you are going to know, it is trying to keep those bonds and relationships going. If you reach out and help you are giving back to a community that at one point in time probably gave to you."
Copenhaver said she was really impressed with the seven eighth graders that came out this year. They put in a lot of work and were a good group of respectful kids.
"You can't ask for more with kids that want to show up and work hard but also are respectful of all those around them and are willing to help when asked to do so."
She added, "It is always a pleasure to go out and coach these kids and hopefully give them some memories to look back on. Having coached other sports, seeing those kids blur those lines and try new sports is always fun."
2021 records by grade:
• Sixth grader Oliver Caton ran a 18.94 in the 100m hurdles breaking the 2016 record of 19.75. He was also on the record-setting 4X100 relay team with teammates Gabe Knapp, Oscar Leathers and Levi Brown running a 59.91.
• Sixth grader Brayden Cooney added over a foot to the 2019 shot put record of 21 feet 1.25 inch with a throw of 22 feet 8 inches.
• Seventh grade Levi Brown broke the 2018 1600 record of 7:49 with his time of 7:28.7 and was on the 4X100 record relay.
• Seventh grader Gabrielle Henry set a new 400m record for seventh grade girls with a time of 1:16.44. There was no previous record.
• Eighth grader Corbin Welzien broke five individual eighth grade boys records and was part of the record-breaking 4X100 eighth grade boys relay team with Cale Vann, Grady Caton and Tanner Davis that ran a 51.21 for a the first school record in the book. Welzien's records include: 100m in 12.0 (2018 record 12.54), 200m in 25.34 (2018 record in 25.74), 100m hurdles in 15.84 (2019 record in 15.84), long jump of 17 feet 11 inches (2019 record of 15 feet 9.75 inches) and Discus throw of 121 feet 7.5 inches (2019 record of 101 feet 5 inches).
• Eighth grader Grady Caton was on the 4X100 record-setting relay team and broke the 800 with a time of 2:16.9 (2017 record was 2:30.6). He also rewrote the record book in the triple jump with 30 feet, 8 inches adding one foot to the 2018 record of 29 feet 8 inches.
• Eighth grader Lily Van Grinsven added to the 2013 shot put record of 21 feet setting the new record at 24 feet 2.5 inches.
• Eighth grader Morgan O'Hara broke the 2018 javelin record of 68 feet 2 inches with her throw of 76 feet 8 inches.
"The kids were very modest. They would set those records and have their goals and be excited but it was never a point when it was over the top," Copenhaver said. "They were very humble."
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