Track and Field
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Laramie High School has 22 student-athletes competing at the all-class Wyoming State Track and Field Championships Thursday through Saturday at Harry Geldien Stadium in Casper.

Laramie's squads finished third (girls) and fifth (boys), respectively, at last week's 4A East Regional Championships in Gillette.

Going into the state meet head coach Gil Bradfield says, "I think on the boys side we're going to have a tough time. We're going to have to really step up to get some big points. I think there's other teams that have more people that will have the third and fourth places that going to score ahead of us. On the girls side, we do have some big scorers that hopefully will do well and score some points this weekend."

The Laramie Lady Plainsmen finished second at last year's championships and are bolstered by the return of two individual state champs and one relay state title. Senior Cassidy Meade won the 800 and 1600 meter races in 2012, while senior Madison Legerski took the high jump crown, and LHS also won the ladies 3200 meter (4X800) relay.

Both Meade and Legerski will compete in four events this weekend. Meade tries to defend her individual titles in the 800 and 1600, and she is also part of the defending champion 3200 meter relay and on the 1600 meter (4X400) relay. Legerski will also try to regain her high jump crown, is also on the 1600 relay squad and competes in both the 100 and 300 hurdles.

Bradfield believes Meade has a chance to excel in all four of her races, "She knows this is the last go-round. She's going to prove to everybody it was no fluke. She did a good job last year. I think she'll do great (this year)."

Meade understands that she's the one to beat in the 800 and 1600 and says, "It's definitely exciting, but it's also a little pressure. I try to handle the pressure well, and I usually perform better with that pressure, than not having any. It's hard, but it's fun."

Legerski also eluded to the pressure of living up to past success. She says in her field event, "The other side of the state has a couple of really, really good high jumpers, so I feel like it's going to be really tough at state this year, but we'll see how it goes."

Legerski also mentioned she'll have to stay aggressive in her hurdle races to have any chance of winning.

Bradfield says, "She's going to have to have a good start in the races and just hope everything else works out. In the high jump, it's going to be who wants it more."

The Laramie Plainsmen were 8th at last year's state meet and return only one individual, junior Nathan Morgan, who competed at state track a year ago.

Bradfield says, "The 4-by-800 relay and the distance kids, like junior Jonah Henry, will have to be big on the boys side."

The Lady Plainsmen are represented by 12 student-athletes this weekend, while the Plainsmen have 10 in competition.

The Wyoming State Track and Field Championships begin at 11 a.m. Thursday. They will wrap up around 6:15 p.m. Friday's action starts at 9 a.m. and goes until approximately 5 p.m. The final day of competition, Saturday, also begins at 9 a.m. and should finish around 4:30 p.m.

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