![The teams prepare to start another play with just a few minutes left in the first half. The Lions were in the lead at halftime with a score of 27-0. At half time, the team went back to the locker rooms. “[We ate] orange slices,” Malos said. “[Then] our team came out and got the win.”](https://wlhsnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG_2385-1200x800.jpg)
![At the bottom of the third inning, the Lions are still scoreless. Rowe stands at home plate, preparing to bat, while Vandenbrink stands off to the side as the next batter up. Despite having the bases loaded, the team was unable to score any runs. “It’s just the beginning of the season. We’re just going to be playing out best by June, [and] that’s where champions are,” Rowe said.](https://wlhsnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/IMG_3077-1200x900.jpg)
West Linn’s girls track team finished tied for 22nd out of a field of 37 girls track teams last Saturday, May 25 at the OSAA 6A State tournament, which was held at the University of Oregon. Although no representatives from the boys track team went to the tournament, the girls team was represented in three events: the 400 meter, the 4X100 relay and the 4X400 relay. The girls were led by Cara Boucher, senior, and Juliana Guthner, freshman, who participated in all three events.
Boucher and Juliana Guthner, freshman, both ran the 400 meter dash in the preliminary race. Guthner finished the race with a time of 59.43 seconds, and Boucher ran the race with a time of 58.40 seconds, which was fast enough to advance to the finals. In the 400 meter finals, Boucher finished sixth with a time of 58.03 seconds. Boucher said that the state meet was a strong finish for her and was a good way to wrap up the season.
Guthner, Boucher, Isabella Reicher, freshman, and Madison Leek, senior, made up the relay team that raced in both the 4X100 meter relay and the 4X400 meter relay. In the 4X100 meter relay, the team finished in seventh with a time of 48.86 seconds. In the 4X400 meter relay, the team finished fifth with a time of 3:53.64, which was a personal record for the team.
“In the district meet (a week before the state meet) we set the district record for the 4X400 meter race, so it was pretty cool to be able to beat that time at state,” Boucher said.
Even though the state meet was Boucher’s last track meet with WLHS, she is confident that the underclassmen will be able to fill leadership roles next season and perform well enough to make up for her and the other graduating seniors.
“We brought two freshmen to the state meet, so I think that shows that the team will still be strong without the seniors,” Boucher said.
The girls team representatives accumulated a total of nine points in the tournament, putting them in a tie with Lake Oswego, Thurston and Centennial for 22nd place. The top girls team was Lakeridge, who accumulated a total of 48.5 points.
