Soldotna graduate Dylan Dahlgren led the Kenai Peninsula at the Brian Young Invitational in Homer on June 3 and 4 by setting the Soldotna High School record in the shot put.
The invitational is in its ninth year. The meet is put together by Marcus Dunbar, the former Kodiak track and field coach. Brian Young died at 52 on the way down from summitting Denali in 2011. He was a familiar face at Kodiak sporting events.
Dahlgren was named athlete of the meet along with East’s Olyvia Mamae for winning the shot put and discus.
He already had the school record in the discus at 162 feet, 11 inches. Dahlgren won at Brain Young by throwing 158—11.
In the shot put, Dahlgren went 56—3 to break Josh Coleman’s 1996 mark of 55—3. Coleman’s toss is still a Region 3 meet record. Dahlgren’s new best ranks No. 5 on the Alaska prep all-time list.
Coming into the meet, Dahlgren’s best throw was 53—10. Soldotna throws coach Galen Brantley Jr. said Dahlgren hit a 54—11 right before his record toss, so there was a feeling something big could be coming.
Dahlgren was the only peninsula athlete to win an event at the meet, but there were other notable performances.
Kenai incoming junior Greg Fallon finished third in the 800 meters at 2 minutes, 0.48 seconds. Fallon won the Division II 800 at 2:01.42 and ran the event in 2:03.16 the week before that. He also was eighth in the 1,600 at Brian Young at 4:41.78.
Soldotna graduate Jordan Strausbaugh finished third in the 800, but got the PR she was looking for in 2:19.14. Strausbaugh’s previous best was 2:20.19 in finishing second at the Division I state meet to Chugiak’s Addison Capozzi. Capozzi was fourth at Brian Young.
Adarra Hagelund, another Soldotna graduate, didn’t repeat her Division I high jump win at Brian Young, finishing second. She did get PRs in finishing seventh in the 100 hurdles (17.79) and second in the triple jump (33—8).
Seward’s Hailey Ingalls had a PR of 5:24.45 in taking fourth in the 1,600 and also was second in the 3,200.
Also for peninsula boys, Soldotna’s Leigh Tacey II was sixth in the 200 at 23.98 and fourth in the 400 at 53.36, Homer’s Ryan Carroll was seventh in the 400 at 56.24 and fourth in the high jump at 5—4, SoHi’s Nate Johnson was fourth in the 800 at 2:00.69, Homer’s Seamus McDonough was sixth in the 800 at 2:02.79 and fourth in the 1,600 at 4:27.77, Homer’s Aiden Brost was fourth in the 110 hurdles at 17.33 and fifth in the 300 hurdles at 44.37, SoHi’s Kevin Steger was third in the shot put at 42—10 and sixth in the discus at 124—5, and Kenai’s John Wright was fourth in the discus at 130—6.
Also for peninsula girls, Homer’s Alana Prescott was sixth in the 100 at 13.84 and sixth in the 200 at 28.54, Kenai’s Malena Grieme was seventh in the 100 at 13.86 and fifth in the long jump at 14—6.5, SoHi’s Jordan Ruffner was eighth in the 3,200 at 13:11.42, Homer’s Gracie Miotke was 10th in the 100 hurdles at 18.33 and fifth in the 300 hurdles at 50.74, Homer’s Leah Evans was 14th in the 100 hurdles at 19.06, Homer’s Izzy Fisk was fourth in the shot put at 30—9 and sixth in the discus at 87—3, and Soldotna’s Katelyn Morrison was fourth in the high jump at 4—8 and sixth in the triple jump at 29—6.25.
