Having cleared 5 feet, 4 inches earlier this season, Palisade High School high jumper Holly Odneal had hopes that Friday’s session of the Class 4A Region 1 track and field meet would be a precursor for things to come at next week’s state meet.

Taking her jumps around her heat in the preliminaries of the 100-meter hurdles worked well for the hurdles — she had the fastest qualifying time of the day — but didn’t help in her attempt to win the high jump.

After jumping 5 feet, Odneal and the only other competitor left, Delta’s Katie Chapman, both decided to pass at 5-1 and go to 5-2.

Neither cleared the height, but based on fewer misses, Chapman won the event.

Chapman earned her second regional title of the day hours later with a victory in the triple jump.

Odneal passed in the morning session of the high jump until the bar was set at 4-8.

“Every high jump I start at 4-8 so I don’t develop bad habits at a lower height,” said Odneal, who won nearly every high jump in which she competed this spring.

Usually doing both events works to her benefit.

“When I run the hurdles it gets my competitive spirit going,” she said.

“Sometimes I think it’s better to calm down (after going from a hurdles heat back to the high jump pit).”

If anything, only clearing 5 feet gives her more motivation for next week’s state meet. The top three finishers in each event at the regional meet qualify for next week’s state meet at Jefferson County Stadium in Lakewood.

“It gets me going,” Odneal said. “This isn’t what I hoped for so this gets me extremely fired up.”

Moffat County took a one-point lead in the girls meet after the first day. The Bulldogs scored 37 points with Eagle Valley at 36.

Moffat County got a boost from junior Alicia Nelson, who won the lone individual distance race of the day, the 1,600 meters. Nelson finished in 5 minutes, 12.36 seconds, more than six seconds ahead of Katrina Selsor of Glenwood Springs.

Both Nelson and Selsor had to go from being in shape for basketball to getting in shape for distance running.

It wasn’t until midway through the season that Nelson felt she was getting into a rhythm. She’s posted the fourth-fastest time in Class 4A this season.

“I’m trying to get sub-5 minutes this year,” Nelson said.

Moffat County also got a victory from its 3,200 relay team, on which Nelson runs the third leg.

Battle Mountain had a strong showing in the distance races to take the first-day lead in the boys meet. The Huskies scored 46 points, with Eagle Valley second with 26 points.

Battle Mountain took the top three spots in the boys 1,600, led by John O’Neill’s winning time of 4:29.44. The Huskies also won the boys 3,200 relay.

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E-mail Kent Mincer at kmincer@gjds.com.