Mead, Ferris Put Gsl Track On A Pedestal

The roar from the crowd began with the starting gun and steadily grew.

Shoulder to shoulder, lap after lap.

First it was Megan Troy and Missy Blackshire. Then Stephanie Goaslind and Miriah McConnaughey. And Stephanie Haney and Theresa Lyons. Finally Autumn Wood and Kristen Parrish.

The Greater Spokane League dual meet at Mead on Thursday afternoon was not in doubt, Mead having dispatched Ferris to run its dual meeting winning streak to 27, but there was one more matter to settle.

The two best 1,600-meter relay teams in the state were on the line and in midseason form. Mead had already clocked a season-best 4 minutes, 4.1 seconds. Ferris was at 4:04.2.

And the race was that close.

Heads swiveled as the runners circled the track, and at each handoff eyes strained to catch the time on the clock high above the finish fine.

The unofficial time of 3:59.5 brought gasps from the crowd. And when it was confirmed, the Panthers’ celebration of the fastest 1,600 relay in Washington outside of a state meet began.

Despite matching its school record of 4:00.4, Ferris didn’t get to celebrate.

“We were out to beat Ferris,” Troy said. “We wanted to PR. Every time we run, that’s all we want to do, even if we don’t win. I know we can PR every time. I know we have it in us.”

That capped a day when a large number of athletes established personal records, despite a stiff breeze.

Mead’s victories over Ferris and Gonzaga Prep virtually clinched the Panthers’ third consecutive girls GSL title.

The Mead boys ran their dual meet streak to 127, but they’ll have to get past Central Valley in next Thursday’s finale at Mead to win their 13th straight league crown.

The only difference between the girls 1,600 relay and the boys open 1,600 was timing.

It was early in the meet and the race when Zack Ventress of Ferris put the hammer down in his showdown with Mead’s Micah Davis and Skiy DeTray. Despite a steady wind, the trio clipped off a 65-second first lap. Then Davis lagged back as the leaders crossed the half in 2:11.

Ventress never let up, clocking a 62-second third lap before Detray took over. The lanky, long-haired senior punched out a 54.8 final lap to win in an unheard-of 4:13.9 with a 2:02.6 final 800.

Davis came from 20 meters back in the final 300 yards to edge Ventress, 4:16.7 to 4:17.0.

Never before, according to Mead distance guru Pat Tyson, had a GSL runner run 4:17 and finished third in a GSL dual. He also said DeTray ran the fastest 1,600 in a league dual and the fastest ever on the Mead track. And Tyson had a good point of reference. Former Rogers distance superstar Gerry Lindgren and his coach Tracy Walters were watching, awestruck.

“The mile was smooth. Surprising. Weird,” DeTray said. “I knew Ventress would be tough. He was. He ran a good race. With Centennial on Saturday, I thought 4:23, 4:25. I thought that’s what it was when we came through.”

With the Centennial Invitational in Gresham, Ore., coming up Saturday, DeTray wasn’t sure how to interpret his career-best 1,600.

“I’d say it went both ways,” he said. “I’m a little worried it might take a little bit out of me for Saturday but it wasn’t that hard. It gives me more confidence. I would say it’s for the better.”

In the other boys meets, Shadle Park swept North Central and Rogers at NC, and Central Valley beat University and Lewis and Clark at CV. The boys had seven area bests, all at Mead. Brian Buchanan of Mead and Dana Harper of Ferris had two each.

For the girls, Shadle Park and University swept. Eight area bests were established, four at Mead and four at U-Hi.