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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Athletes Hope Weather Finally Ready To Break

It’s been reported that several North Idaho baseball and softball players and track athletes have been seen walking around with aluminum bats and relay batons stuck to their lips.

And, no, they aren’t auditioning for Pepsi commercials.

Although the report is an exaggeration, spring sports in the Inland Northwest have yet to experience legitimate spring weather the first five weeks of the season.

With just three weeks left, coaches are hoping sun will soon replace the cold and rain.

Lake City track coach Donna Messenger hopes that will occur Saturday when LC and Coeur d’Alene host the annual Super-1/Reiswig Invitational.

“Actually the forecast sounds pretty good,” Messenger said. “It’s supposed to be 60 degrees, partly overcast and partly sunny. At this point they’re not predicting rain. No one has had decent weather yet this year. We’re due big time.”

For North Idaho teams, the Super-1 meet is the final big invite as teams gear up for state-qualifying meets in two weeks.

About 26 teams and 1,000 athletes will converge at LC. Mead will be sending a beefed-up junior varsity boys team (the Mead JV won the Freeman Invitational last week). Mead, East Valley, Lewiston, Post Falls and Moscow will contend for the boys title. Ferris, East Valley and Moscow are favored among the girls.

The University boys and EV girls are the defending team champions.

The meet is chock-full of state and area leaders from Washington and Idaho.

Two of last year’s athletes of the meet return. Post Falls’ Shannon Siverson was the top field athlete and Lewiston sprinter Josh Raymond was the top track athlete.

Ferris is bringing distance ace Jennifer Smith, who has the state’s best time in the 3,200 meters (10 minutes, 51.3 seconds). She and teammate Mariah McConnaughey are 2 seconds off the state best in the 1,600.

Some of the top boys include Gonzaga Prep hurdler Chris Barton and Moscow distance ace Tony Smith. U-Hi’s Craig Allen has a 6-11 in the high jump.

What could be an entertaining event to watch is the girls pole vault. Six entrants have cleared 8 feet and Mary Widner of Sentinel (Missoula, Mont.) has vaulted 9-6.

Admission is $3 for adults, $2 for students.

The meet begins at 10 a.m. with field events and prelims in running events. Finals will begin at 12:30 with the boys 3,200.

Many of the smaller area schools will compete in the annual Priest River Invitational on Saturday. The meet begins at 10 a.m.

This ‘n that

Jim Koetter has resigned as head football coach at Pocatello High School. Koetter, 58, coached Pocatello to three state titles (1989-90 and ‘92). His son Brent guided crosstown rival Highland to a state championship last fall. Koetter was head coach at Idaho State University for five years. Another son, Dirk, recently was hired as offensive coordinator at the University of Oregon.

The pole vault will remain an exhibition event for girls this spring. It was believed that the event would be scored at the state meet. But the Idaho High School Activities Association is still studying whether there’s enough interest among member schools to fully sanction the event. Although the event won’t be included in team scoring, medals will be awarded at state.

Three girls - Gretchen Hammarberg of CdA, Jamie Cole of LC and Rachelle Drury of Moscow share the top pole vault in North Idaho at 8 feet. Amy Crabtree of Pocatello has the state’s best mark at 10 feet. She has the fourth-highest all-time mark for high school girls, vaulting 10-9 at the indoor Simplot Games at Pocatello in February.

Eastern Idaho A-1 softball teams made the switch from slowpitch to fastpitch this spring.

Sandpoint’s Brett Lawrence, who became the second wrestler in State A-1 history to win four state titles, will cut down from 125 pounds to 118 when he competes at the University of Minnesota. He will redshirt next year. His collegiate goal is to place in the NCAA Division I Tournament.

The state high school activities association may consider limits on fastpitch pitchers. The discussion was initiated by a Boise doctor who is concerned about possible arm injuries. Idaho, Washington and Oregon have no rule limiting the number of innings a player may pitch per day. Montana has a rule limiting pitchers to 14 innings per day. The IHSAA will survey coaches after the season to see if they encountered problems.

, DataTimes