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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Timberwolves Sweep Cda To Claim City Track Title

For Lake City High School track and field coach Donna Messenger, winning the Inland Empire League girls dual-meet championship was nice. Winning the city championship was nicer.

The Timberwolves accomplished both by thumping rival Coeur d’Alene 89-57 at Viking Field on Tuesday to cap an undefeated IEL dual season.

The LC boys breezed by the Viks 96-50, but Lewiston already possesses the boys title.

“It was awesome,” Messenger said. “The kids went beyond my expectations this season.”

They did so on Tuesday as well. Ever meticulous, Messenger charted the girls meet two days ago.

It came out in LC’s favor by a close margin. But before questioning Messenger’s math, remember she gives the benefit of the doubt to the enemy.

Today, Messenger begins scoping out the upcoming regional meet to determine if she needs to tinker with her lineup.

Likewise, CdA coach Bryan Duncan probably is eyeballing regionals this morning. Despite Tuesday’s outcome, which was to be expected in part because several Vikings were injured or absent, Duncan is upbeat.

“I think we’ll be a force in regionals,” he said. “We’ve got some quality people.”

There were numerous quality races in the dual. CdA’s Christina Mosier pulled an early upset by nipping LC’s Cassandra Gulam at the tape in the 100-meter hurdles. Gulam later cruised in the 300 hurdles.

LC freshman Shannon Conley (13.08 seconds) edged Viking Brenda Nipp (13.09) in the 100.

“Normally I don’t run through the finish line. Today I did,” Conley said. “I just really wanted to beat her because she beat me the last time (at the Super-1 Invitational last Saturday).”

Conley also contributed legs on the T-Wolves’ winning 800-, 1,600- and medley-relay teams.

Nipp rebounded to take the 200 and 400, holding off LC’s Katie Hawn in the latter. Those two hooked up in the final leg of the 1,600 relay. Upon receiving the baton, Hawn had a sizable lead and barely held off Nipp.

“Maybe if I had a few more yards I could have caught her,” Nipp said.

LC cleaned up in the field events, taking the discus, high jump, long jump, triple jump and pole vault.

In the boys meet, CdA’s Luke Lee came within a fraction of an inch of winning four events. He took the high jump (6 feet), 110 hurdles (16.2) and 300 hurdles (43.5, a personal record), but finished an agonizing quarter-inch behind LC’s Matt Lider in the triple jump.

“All year, in every dual, somebody’s beaten me in one event,” Lee said, who called his intermediate hurdles time surprising because he wasn’t feeling well. “I don’t have any energy. I’m just really tired.”

T-Wolf Scott Bushnell captured the pole vault and 100. Bill Pratt was a double winner in the throws.

LC’s depth paid off not only in firsts, but numerous seconds and thirds.

Bryce Knight, usually an 800 and 1,600 runner, posted an area-best 51.7 in the 400. He put a capper on the meet in the 1,600 relay, breaking the tape with a funky lunge and the baton pointed skyward.

A Deion Sanders end zone dance it wasn’t. “A victory pose,” he said.

Somehow, it punctuated LC’s day.

, DataTimes