Ferris Athlete Captures State Wheelchair Competition

Tyler Byers of Ferris got the Greater Spokane League off to a good start Saturday morning at Star Track XV. The Ferris student won the wheelchair 1,600 meters.

“It’s just a lot of fun competing and fun to be out here with my friends,” Byers said. “This track is really nice, really fast.”

His time of 4 minutes, 25.7 seconds was a personal record by 7 seconds.

Ferris coaches Jim Missel and Jim Fischer had wheelchair events during GSL league meets at their school. “I work out with our track team,” Byers said. “(The WIAA) invited us here. They want as many of us to come as can.”

Byers also won the 100 and the 800.

Quick study

Mariela Guante has been in the United States for only six years. She has been a shot putter for only three months.

The junior from Burlington won the State AA shot put title with a throw of 40 feet, 9-1/2 inches.

She came to America when she was adopted by a Peace Corps volunteer who was in her native Dominican Republic.

She didn’t even take up the shot until March 4.

Mystery runner

Tyrone Asterino of Ferris made the 110 high hurdle finals after originally being listed as fifth in his Friday heat.

In the photo of the finish, a triple jumper who was making an approach next to the track got into the picture. The jumper was the fourth body in the photo, bumping Asterino to fifth and out of Saturday’s final.

Asterino was clearly fourth. The confusion was cleared up and the junior went on to finish fifth in the finals.

Pulling out

Garfield was favored to win the girls AAA title and appeared to be well on the way even though its state-best 800-meter runner failed to complete her heat Friday because of an asthma-induced problem.

Candace Young, daughter of former USC and Seahawks football player Charlie Young, won the 100 Friday and anchored the winning 400 relay team. The 100 was her third championship in that event and she was favored in the 200, which made the Bulldogs’ 800 relay team a threat.

However, Young was scratched from Saturday’s competition with a pulled hamstring. That gave Pasco an opening, but freshman Bree Skinner, second in the 100, false-started in her heat of the 200.

Honesty

Dustin Crowe of Selah was given a sportsmanship award after he told officials, who were crediting him with a fifth-place finish, that he was actually eighth in the AA 110 high hurdles.

So what?

West Valley senior shot putter Ryan Stockton had medaled with a personal-best distance in his first state meet, but he didn’t get what he was after.

“To tell the truth, my main goal was to knock Steve Kent out of 10th place on the all-time list,” he said.

Kent is WV’s football and softball coach who put the shot 52 feet during his days as an Eagle undergrad. Stockton started for Kent as a two-way lineman for four years.

“We had a ‘Big Gulp’ riding on it,” said Stockton, “but it didn’t happen.”

Kent’s place in history, following Stockton’s 51-6-1/2 effort, is secure for now.

Exchange zone

Rogers’ activities coordinator Jan Truant was named WIAA track official of the year during Star Track XV. … Truant, who has been at Rogers for 10 years, is a longtime committee member at the meet, this year serving as head of the meet referees. … The University of Washington has already cleaned up at this meet. At least three speedy standouts, Ellensburg sprinter Ja’Warren Hooker, Curtis’ Terry Tharps, the AAA 100 champion, and Omare Lowe, the hurdles champion from Tahoma, are all committed to the Husky football team. UW has Franklin Pierce’s two-time javelin champion Justin St. Clair for track only. … Steve Scott, who has run the most 4-minute miles in history, and Jim Spivey, another top miler, gave out awards for the distance events Friday.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color photo

MEMO: Changed in the Spokane edition.

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