Ankle Healed, U-Hi’s Lektorich Sets Record

A broken ankle last fall had kept Casey Lektorich out of soccer and basketball. It didn’t stop the University High sophomore from winning one of four state track championships by Valley athletes.

In the Tacoma rain she improved on practically every throw of the javelin, capping it with a school record 133-7 toss.

“Last year (as a North Pines Junior High ninth grader) I couldn’t play softball,” Lektorich said. “I wanted to try this for a year.”

Two years later the javelin is now her implement of choice.

“I don’t know what to say. It’s awesome,” said Lektorich. “I’m happy to get a school record at the same time knowing I’ve got two more years at it.”

Other champs were WV discus thrower Vinnie Pecht, U-Hi’s boys 400 relay team and Valley Christian hurdler Carmen Evans.

“She looked really relaxed in the prelims,” said coach Don Dicus.

Evans, seeded third in the State B finals, was ready following a restart of the race.

“By the third hurdle it was all Carmen,” said Dicus. “The field went down the track in a ‘V’, with Carmen in front.”

Her electronic time of 15.69 was a personal best.

Teased by the possibility of a State AA team championship at Star Track XV, West Valley’s boys fell just seven points short.

By her estimation, CV senior Whitney Schmaljohn did, too.

“I’m not running as fast as I should,” said the Bear sprinter after placing second in the 200.

But, in two days, she turned in a tremendous effort, competing in a total of eight races.

Saturday evening, shortly after running the 200, she added another 200 and a 400 while leading off two relay placers.

WV led team scoring into the final session of the meet, needing a second-place finish by Clayton Holmes in the 3,200 meters to pull it off. He took ninth and WV shared fourth place with 34 points.

“The kids did a great job. It’s the first time we’ve had any excitement in a long time,” said Eagle coach Jim McLachlan.

WV’s highest previous finishes were third in 1977 and fourth in 1974.

The night before, Holmes ran the school’s fourth-fastest all-time 1,600 meters to finish third, and might have run faster had he not been nearly tripped during race jockeying.

“Clayton was kind of the great performance of the meet,” said McLachlan.

Six of West Valley’s seven entrants scored points at state, but everything has to go just right to win a meet of this type.

“We were just a tick here or there away” from the title, McLachlan said.

Theirs was not the only strong effort during the soggy two days of competition in Tacoma.

Central Valley’s girls with 22 points and the Titan boys, with 20, finished ninth in Seattle. The Bear girls scored 19 of those points in three events that helped bring the meet to a close.

All told, 38 Valley athletes came home from various state meets with at least one medal.

A measure of EV’s dominance

East Valley’s girls tennis dominance was measured by its individual records.

The unbeaten, three-time Frontier League champions had unbeaten 10-0 league seasons from singles player Brooke Ruchert and the doubles team of Terra Matsuda and Tiffany Claridge.

Other doubles players, Lisa Werner and Tammy Hill, Jenny Frank and Leigh Halloran, with help from Brooke Demianew, were a combined 17-3.

Singles players Sharon Wentz, a state qualifier Vicki Welter and Daphne Willmschen each went 8-2.

State golf results

West Valley freshman Amy Wieber finished 16th in the State AA girls golf tournament with a two-day total of 176. Teammate Melanie Laroque was 22nd at 180.

East Valley’s Brian Miacolo finished among the top 40 in the boys tournament at 166, but WV’s Robert Murray, another qualifier, didn’t make the cut after the first day.

, DataTimes MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: STATE TRACK MEDALS

Central Valley Whitney Schmaljohn, 2nd in 200, 3rd in 800 relay, 4th in 1,600 relay, 6th in 400 relay; Stephanie Crace and Leslie Merideth, 3rd in 800 relay, 4th in 1,600 relay, 6th in 400 relay; Amanda Nickerson, 6th in 400 relay; Rebecca Kochendorfer, 3rd in 800 relay; Wendy Wagar, 4th in 1,600 relay; Josh Kruse, 6th in pole vault.

East Valley Jerry Claridge 4th in long jump, 6th in triple jump, 5th in 400 relay; Brandon Blize, Trevor Eastman and Adrian Likely, 5th in 400 relay; Ken Skogen, 4th in discus. Christy Blindauer, 8th in discus.

University Casey Lektorich, state champion in javelin; Julie Schroeder, 5th in long jump, 8th in triple jump; Jason Berger, 5th in 200, 4th in 1,600 relay, state champion in 400 relay; Tim Buchanan, 8th in 300 hurdles, 4th in 1,600 relay, state champion in 400 relay; Mike Turner and Anthony Buchanan, state champion in 400 relay; Paul Salcido and Jake Roberts, 4th in 1,600 relay.

West Valley Vinnie Pecht, state champion in discus; Clayton Holmes, 3rd in 1,600; Devion Tensley, 3rd in triple jump, 5th in long jump; Ryan Schroder, 4th in high jump; Ryan Stockton, 7th in shot put; Rick Collins, 8th in pole vault; Staci Adams, 4th in 300 hurdles, 4th in 400 relay, 5th in 800 relay; Cindy Simpson, Rhonda Barney, Erika Frampton, 4th in 400 relay, 5th in 800 relay.

Valley Christian Carmen Evans, state champion in 100 hurdles; J.J. Gass, 6th in discus; Jared Evans, 8th in 300 hurdles.

Freeman Sarah Pratt, 6th in 400, 5th in 1,600 relay; Sadie Kalstad, Jami Harless and Kim Davey, 5th in 1,600 relay.