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

Area Athletes Make Comebacks For State Berths

What makes track meets great is, when athletes fall, physically or emotionally, they can pick themselves up and keep going.

That seemed to be the theme at the Eastern AAA regional track meet at Central Valley on Saturday, where the top three in each event qualified for state next weekend in Tacoma.

Ferris senior Isaac Hawkins crashed and burned in a wild start to the boys 1,600 meters. But on the restart, he got away safely and went on to win his second event.

Central Valley freshman Stephanie Crace crashed and skidded in a dramatic 800-meter relay but returned 40 minutes later with her best-ever leg on a state-qualifying 1,600 relay.

Mead senior Jamie Wakefield crashed emotionally in her best event but came back a day later with a determined win in the long jump.

That trio highlighted a two-day meet - held in conjunction with the Northeast A District 7 meet - that had six double winners in individual events and 11 records.

In the fourth year of the regional, Greater Spokane League boys and Big Nine girls had the edge. GSL boys took 32 of 51 state berths and won 12 of 17 events. On the girls side, the Big Nine had a 30-21 edge and 10 champions. GSL athletes also got caught in the disappointing fourth spot 19 of 34 times.

Boys

Hawkins’ crash at the start of the 1,600 was scary because he easily had the best time in the state. However, he quickly picked himself up, shrugged off help and was ready to try again.

He led for 2-1/2 laps on the restart before Jon Caballero of North Central took the lead. But in the last 200 meters he gutted it out to edge Jason Fayant of Mead. Caballero was third but was disqualified for elbowing Richland’s Eric Allwine just as he was starting his move at Hawkins.

Hawkins, who won the 3,200 Friday, wasn’t fazed, improving his state-best by 2 seconds to 4-minutes, 13.90, a half-second ahead of Fayant.

“No, I think if anything it helped,” Hawkins said of the fall, checking out about five big scrapes. “It startled me, got me going.”

His coach Mike Hadway was impressed.

“You answered a question,” he said to Hawkins. “You’ve been running by yourself all year. If you were challenged, we didn’t know how you would handle it.”

Earlier, University’s Jason Berger, who was second in the 200, won the 100 in 10.9. He had set a meet record of 10.83 in Friday’s prelims. He also ran on the record-setting 400 relay on Friday and the No. 2 1,600 relay Saturday.

“I was pretty happy with (the meet),” he said. “In the 200 I kind of tightened up (as Sylve went by). That’s the only thing I’m disappointed in. I ran a good 100, all the races are starting to take their toll.”

Teammate Tim Buchanan is going to state in three events, the relays and as the 300-hurdle champion.

The only other three-event qualifier is Ferris junior Tyrone Asterino. He won the 110 high hurdles in 14.76 and was third in the 300 hurdles after finishing third in the long jump Friday.

“My 110s surprised me. I thought I had a bad time but it came out OK,” he said. “In the 300s, Tim beat me pretty good, he’s 3-0 against me. I have a lot of respect for him. I look forward to state but it’s going to take a lot to beat him.”

Girls

Wakefield was the best long and triple jumper in the GSL all season until being passed the last two weeks, finishing third in both at district.

Then on Friday night she finished fifth in the triple.

“It was a tough two weeks. … I felt like I was failing,” she said. “I think I carried some of that from basketball,” she said. “For a while I let myself think (I didn’t want to long jump) but I said if I’m going to come out here I would do the best I could.”

She responded with a 17-footer on her first jump and was left to wonder what went wrong the first day.

“I have no idea. I didn’t feel like I was doing bad. I don’t know why I wasn’t going as far as normal,” she said. “I kind of had a vengeance. I didn’t let myself think about not making it.”

Crace went down after running the second 200 of the 800 relay and didn’t see Leslie Meredith hold off Pasco’s record-breaking freshman Bree Skinner in a stirring stretch run.

“That was so scary,” Meredith said. “I knew she was right on my heels the whole way.”

Crace, severely scraped up, came back to help CV run 3:55.6 in the 1,600, a second-below their state best, only to see Kennewick run a phenomenal 3:53.3.

Two weeks ago, no 1,600 relay team was below 4 minutes. But Richland ran 3:59.89 and didn’t make state as Lewis and Clark’s record-setting 400 runner Teresa Brooks rallied the Tigers to third.

Brooks ran the 400 in 55.85 and is ready for more.

“I’m very, very happy,” the sophomore said. “I think I’ve got a lot more left. Now I’ve got to push my goal to 54. I wasn’t really surprised. I prayed about it, I had faith and I did it. I’m really close to my peak.”

Bree won the 100 in 12.27, setting the record of 12.17 on Friday, and followed with a record 24.61 in the 200. Senior teammate Nanette Allen won both hurdles.

The other double winners were Jennifer Smith of Ferris in the distances and Beth Hansen of Kennewick in the shot put and discus.

, DataTimes