Farragut Host To Several Top Area Runners

The Farragut Invitational, which features races for junior high runners and citizens with two prep meets the size of some state-qualifying races, will be held Saturday at Farragut State Park in Idaho.

The park is located about 25 miles north of Coeur d’Alene, just east of U.S. Highway 95, near Athol. The meet’s hosts are Lake City and Coeur d’Alene high schools.

Many top teams from Eastern Washington, the Boise area and North Idaho will compete.

The meet is divided into two divisions, A (for schools generally with enrollment of 800 or more students) and B (for schools with less than 800). Some of the top small schools usually opt to race in the A division.

The 11-race schedule begins at 9 a.m. The varsity races begin with the B girls at 12:30 p.m., followed by the B boys at 1:10, the A girls at 1:40 and the A boys at 2:20.

The defending team champs are Chewelah (A boys), Ferris (A girls), Lakeside of Nine Mile Falls, Wash. (B boys) and Riverside (B girls).

The 3.1-mile course, which overlooks picturesque Lake Pend Oreille, offers several viewing points. The course’s signature - the 150-meter “goat hill” - grabs runners’ attention at the 2-mile mark, often forcing them to crawl up the hill.

A $3 fee will be charged to each vehicle entering the state park. That’s an increase of $1 from previous years.

Prep people

Paul Cooley, who retired from Rogers High last June after 30 years of teaching, is the new softball coach at Gonzaga Prep.

Cooley replaces Denise Schlepp, who resigned.

Cooley was 175-95 in 13 years as head coach of the Pirates. Rogers finished second at the 1995 State AAA fastpitch tournament.

In another change at G-Prep, Carl Bruscoe replaces Sid Wang as boys tennis coach.

Hanford’s streak ends

West Valley (Yakima) topped Hanford 3-1 on Sept. 16, handing the Falcons their first Yakima Valley girls soccer loss since 1986.

Hanford’s league record since ‘86 is 146-1-2.

Read about Reardan

Brad Soliday of Reardan is the new boys basketball coach at Manson.

Soliday replaces Joe Teague, whose young Trojans won one of three games at last March’s State B Tournament. The losses were to eventual champion Republic and Almira/Coulee-Hartline (fourth place).

Also from Reardan, senior James Kiger has transferred from the Bi-County League school to Cheney of the Frontier League.

Kiger, 6-foot-3, averaged 14 points per game as Reardan finished second in the State B tourney last winter.

Cheney, new to the 3A classification, finished second at last March’s State AA tournament.

Highlander highlights

A well-meaning young lady asked Emily Hawkins of Ferris how she did in last Saturday’s varsity girls race at Shadle Park’s Highlander Invitational.

“Uh, I won,” Hawkins deadpanned.

Speaking of Hawkins, some people at the meet thought the second-place finisher in the senior boys race was her younger brother. The young man in question, Ferris senior Dan Schruth, indeed bears a resemblance to former Saxons state champion Isaac Hawkins.

Ben Hawkins, 11th in the freshman race, is much stockier than his older siblings.

Lewis and Clark girls coach Wes Marburger didn’t agonize over his team’s sixth-place finish. LC, ranked No. 1 coming in, was hurt when Jamie Borgan couldn’t keep racing because of an inflamed knee. Borgan placed fourth at state last year.

Miscellany

Lewis and Clark principal Mike Howsom is the District 8 representative on the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association executive Board. Howsom replaces Steve Hogue, who retired as principal at Mead. Hogue was on the board seven years and was president in 1995-96. … Liberty Christian in Richland has joined the Blue Mountain League (B) in volleyball and girls and boys basketball. … Lincoln High School in Wallingford, on the north side of Seattle, closed in 1981. It opened this year as Ballard High School. Ballard moved into the old school while a new school is being built.

, DataTimes