GSL dominant on opening day
Greater Spokane League track and field athletes are good – and getting better.
On the first day of the two-day Eastern 4A Regional meet at University on Friday, the GSL took advantage of perfect conditions to win all seven field events (four boys, three girls) and split firsts in the four running finals.
It started with a bang when Ferris junior Cameron Elisara threw the shot put 60 feet, 10 inches, a 3 1/2 -foot personal record over the 2-foot PR he had in winning district last week.
It ended with Mt. Spokane junior Megan O’Reilly, the two-time defending state champion in the 3,200 meters, winning in 10 minutes, 56.73 seconds, as GSL runners took three of the four state berths.
The boys 3,200 was just as impressive as Eisenhower’s Robbie Barany ran alone to win in 9:16.01 before the GSL took the next six spots.
Sean Coyle led the GSL charge with the CV sophomore just missing a 38-year old school record as the district champion lopped more than 10-seconds off his PR for the second straight week. Coyle ran 9:22.52. The Bears’ record of 9:22.2 – converted from a real two-mile – was set by Pete Whitford in 1967. Ferris’ Robert Cosby and Steve Olson also advanced.
Other highlights for the GSL included:
“Shadle Park’s Bryan Braman winning the long jump (23-1 3/4 ) with a 5-inch PR, the javelin (185-8) and helping the 400 relay team to first (42.63).
“Mead’s Bron Tomeo winning the pole vault (14-6) and then pushing the bar to 16-4 to go after the regional record.
“Shadle Park’s Catie Schuetzle adding a couple inches to her PR in winning the long jump (19-4 3/4 ) but falling a quarter-inch short of the regional record, which belongs to Kamiakin and Washington State star Fran Green, who competed in the 2004 U.S. Olympic Trials.
“Mead’s Corissa Hutchinson winning the discus (137-8).
“And Briann January of Lewis and Clark clearing 5-7 in the high jump for the third straight week and just missing at 5-8, which would be a Spokane prep record.
“This week I jumped really hard on Tuesday and I got 5-8 in practice,” she said. “Today my goal was 5-8. I’m sick of being close. I’m ready to get it. I’m going to state with that goal. I know I can.”
January won state last year at 5-6 and she didn’t get 5-7 until the league championship meet May 10.
“I was really pushed today, that was good,” she said. “My sprained ankle is getting better, I’m more comfortable with my form … everything is clicking. I haven’t felt this confident about getting a new height.”
She said her legs are fresher this year since she isn’t doing the long jump in the postseason.
Elisara was also feeling fresh since he didn’t throw the previous two days.
“I expected it,” he said. “In practice I hit a couple of 60’s and was consistently around 58-59, and I rested two days. I’ve been doing so many reps everything is coming together and I learned the benefit of rest. I used to throw hard the day before a meet and I didn’t have much left in me.”
Elisara won district with a throw of 57-3
“There’s more, I’d say I’ve got two or three more feet,” he said. “I should be a contender at state, that’s what I’m hoping for. Now I have a chance at state.”
Second went to Shadle Park’s Mitch Kamstra, who added 18 inches to his PR with a throw of 54-3, but the big man was happier with the 400 relay.
“That means more because those guys are my friends,” the lead leg said. “The shot put is for myself. We want to go 42.2, that’s the school record. If we just get our handoffs down, we have the speed.”
He got his winning put on his fifth throw, second in the finals, giving a little credit to Elisara, a rival since fifth grade.
“I just knew I had to PR. I knew in the finals everyone was going to step up,” he said. “I wasn’t nervous. I knew I could throw it. The weather cooperated and watching Elisara pop that big one got me pumped up. I was excited for him.”
The meet resumes this morning at 10:30 for field events and 11 for running events.