Tigers on prowl again

The Timberlake High boys track team has captured two state titles in the last three years, including the state championship last season.

The year Timberlake didn’t take state, it placed third. The best, perhaps, may be yet to come.

“What I’ve told them is it’s fair to say that this is the best track team that Timberlake has ever had,” Tigers coach Brian Kluss said. “I can’t lie to them. They know what we have coming back.”

Timberlake is the lone area team that will likely challenge for a state title. A handful of others should contend for trophies (the top four teams earn trophies).

Leading a talented core of returners is two-time 3A state cross country champ Frank Lagrimanta. The Montana State University-bound Lagrimanta wasn’t challenged as he cruised to state titles last year in the 1,600 meters and 3,200, and he anchored the winning medley relay.

Lagrimanta will likely repeat without being challenged again, if his dominating repeat in cross country is an indication.

“He would like to make a run at a couple of state-meet records,” Kluss said.

The 1,600 and 3,200 records are held by former Bonners Ferry standout and current Boise State University runner Forest Braden. Braden’s records, which were set in 2002, are 4:18.59 in the 1,600 and 9:15.63 in the 3,200. He ran those times essentially unchallenged.

Lagrimanta’s best times are about 10 and 20 seconds behind Braden’s 1,600 and 3,200 times, respectively.

“I’m running close to the 9:30s in the 3,200 and he was running about those times at this time his senior year,” Lagrimanta said.

Lagrimanta knows that if he hopes to break the records he will have to do so by himself.

“I had to deal with it last year,” Lagrimanta said. “I got the hang of running for time not for place. It’s still going to be difficult, but I think I have a chance. I will be working on speed until the end of the season.”

As for the team, Lagrimanta sees several other teammates scoring multiple points and challenging for state titles.

“We’ve got a lot of power,” Lagrimanta said. “We’ve got a lot more depth than last year.”

Junior Levi Powers is the Tigers’ other returning individual state champ. Powers took gold in the triple jump. He tied the school record with a jump of 42 feet, 9 inches last Saturday, eclipsing his winning mark at state by 2 ½ inches.

Kluss sees Powers posting marks well into the 43-foot range and maybe beyond.

“I don’t know if we’ve had a kid in his particular events that’s worked as hard as him,” Kluss said of Powers, who also started at quarterback last fall for the Tigers’ league champion football team.

Powers hopes to contend for state titles in the long jump and 300 hurdles. He’ll also run a leg on the 1,600 relay.

“He could do a number of events,” Kluss said. “He could run a leg on the (400) relay. He could run an open 400.”

Leading a deep sprint crew is junior Nick Puckett, a starter with Powers in the backfield last fall and the Tigers’ school-record leading rusher. Puckett will do the 100 and 200 and run on the 400 and 1,600 relays.

Kluss decided to move Puckett out of the 400 and into the 100. The coach’s decision was confirmed two weeks ago when Puckett ran an electronic time that converted to an 11.0 at the Christina Finney meet.

Other top returners who will be counted on at state are senior John Macklin (pole vault/hurdles), senior Casey Denton (sprints/relays), senior Chris Anderson (sprints/relays), junior Josh Malloy (jumps/relays) and junior Josh Goodman (sprints/relays). Kluss named a handful of others who potentially could score depth points as well.

Timberlake scored 79 points last year, just edging Shelley (77). Kluss said Shelley returns three key athletes who could account for about 70 points. But the Tigers will push the 100-point mark.

“If we stay healthy, we’ll take down more state points than last year,” Kluss said. “We’ve got a number of kids who will score points in a variety of ways.”