May 2, 2008 in Sports

Vikings girls dash to title

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It’s been 17 years since a Coeur d’Alene High girls track team won a regional championship.

Judging by the Vikings’ showing in the Inland Empire League championship meet Thursday, the drought should end in two weeks.

Coeur d’Alene’s girls, behind freshman long-distance ace and double winner Kinsey Gomez, scored 145.25 points to top runner-up Lakeland by 33 points.

Lake City’s boys, meanwhile, behind their usually strong showing in the distance races, scored 163 points to hold off runner-up Lewiston (150.5) in the best conditions for a meet this spring.

Gomez, the State 5A cross country champ last fall, cruised to victories in the 1,600 and 3,200 meters. Her time of 11 minutes, 29.68 seconds topped the field by nearly 31 seconds faster. About 31/2 hours later, she won by nearly 12 seconds in the 1,600 (5:19.85), a season best.

“This is good preparation for state,” Gomez said. “I’m just doing this to get faster for cross country. I like it better than track.”

Former Valley Christian coach Linda Lanker, who is in her second season coaching girls in the sprints, hurdles and relays at CdA, has made an obvious impact. The Vikings’ 400 relay foursome of Faith Hazard, Hanna Johnson, Kelsey Wheeler and Taryne Ela shaved another half second off its school record with a winning time of 51.42, while the medley relay, featuring Hazard, Wheeler, Ela and Dayna Drager, won in 1:54.67.

“I’m so thrilled that they’re improving so much,” Lanker said. “This is what I love – seeing the kids improve like this. This program hasn’t had a lot of attention.”

John Coyle was a double winner for LC. Coyle, a former wrestler, broke out his singlet from his sophomore season and had a season-best and meet-record 1:57.46 in the 800. He returned to his normal running uniform later when he edged teammate C.J. Helbling by 1.24 seconds in the 1,600 (4:24.65, breaking his meet mark).

“That’s just John. He does stuff like that,” LC coach Kelly Reed said of Coyle breaking out his wrestling singlet. “I don’t care what he wears as long as he runs like that. Overall I’m pleased. I think things are setting up well (for regionals).”

Helbling won the 3,200 in a meet-record 9:42.23.

Lakeland’s girls showed they’re the favorite at regionals among the 4A teams. Camille Reynolds, Melissa Phillips, Kari Rucker and Blythe Jones combined to run a school-record 4:09.92 in the 1,600 relay. It also broke a meet record (4:10.14).

Reynolds also broke a meet record in the 300 hurdles as she smoked past Johnson of CdA to finish in 46.60. The previous IEL record was 47.72.

Kristine Leonard of Lakeland was a double winner in the throws. She threw a personal-best 130 feet, 101/2 inches in the discus and put the shot 36-31/2.

Other double winners were: Desi Hutchings of Sandpoint in the 200 (26.87) and 400 (1:00.41, a meet record); Rebecca Anderson of Lewiston in the long jump (16-41/2) and triple jump 33-0); and Tiffany Kuehn of LC in the high jump (5-2) and 100 hurdles (16.76).

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