State track and field at a glance

A look at some of the top area qualifiers for the State 1A/2B/1B track and field championships at Eastern Washington University in Cheney today and Saturday starting at 10 a.m.

King’s should be in the hunt to defend the title it won easily last year, but local teams probably didn’t qualify enough to get a trophy. The top individual is Chewelah’s Will Lohman, the class leader in shot (third last year) and discus (first). Newport returns Josh Frye in the pole vault (eighth) as the classification leader and Lakeside’s Austin Stuchell (fourth) is back in the 800.

Chewelah won the title last year with four girls and could trophy with two. Liz Cobb in the sprints and jumps (seventh LJ, third TJ) could place in four events and Samantha Beamer was second in the 400 and seventh in the 200 as a freshman. Freeman’s Talia Neiman returns in the high jump (fourth).

Lind-Ritzville is the defending champion and is a threat to trophy again but will face stiff competition from Riverside Christian and Tacoma Baptist. Marshall Fryberger of L-R is the defending pole vault champion and Cory Whitmore tied for second in the high jump, where Warren Miller of St. John-Endicott/LaCrosse-Washtucna, also a ranked horizontal jumper, is the top seed. Jordan Bilodeaux qualified in both hurdles and placed in the 110s (third) for L-R and Cody Rios returns in the discus (sixth). Reardan’s Chace Bell was a top scorer in the 100 (sixth), 200 (fifth) and long jump (fifth) as a freshman and teammate Grant Schultz was second in the high jump. Valley Christian’s Jeff Pope is the defending champion in the 800 and 1,600.

It’s kind of a mixed bag because Tacoma Baptist won last year with a large majority of senior points. Newcomer Colfax could factor in with strong relays, hurdler Kayla Johnson and freshman distance runner Morgan Wilson. Katie Reidy of St. George’s was second in the 800 and 1,600 last year and Northwest Christian’s Lisa Vandenburg is the defending 3,200 champion and 1,600 placer (fifth). Liberty has a couple of contenders in 400 runner Kelly Hennessy and Teara Cornmesser in the shot put, both third last year. Cornmesser was sixth in the discus, with L-R’s Kelsey Art fifth. Davenport’s Mariah Mielke is back in the 100 hurdles (eighth) and L-R’s Suzzane Gust is back in the 300s (seventh).

Odessa is the defending champion and could be in the hunt again with speedster Travis King (100 third, 200 third, 300H second), distance runner Scott Stang (3,200 second), thrower Andy Read (SP fifth, discus fourth) and jumper Aaron Bruya (TJ second).

Trout Lake won last year and is favored again. Returning placers include Brandy Johnson of Columbia (Hunters) in the 100 (fourth) and shot (sixth); Curlew’s Kayla Engebretson in the 800 (fifth) and 3,200 (third) and Noel Meyer in the 800 (third) and 1,600 (third); Odessa’s Jessica Heimbigner in the high jump (fourth) and Mallarie Bramer in the shot (fourth) and javelin (third); and Northport’s Shyanne Wilson in the discus (second).