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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Blair Memorial will host Redmon’s prep finale

Jazmine Redmon will lead the Metro team at the 17th annual Jack Blair Memorial game tonight.  (File)

Jazmine Redmon’s coaches at Mead will miss everything athletic about the three-sport standout.

Talk to the coaches for a couple of minutes, though, and they’ll spend more time talking about Redmon the person and not Redmon the athlete.

Take Mead girls track coach Dori Robertson. The Panthers were preparing for a meet that eventually would be snowed out and there Redmon was jumping up and down trying to catch snowflakes on her tongue.

“She’s the leader of our team, she’s the heart of our team, she’s the goofball of our team,” Robertson said.

Redmon’s athletic feats this year speak for themselves. She was in a class by herself: GSL defensive MVP in soccer, GSL MVP in basketball for a second straight year and a first-team all-league pick in track after helping Mead to a state championship.

She will conclude her spectacular high school career tonight when the Metro takes on the Region in the 17th annual Jack Blair Memorial game at University High. Tipoff is at 7:30.

The Region team broke through last year, winning for the first time in the series. Redmon, who will continue playing at Gonzaga University, is determined to keep the Region, which is favored, from beginning a winning streak of its own.

While most all-star games are low key, this one is anything but to Redmon.

“We’re going to make it a good game,” she said. “What happened last year isn’t going to happen again.”

Everything Redmon did this season had a golden touch. After the Panthers basketball team fell to Central Valley in the final regular-season game that decided the GSL title, Mead won nine straight including district and regional titles. Mead ended up playing in the state final, falling to Auburn Riverside in overtime.

Then in track, Redmon earned four medals at state including running a leg on the Panthers’ winning 1,600-meter relay and placing second in the 400.

Her final event at state track was the relay. After Baylee Mires secured the win, she and her relay teammates embraced. Redmon began to sob, realizing the finality of her prep career.

“They were tears of sadness and tears of joy,” she said. “It was a good way to end my senior year. That race was my most favorite. We were so happy to be state (team) champions. We wanted it last year.”

Mead basketball coach Regan Drew had a front-row seat during Redmon’s special career in which she started all four years.

“She’s just a great kid,” Drew said. “Her character is amazing. She’s caring to everyone around her. She had such a charismatic personality and was fun to be around. She has given so much of herself to the people around her.”

When the games began, though, something definitely switched in Redmon.

“She’s so driven,” Drew said. “An extreme competitor.”

Now that Redmon will be able to focus solely on one sport, Drew believes she has a huge upside.

“Her potential is still untapped,” Drew said.

Notes: Admission is $5 for adults and $4 for senior citizens and 11 year olds through high school. Children 10 and under are free. … Players will be available from 6:30 to 7 for autographs. … Shelby Cheslek of Pullman, who suffered a minor knee injury during track, will not play for the Region.

•Other players on the Metro team are: Jenni White of East Valley, Brooke Gallaway, Kelsey Matthews and Loree Hill of Central Valley, Devyn Galland and Hayley Hendricksen of Lewis and Clark, Lindsay Stockton and Tia Presley of Gonzaga Prep, Zoe Scott of University, Taylor Ingrebritsen of Mead, Riley Holsinger of North Central and Aleisha Hathaway of Shadle Park.

•Other players on the Region team are: Jordan Loera of Moses Lake, Dayna Drager, Kendalyn Brainard and Carli Rosenthal of Coeur d’Alene, Katelyn Loper of Post Falls, Katelyn Maley of Rosalia, Mackenzie Taylor of Freeman, Lexie Zappone of Lakeside (WA), Sydney Butler of Lake City and Shaniqua Nilles and Hannah Love of West Valley.