Alamillo takes 1st place again
EAGLE, Idaho – Nikole Alamillo didn’t have her best day, but she had a better day than her competitors in the discus.
The Sandpoint junior repeated as state champion, climbing from fourth place to first with a throw of 119 feet, 1 inch on her fifth attempt Friday on the opening day of the Idaho 4A State track and field meet at Eagle High School.
The Bulldogs closed out a strong first day with second-place finishes in the boys and girls 3,200 meters. Mikhaela Woodward covered the eight laps in 11 minutes, 35.27 seconds, finishing behind Jerome’s Jasmine Nesbitt (11:30.76). Pocatello’s Elijah Armstrong won the boys race in 9:15.32, followed by Sandpoint’s Sam Levora (9:32.59).
“They (Woodward and Levora) were awesome,” Bulldogs coach Dave DeMers said. “They both have a great work ethic.”
Sandpoint girls are in fourth place with 18 points. Rigby is first with 30. Moscow’s boys are second with 23 points, one behind Kuna. Sandpoint is seventh with 12 points.
“We’re so pleased at how our kids competed and put up personal bests,” DeMers said. “It was a great day.”
Next year, Alamillo will have a chance to match her mother, Laura, the Sandpoint throws coach who won the shot put three times and the discus once for the Bulldogs in the early 1990s.
Alamillo’s first throw traveled just 96 feet. She followed with a pair of 111s and more frustration before delivering her winning throw.
“I’m blaming the wind, but it really wasn’t. I was just really nervous and couldn’t get that release down,” Alamillo said. “I was getting mad because I really wanted to get first. It would be kind of embarrassing to get first last year and fourth this year so I was pumped.”
Alamillo won last year with a throw of 126-0. Her personal best is 131. Kuna’s Liz Garcia took second at 117-0, followed by Lupi Vasi of Skyview at 113-9.
“I was happy, smiling,” said Alamillo, after her last competitor’s throw was measured. “I’m kind of bummed it was only 119, but I’m happy.”
Jerry Cook was a member of Moscow’s medley relay team that placed sixth at state a year ago. He remembers going out too fast and having little left on his 800-meter anchor leg. He didn’t make the same mistake again. Cook closed strong, moving past a Nampa counterpart and into first place with roughly 50 meters left. Nampa finished second in 3:34.22.
“I focused on running an even race,” said Cook, who joined Alex Lewis, Evan Lunning and younger brother Joey Cook for a time of 3:32.34. “At the 200-meter mark I still had the energy and I knew I could do it.”
Moscow’s Lewis took second in the triple jump (42-8¼).
Sandpoint’s Tim Prummer had the top boys 400-meter time (50.45) in the preliminaries. The Bulldogs’ Lily DeAragon advanced the girls 400-meter final with a 1:00.51, third overall, and in the 200 (26.06).
Lakeland’s Michael Olson’s 15.52 in the 110-meter hurdle prelims was the second-fastest overall time. Moscow’s Chase Lanham qualified for the finals in the 100 (11.05) and 200 (22.81).
Other 4A top-eight placers: Moscow’s Brian Adona (fourth, discus, 147-09); Sandpoint’s Grant Kennaly (fifth, pole vault, 12-6); Moscow girls sprint medley (sixth, 1:55.08); and Moscow’s Katie Stubbers (seventh, 3,200 meters, 11:54.59).