Prep track notebook: 4A, 3A regional meets loaded with talent

Historically, some of the top 4A and 3A track athletes each year come from Eastern Washington.

Right in the middle of the best are Greater Spokane League athletes.

So it’s difficult to fathom that when the Mid-Columbia Conference combines with the GSL this weekend just the top two finishers in each event in 4A and 3A earn state berths – unless they meet minimum state-qualifying standards, which are, in most cases, hard to reach.

Such is the way state allocations fall. Other sports, including cross country and wrestling, have similar beefs.

The 4A and 3A regional meets Friday and Saturday at Spokane Falls Community College will be fiercely competitive in most boys and girls events. Action begins Friday at 3:30 and resumes Saturday morning at 10:30.

One boys event that should be extra competitive is 4A high jump. Noah Martin of University leads the regional qualifiers from both conferences with a vault of 6 feet, 11 inches. But Mitchell Jacobson of Walla Walla (6-8), Max Sykes of Central Valley (6-7), Nick Johnson of Gonzaga Prep (6-6), Ben Craig of CV (6-5) and a host of others at 6-4 are in the mix for the two state berths.

The automatic state-qualifying jump is 6-6.

CV has four jumpers and Bears assistant coach Alan Wardworth has another four in the girls. The girls state-qualifying minimum is 5-4½.

The Mead and Hanford boys are the defending regional champs and the CV and Kamiakin girls are the defending champs.

Kamiakin girls, who are favored to win a fourth straight state title, should run away from the field. CV is favored to defend in 4A. In the boys, Walla Walla, Richland, CV and Ferris will be in the mix in 4A, while Mt. Spokane and Kamiakin should tussle for team honors in 3A.

• The 2A regional meet is Friday at West Valley, beginning at 3:30.

The top three in each event advance to state.

• The District 7 1A meet is Friday and Saturday at Riverside. The meet begins at 3 on Friday and resumes at 11 on Saturday.

The top three in each event advance to state.

• The 2B and 1B regional meets are Friday at Central Valley, beginning at 11.

The top five boys and top four girls in both classifications earn state berths.

Idaho state leftovers

What the GSL is in Washington in terms of quality, the Southern Idaho Conference (Boise area) is to Idaho state track.

Boise-area athletes captured 29 of 36 state titles at the 5A and 4A meets last weekend.

Few titles went to North Idaho athletes, but those who broke through were outstanding.

Consider:

• Kaitlyn Gunnerson of Coeur d’Alene defended her title in the 100-meter hurdles with a personal-best time of 14.39 seconds. She took second in the 300 hurdles in 43.96, another personal best.

“I felt great between the hurdles,” Gunnerson said of the shorter of the two races.

The pace of the meet seemed to move along like a sprint, much to the consternation of the coaches.

Gunnerson had just run the anchor leg on the 400 relay when she had to do the 300.

“I hadn’t fully caught my breath,” said Gunnerson, who is headed to Brigham Young University. “I’m a little disappointed I didn’t win, but after hearing my time it’s OK.”

• Maddison Ward of Lake City defended her title in the 100 (12.20) but fell short of a threepeat in the 200 (25.18).

In the 100, she was in second until about the 80-meter mark when she found another gear. It was a personal best.

“It felt slow,” Ward said. “It definitely felt like a funky race. I wasn’t so much concerned because I know I have pull-away speed.”

Maddison Lung of Boise beat Ward in the 200.

“It wasn’t my best, but I have a lot more ahead of me in life,” said Ward, who is headed to Idaho State. “I’m not heartbroken over it.”

• Quinn Mitchell of LC followed up a runner-up finish in the shot on Friday with a state title in the discus (166-1) on Saturday. He bettered his school record in the discus.

His first attempt in the discus was barely 122 feet. He found his form two throws later.

“I was talking to my throws coach, Bart Templeman, and he said stay low and stay relaxed and when you get to the front punch it and let it fly,” said Mitchell, who is headed to Idaho.

• Idaho has also landed CdA sprinter Victoria Goetz, who took second in the 400 at state, and hurdlers Zion Stuffle of Lewiston and Mack Baxter of West Valley.

That’s quite a class for the Vandals. Stuffle, who pulled his hamstring at regionals and couldn’t compete at state, and Baxter are two of the top hurdlers in the Pacific Northwest.