CV’s Kearan Nelson outduels LC’s Katie Thronson in district track showdown

Competition doesn’t always ruin friendships – sometimes it makes them stronger.

Central Valley senior Kearan Nelson said she and Lewis and Clark’s Katie Thronson, a junior, have created a friendship on the track that has only grown stronger over the past three years.

Nelson said that Thronson’s speed has kept her driving for better times in the throughout her high school career.

“We push each other,” Nelson said. “I don’t think I’d be as fast if I didn’t have her to race.”

All season, Nelson and Thronson have fought for the top spot in the 1,600-meter race. Nelson had a slight edge over Thronson heading into the District 8 4A track and field meet on Thursday with a season-best 5 minutes, 8.67 seconds. That barely topped Thronson’s time of 5:08.99.

“Her (Nelson) and Katie, they run stride for stride all the time, so it can change from week to week,” Central Valley head coach Geoff Arte said. “ But it helps, I think, to have that competition around.”

The two met again Thursday at Spokane Falls Community College, where the top nine finishers in 10 final events would advance to the regionals in Richland next week.

Nelson got the best of Thronson and took the top spot in the 1,600 with a career-best 5:04.96.

Thronson finished second, nearly 4 seconds behind Nelson. Thronson’s tied her best time at 5:08.99.

“It’s been a lot of years since I’ve won a district race,” Nelson said. “(It’s) just nice to end my senior year on that.”

Nelson’s teammate, sophomore Ryan Kline, will be joining her in Richland as the top seed in the boys 1,600. Kline finished with a career-best 4:16.83 for the Bears. His time puts him in third on Central Valley’s all-time 1,600 list.

Lewis and Clark’s girls 4x200-meter relay team barely took first place over Central Valley, finishing at 1:42:15. The Bears, featuring a pair of sophomores, one junior and a senior, crossed the line at 1:42.70.

Mead’s Amanda Chan is on her way to defending her state championship title. The senior took first in the high jump (5 feet, 4 inches). Central Valley’s Hailey Christopher, who is tied with Chan for a season-best 5-6, finished second (5-2).

Senior Collin Grosse won the boys discus for Mead (147- 1/2). He was followed by Central Valley senior Erik Fitzgerald (146-5) and Ferris junior Malachi Areta (139-9).

Top seed Joseph Heitman finished first at the long jump for Mead (21-10 1/2). The junior beat out Tay Davis’ mark of 21-1 1/4 for Lewis and Clark.

Central Valley’s Samara Nelson topped her competitors by several feet on the shot put. Her first-place mark (40-5 1/2) beat the next best by more than 4 feet (Lewis and Clark’s Arianna Reeves, 36-2).

Lewis and Clark junior Maya Lebar will move onto Richland next week to compete in the girls triple jump as a top seed after finishing first at 37-0.

Ferris senior Chrissy Fitzgerald topped her best mark by nearly 7 feet in the javelin. Fitzgerald took first (127-5) and Central Valley senior Sierra Brady finished second (127-1).

Senior Clay Somes brought Ferris another first-place win when he cleared 15-0 in the pole vault, tying his best this season. His teammate, senior Travis Herrera, took second (13-6).