Dave Trimmer

PASCO – Oh, there were emotions, from elation to anger and a delightful mixture of both. On a bright, warm and breezy Friday at Edgar Brown Stadium Greater Spokane League 4A athletes had a good day – but not as great as some expected at Star Track XXIII.

The senior who knew what to expect really didn't expect to win, but the freshman who didn't know any better didn't expect anything less. The State 2A/1A/B track meets kicked off at Eastern Washington University's Woodward Field Thursday evening with St. George's senior Kirsten Fix and Pullman freshman Cory Druffel among the winners, grabbing gold in the girls B and 2A 1,600-meter races, respectively.

From the expected coronation of Becca Noble as "Queen of the 400" to the potential domination of the B boys sprints by Northport speedster Chad Butorac, the track season concludes this weekend with a host of story lines for area athletes. More intriguing than the possibility of Noble becoming the third Spokane athlete – second in the largest classification – to win the same event three consecutive years is the highly anticipated matchup between the Rogers senior and Brie Felnagle of Bellarmine Prep in the 800 meters during the State 4A and 3A meet in Pasco beginning Friday.

RICHLAND – North Central had never been to a state softball tournament. Not once in the 14 years the Greater Spokane League has played fastpitch; never in the years before that when the game was slowpitch.

Greater Spokane League track and field athletes are good – and getting better. On the first day of the two-day Eastern 4A Regional meet at University on Friday, the GSL took advantage of perfect conditions to win all seven field events (four boys, three girls) and split firsts in the four running finals.

It was a beautiful day, a perfect day for second chances and last chances, and Greater Spokane League track and field athletes took advantage. David Howard, plagued all season with poor health, won the shot put and the Cheney boys 400-meter relay team, disqualified last week at the District 8 track meet, won handily to highlight the first day of the Eastern 3A Regional meet at University on Friday.

It was a sight never seen before. Nine runners were pounding down the homestretch of the boys 3,200 meters at the District 8 4A track meet Thursday night at University when a white-shirted Central Valley runner catapulted out of the crowd and won the sprint to the finish line.

Eleaya Schuerch and Mark Simpson knew their time was coming but time was running out. The track season is on the homestretch – the three weeks of postseason competition commencing at University Thursday evening with the District 8 3A meet – and neither one had reached their goals.

Alli Bennett has been the head cheerleader for Garfield-Palouse for years. Although her current title is athletic director, Bennett, who was recently diagnosed with terminal cancer, is much more than that to almost every student who went through Garfield and Gar-Pal in the last three decades.

The three-week chase for gold in Pasco or Cheney begins this week with league track meets for most area schools. Most casual fans will focus on the District 8 4A and 3A meets at University, where a couple of the best athletes in the nation and state history start their quest. Action today and Friday begins at 3:30 p.m. with field events and 4:30 for running events.

Eastern Washington University athletic director Scott Barnes returned from interviewing for the same position at Fresno State with a good feeling. However, he had no feel for when he might hear from his alma mater with good – or bad – news.

Not wanting to jeopardize the momentum from four weeks of solid progress, Eastern Washington University football coach Paul Wulff plans to keep things simple for this afternoon's final spring scrimmage. "We're going to keep it basic," Wulff said Friday, on the eve of the Eagles' Red and White Game. "I'm not sure if we have enough healthy kids to truly create two teams. We're especially thin at receiver and it's a struggle to fill our two-deep at some positions."

The waiting is over and the nerves have been erased. Eastern Washington University football players who had the difficult task of sitting out last season's run to the Big Sky Conference title and the second round of the I-AA playoffs as redshirts are now making their marks.