Hough Dances Into Record Books
Prep track
Katherine Hough is fast, but she isn’t fast enough to get to the prom on time.
The University speedster was at Spokane Falls Community College on Friday night, winning four events in the District 8/Taco Time Greater Spokane League track meet, which probably made her last at the Senior Prom.
After the Titans won the 4x200 relay, Hough and classmate Lora Auch kept on running, trying to get to the dance before the royalty, which included Hough, was introduced.
That capped a spectacular day for Hough, who won the 100 (12.16 electronic) for an unprecedented fourth straight year, came from behind to anchor the state’s best 4x100 relay team (49.08), won the 200 (25.85) and ran leadoff for the 800 relay (1:46.36).
“Four straight,” Hough said, shaking her head. “When (the announcer) said it, it kind of hit me. Wow. When he said that was the first time ever, it was icing on the cake.”
The win in the 4X1 was particularly satisfying for the Heather Silvey-Adrienne Wilson-AuchHough quartet since they had the fastest time last year until a blown exchange between Wilson and Auch knocked them out of districts.
“It bothered me a lot, a lot more than the rest of them,” Auch said. “That’s a big weight off our shoulders. When we came out Tuesday to practice, we had flashbacks. When the gun went off, it cleared my mind, but when she was getting in the blocks, my stomach … I was so nervous.”
Despite less than smooth exchanges on the cold, rainy night, the Titans ran a time that converted to a 43.9 hand-held, lowering their state-best by two-tenths of a second.
“We were real excited to come out and show everyone we could do it,” said Auch, a senior. “We’ve been waiting for this all year. That’s why there was a lot of pressure, too - this was our last chance.”
Once the first relay was over, the Titans relaxed and Wilson, who has been triple jumping for just a month, set a meet record with a 36-foot, 6-inch leap, erasing the 34-9 by Samara Lee of Rogers two years ago.
“I thought (the record) would be really high, like 37 or something,” said Wilson, who won by 2 feet. “I’m starting to get the middle phase down and I need to get up on the board.”
The first time Wilson tried the triple jump this year, she flew a school-record 34-11 on her first jump.
“I was pretty surprised,” she admitted. “I thought I’d be fairly good, but I didn’t know I’d be over 35. When I first started the triple jump, I did it for fun. I’m starting to enjoy it. I’d like to get over 37 feet. That would be awesome.”
Wilson won the long jump on Thursday (18-3) and was a fourtime winner since the same quartet runs the 4x1 and 4x2.
Two freshmen won district titles, Ferris’ Missy Blackshire in the 800 (2:17.78) and Central Valley’s Marie Cox in the high jump (5-1).
Boys
It was a day for speed, despite the weather.
Mead junior Matt Sturm, who had a groin injury midway through the season, is just rounding into shape, and it showed as he won the 100 (11.25), 200 (22.43) and anchored the 4x1 relay (42.98).
“I’ve been running 22.4 all year, this is the first time I broke that,” he said. “My coach and I believe I can go 21.9 and 10.9… . I’m getting there.”
The electronic times at SFCC are slower than hand-held, but converting them (subtract .24 in the 100 and 200 and round up to the nearest 10th), gives Sturm an 11.1 in the 100 and 22.2 in the 200.
“I’ve always believed I had a chance (to win district),” Sturm said.
Zach Ventress of Ferris, who ran the 3,200 unchallenged on Thursday night, got his race in the 1,600 as Mead’s Skiy DeTray blew past him at the start of the final lap to win convincingly in 4:15.07.
Mead’s Brian Buchanan was a double winner, adding the discus to the shot put he won Thursday.
Dana Harper had a big day, winning the 400 (49.69), finishing second in the 200, third in the 100 and advancing with 4x100 relay team.
What’s next
The GSL qualifiers, the top eight in individual events and top four in each relay, face off with the Big Nine next weekend at SFCC.
The second year of the Eastern AAA regional allows the GSL to pool its one berth to the state meet in Tacoma, with the two allotted to the Big Nine.
On Friday, field events begin at 5 p.m. and the time trials start at 6. The remaining field events begin at 10 a.m. Saturday, with running finals starting at 11 a.m.
The top three advance to the combined Class AAA/AA Star Track at Lincoln Bowl on May 26-27.
xxxx Road to State The top eight individuals in each event and top four relay teams from the District 8/Taco Time GSL track meet advance to the Eastern AAA regional meet at the SFCC track next week.