Gsl Off To Blazing Start In Aaa Track Victories For Mead’s Beatty, Detray And University’s Girls 400 Relay Team Mark First Day Of Star Track

They saved the best for last, from Allison Beatty’s final throw in the javelin to the University girls 400 relay team to Mead’s dominating one-two punch of Skiy DeTray and Micah Davis in the boys 1,600 meters.

During a blazing afternoon and perfect evening for Star Track XIII at Lincoln Bowl on Friday, Greater Spokane League track and field athletes won three championships, got most of the points they expected plus a few more and pushed potential champions through the preliminaries.

Mead’s Beatty was first, throwing the javelin 148 feet, 10 inches on her first attempt, which would have held up as the winning mark, and then upping her personal record and nation-leading best to 152-7 on her last toss.

The U-Hi girls were next, coasting through a smooth preliminary then roaring home in the finals, edging surprising Mead, thanks to the customary awesome anchor of Katherine Hough. The quartet of Heather Silvey, Lora Auch, Adrienne Wilson and Hough lowered their state-leading time to 48.48 seconds, just a tick ahead of Mead’s 48.57.

Finally, DeTray and Davis hooked up with Erik Mickelson of Newport and Zach Ventress of Ferris in a stirring 1,600 that left DeTray with the fastest outdoor time in the nation at 4 minutes, 8.51 seconds and positioned the Panthers to defend their state title in the boys State AAA championships.

The Panthers have 32 points, 13 ahead of Curtis and 14 up on Tumwater.

River Ridge has virtually locked up the girls race with 25 points and great potential in four events today. Mead and Kamiakin are tied at 21 with University and Lakes at 20. Both the Panthers and the Titans could pick up trophies when the meet concludes today.

Boys

DeTray called it a gamble, but that seems to be a stretch when it comes to Mead’s distance runners.

Ventress wiped out the effects of a slow second lap, which produced a 2:06 half-mile, with a stunning sub-minute third lap. Then, with 300 meters to go, Mickelson, defending state champion in the 800, blasted past everyone. DeTray responded first with Davis right behind him and by the home stretch, it was just another Panthers parade.

“I was surprised it didn’t happen sooner, he has an awesome kick,” Davis said of Michelson’s surge. “I’ve raced him before. You have to keep in mind there’s more race to go. It was good, it got us running faster.”

Davis just missed his goal of 4:08, finishing in 4:09.15. Ventress also improved his best to 4:13.21, despite finishing fourth. Mickelson went 4:11.93. ” The two Panthers are favored to duplicate that 18-point knockout punch tonight.

Even a disappointing relay couldn’t wipe the smile off Matt Sturm’s face. He got the Panthers a bonus point as a surprising finalist in the 100. After a hand-held 10.9 for fourth in his heat, he stumbled during the final and finished eighth in 11.35 (electric) behind the 10.55 of Gabe Garrett of River Ridge.

That made up for a 400 relay team that, after a first-place run in the prelims, ran fourth in the final, although their time only increased from 42.67 to 42.78 with no smooth handoffs.

“It was one happy but frustrating day,” Sturm said. “I thought the 100 would be my disappointment and the relay would be happy. It just flipped on me. That’s okay. I still have next year.”

So does University high jumper Craig Allen, who hurt his left knee when he slipped on an approach at 6-4 and went out with a 6-2. He has a best of 6-10.

Meanwhile, Mead got six points from Curt Bergheim for his third-place at 6-8, despite a sore back. He skipped 6-9 and went out at 6-10.

“My rule of thumb is to go up 2 inches. I didn’t think going up 1 inch was very beneficial,” he said. About that time, his back flared up and his tape mark to start his approach stuck on someone’s shoe. He was also jumping with a dandy spike mark on his left calf, thanks to a jump at 6-4.

Mead’s Brian Buchanan finished 52-7 in the<X shot put. The only other GSL points went to Central Valley for Joel Gehrett’s sixth-place 13-6 pole vault. CV’s state-leading 1,600 relay team made it to the finals, though Kent-Meridian took over the state lead at 3:21.58.

Girls

Beatty had to weather a boring wait of almost 2 hours because the javelin runway didn’t meet standards. Then, after her first throw, she had to stay focused when she wasn’t challenged.

Second was Shelly Massingale of Kennewick, who threw 140-9 after winning at 142-11 last year. Beatty was second at 129-1.

When Beatty, a junior, finally beat Massingale, her goal solidified.

“I hoped I could be state champion at the beginning of the year,” she said. “I believed it in Pasco.”

But winning wasn’t going to be enough.

“I was mad,” she said. “You know me by now. If I don’t PR, I’m mad. My goal was to win state, but I also like to PR.”

The U-Hi relay team did the same, helping Hough wipe out a fourth-place finish in one of the most impressive 100-meter fields in years. Fran Green of Kamiakin, who lost last year in a photo finish after being announced as the winner, won in 11.96. Second was Marzette Penton of Lakes in 11.04, followed by LaShonda Christopher of River Ridge in 12.09 and Hough in 12.23.

But in the 400 relay Hough and the Titans got what they wanted in an event they’ve dominated since being disqualified a year ago in districts.

The Titans were trailing Mead by 10 meters when Hough got the baton.

“We know if we’re behind at the handoff, she come through for us,” Silvey said. “She always does.”

Wilson added a fourth in the long jump, going 17-10 to three-time winner Christopher’s 19-7, a foot beyond Penton. Mead’s Emily Thompson picked up sixth in the 3,200. Fawn Green of Rogers, who was surprised to make state in the discus, came through with a sixth place at 119-10.