North Idaho Track
INLAND EMPIRE LEAGUE
COEUR D’ALENE VIKINGS
Coach: Bryan Duncan
Top returners: Chris Cole, sr., distances; Gretchen Hammerberg, sr., pole vault; Brenda Nipp, sophomore, 400/relays; Luke Lee, sr., high jump; Carrie Eggleston, jr., distances/relays; Kim Pearson, sr., discus; Kari Newby, sr., distances; Sarah Ambrose, soph., relays; Colleen Frei, soph., relays.
Newcomers: John Foxx, soph., distances; Eva Unruh, freshman, distances; Kyle Hart, jr., distances; Kristine Hull, jr., hurdles.
Outlook: The turnout was improved, but the Viks don’t appear to have the depth to contend for regional championships. The girls team returns most talent and depth. Duncan, a CdA High grad, becomes the third coach in three years. Such turnover hasn’t helped continuity, but Duncan should be around for a while.
LAKE CITY TIMBERWOLVES
Coach: Donna Messenger
Top returners: Bryce Knight, sr., middle distances; Matt Lider, sr., jumps/relays; Brian Schultz, sr., relays; Jason Tomme, sr., middle distances; Cassandra Gulam, jr., hurdles; Molly Gerber, sr., hurdles.
Newcomers: Mike Duff, fresh., hj; Katie Hawn, soph., 400/relays; Shannon Conley, fresh., sprints.
Outlook: The Timberwolves boast one of the largest turnouts in the region with nearly 100 athletes. “We’ll definitely be stronger than last year, but how strong remains to be seen,” Messenger said. Still, LC should have two of the region’s top individuals in Knight and Lider.
POST FALLS TROJANS
Coach: Wade Quesnell
Top returners: Shannon Siverson, sr., jumps/hurdles; Austin Lee, jr., throws; Josh Mort, jr., sprints/relays; Shaun Michael, jr., sprints/relays; Jennifer Swanstrom, soph., sprints/relays; Jessica Waltz, jr., relays; Autumn Nesbitt, jr., relays; Lindsey Owen, sr., throws; Keith Shepherd, sr., sprints/relays; Brad Harmon, sr., distances; Vance Agte, soph., hurdles; Cameron Christianson, soph., pv; Katie Mayberry, jr., throws; Tim Nagle, sr., sprints/relays; Jeremy Wallace, sr., discus; Shawn Huff, jr., shot; Kim Beatty, sr., discus.
Newcomers: Tariq Anderson, jr., sprints; Colby Drake, sr., distances; Jeremy McLean, jr., jumps/relays; Adam Fehling, soph., relays/jumps; Caitlyn Brown, fresh., middle distances; Stacy Barton, fresh., sprints/relays; Amanda Crooks, fresh., throws.
Outlook: Interest in track is high evidenced by a turnout of more than 100. For good reason, too. The Trojans won the boys and girls regional championships last year. Although the boys lost much to graduation - in a name, Ian Waltz - they will be favored to repeat. The girls lost multi-talented Heidi Umthun to softball, but will also be favored to repeat. “I’m hoping we’ll be there down the stretch, but I really think it’s wide open,” Quesnell said of the boys and girls regional chances.
SANDPOINT BULLDOGS
Coach: Tom Albertson (boys), Al Alt (girls)
Top returners: Beau Crawford, sr., pv; Brian Hamilton, sr., hj/ 400; Matt Fuhriman, sr., jumps; Keiki Lovell, sr., sprints/relays; Saskia Neher, sr., middle distances; Jessica Berghan, sr., sprints/relays; Megan Collins, jr., relays/hurdles; Emily Baker, jr., distances.
Newcomers: Jeremy Thielbahr, jr., sprints/relays; Carson Jeffres, jr., 400/relays; Steve Palmer, jr., jumps; Melissa Kingsland, fresh., sprints/relays; Samantha Inman, fresh., distances; Natalie Ward, soph., throws.
Outlook: The Bulldog girls lost the regional title to Post Falls by two points. They should make the race for the title interesting again this spring. Albertson has lured several football players out, including Thielbahr, who could become a top sprinter in area. Albertson is sharing Thielbahr (baseball) and a handful of other athletes with other spring sports.
LEWISTON BENGALS
Coach: Wade Hillman
Top returners: Josh Raymond, sr., sprints/relays; Jim Farris, sr., sprints/relays; Josh Swenson, sr., throws; Brad Rice, jr., throws; Aaron Taylor, jr., distances; Kari Alldredge, jr., hj; Mariah Sueuga, jr., shot.
Newcomers: Rick McCrery, soph., sprints; Josh Wilund, fresh., sprints; Christa Graffis, fresh., jumps/discus.
Outlook: Each team in the league has one definite strength and the Lewiston boys could dominate the sprints and relays. Hillman isn’t sure that will be enough to help the Bengals compete for a regional title. “But I think we’ll make a run for it,” he said. Hillman is encouraged to report his turnout was up after a down year last spring. In fact, he has 30 girls out after ending last year with 12.
INTERMOUNTAIN LEAGUE
LAKELAND HAWKS
Coach: Lee Libera
Top returners: Mike Larsen, jr., sprints/relays; Joe Brown, sr., weights; Rex Burch, sr., pv; Amber Jamison, jr., jumps; Sarah DeBoer, soph., hurdles/jumps; Melissa Hanenburg, jr., middle distances; Jassica Banbury, soph., sprints/relays; Cora Christensen, sr., throws.
Newcomers: Paul Kowalczyk, jr., jumps; James Primmer, soph., distances; Harrison Bertsch, fresh., sprints/relays; Jamie Harwood, jr., jumps; Kimi Dengel, jr., distances; Natalie Meyer, soph., distances.
Outlook: Lakeland essentially graduated all of the points off its district boys championship team. The girls return several off their district title team, but have some holes to fill. The girls should be challenged by Moscow and Bonners Ferry.
MOSCOW BEARS
Coach: Chris Tarabochia
Top returners: Tony Smith, sr., distances; Matt Bayley, sr., sprinter; Brandon Workman, sr., distances; Lee Pike, sr., distances; Owen Hammond, sr., jumps/relays; Sam Crumley, sr., hurdles; Lisa Scholz, sr., sprints/shot; Melissa Mills, sr., throws; Jeanine Korus, sr., 800.
Newcomers: Justin Babb, sr., distances; Drew Owen, jr., throws; Yvonne Shea, soph., distances; Shai Workman, soph., distances.
Outlook: A new track will be built this summer, just in time to honor Moscow’s predicted district championships for boys and girls. Smith won a state title in cross country last fall and will lead a talented distance crew. The girls have just enough of everything to make a run for a district title.
BONNERS FERRY BADGERS
Coach: Harry O’Dell (boys), Stephanie Bennett (girls)
Top returners: Kevin Carey, sr., throws; Rhett Winey, jr., 400; Harry Busicia, sr., weights; Rosie Decker, jr., jumps; Lany Dowell, soph., distances; Meg Moir, soph., distances; Rachel Downing, jr., hurdles; Joy Bucher, sr., distances; Katie Mormon, jr., throws; Amber Paulson, soph., sprints.
Newcomers: Ken Yount, soph., sprints; Abe Hill, soph., pv; Hailey Larson, fresh., hurdles; Abby Dinning, fresh., sprints.
Outlook: O’Dell is still building depth among the boys, but the Badgers girls could surprise. They have quite a bit of depth in the distances and enough of the other events filled to push Moscow and Lakeland.
PRIEST RIVER SPARTANS
Coach: Bruce Blaser
Top returners: Adam Lamb, sr., discus/relays; Matt Rabe, sr., shot/relays; Missy Ennis, jr., jumps/relays; Tenneall Lean, soph., distances; Jacey Vogrig, soph., relays.
Newcomers: Cheyenne Ward, fresh., distances; Adam Merrifield, fresh., distances; Christina Taylor, sr., hurdles; Kristina Kuprienko, fresh., hurdles.
Outlook: Blaser takes over for longtime coach John McSmith, who retired after 18 years of coaching. Blaser isn’t completely new to the program spending the past two years as an assistant. The girls appear to have the most talent.
ST. MARIES LUMBERJACKS
Coach: Gary Krumheuer
Top returners: Jeff Sindt, sr., 400/relays; Jeremy Badgett, jr., 800/relays; Paul Lindquist, sr., relays; Tyler O’Dwyer, sr., relays; Ed Coulter, jr., relays; Rob Desaussure, jr., lj; Brad Roe, jr., relays; Sarah Ruff, soph., sprints.
Newcomers: Mike Homer, jr., hurdles; Brandy Bartlett, soph., hurdles; Louisa Sevilla, jr., sprints.
Outlook: Numbers are up (17 boys and 17 girls) for the school that has the worst track facility in the league. To run the hurdles at St. Maries, you need shock absorbers on your ankles so you don’t blow out a wheel in a pothole or roll an ankle on a rock. Krumheuer will put a couple of competitive boys relays together like he did last season.
KELLOGG WILDCATS
Coach: Dale Hunt
Top returners: Josh Carver, sr., pv; Josh Easley, jr., sprints; Jason Frank., jr., shot; Seth Godwin, jr., sprints/jumps; Steve Sanderson, jr., hurdles/sprints; Jared Towne, sr., jumps/ sprints; Tyler White, jr., sprints/relays; Pauline Costa, jr., jumps/ relays; Jody Hunt, soph., relays; Ali Leeds, soph., distances/ relays; Amy Lemon, jr. relays; Sylvia Galloway, jr., discus; Alecia Derbyshire, jr., shot; Laura McCargish, sr., distances.
Newcomers: Mike Grondin, sr., sprints/relays; Brian Carlson, soph., sprints; Wendy Vork, fresh., hj/hurdles.
Outlook: A longtime assistant and former head cross country coach, Hunt takes over for Mark Holzer. “It’s my first love,” Hunt said. He welcomed one of the largest turnouts in years (60), and the girls should field some competitive relays. “Our girls should be in the thick of things and our boys will be competitive,” he said.
NORTH STAR LEAGUE
FALLS CHRISTIAN EAGLES
Coach: Brian Cruess
Top returners: Sarah Peterson, sr., jumps/relays; Becky Straw, sr., sprints/relays; Dawnell Mansfield, sr., distances; Michelle Durkin, sr., distances; Racheal Peterson, soph., distances; Ami Millsap, soph., hurdles; Meghan Jenkins, soph., 800; Jared Horton, sr., discus/jumps; Aaron Burns, soph., 400; Aaron Moate, soph., hurdles; Matt Derrick, soph., throws. throws/relays.
Newcomers: Autumn Marchbanks, jr., jumps; Fernando Veras, jr., sprints/relays; Drew Baker, fresh., distances; Micah Burrage, sr., distances.
Outlook: FCA’s girls won the league championship, but figure to be pushed by improving Kootenai. The boys turnout was more than doubled from last year (14) and Cruess has several talented girls among a turnout of 15. “It’ll come down to us and Kootenai,” Cruess said. “We’ll depend a lot on our relays. Kootenai will be there.”
CLARK FORK WAMPUS CATS
Coach: Rich Hanna (boys), Tim Ross (girls)
Top returners: None.
Newcomers: Mark Cheslic, soph., jumps; Jason Meredith, soph., sprints; Nick Clason, soph., middle distances; Shannon Decker, fresh., sprints; Misty Engstrom, sr., sprints/jumps.
Outlook: Talk about starting over. Hanna and Ross have no returning experience. But at least the school still offers the sport. The program has been dropped at Mullan due to lack of interest.
KOOTENAI WARRIORS
Coach: Scott Shafer
Top returners: Annie Goodson, soph., hj/sprints; Lindsey Kraack, jr., hurdles/jumps; Danyel Hunter, jr., throws; Heather Andersen, sr., relays/400.
Newcomers: Shenelle Kraack, fresh., hurdles; A.J. Lawson, jr., throws; Scott Johns, fresh., sprints.
Outlook: Shafer may have enough depth to make a run at the FCA girls. Goodson leads a handful of potential state medal winners. The majority of boys are sophomores and freshmen.
LAKESIDE KNIGHTS
Co-coaches: Greg Stutzman, Brad Veile
Top returners: Brendon Nelson, jr., jumps/relays; Buck Allen, soph., 1,600/relays; Mario Falciani-Matheson, jr., sprints/ jumps; Ken Pluff, soph., relays; Adam Benak, jr., jumps/sprints; Glen Lambert, jr., relays/sprints; Misty Schow, sr., long jump/ discus.
Newcomers: Amethyst Holten, fresh., throws; Harmony Hammons, jr., distances; Chris Brown, sr., distances/discus; Sam Matheson, soph., relays/sprints; Brock Halstead, soph., throws.
Outlook: The boys have several multi-talented athletes, several of whom are doubling up again this spring with baseball and track. Lakeside should repeat as league champion.
A-3 INDEPENDENT
WALLACE MINERS
Coach: Dave Rounds
Top returners: Dana Streeter, sr., hurdles/jumps; Mike LaBau, sr., shot; Chris Carlson, jr., hj/hurdles; Nick Roods, sr., sprints/ lj; Colby Mattila, jr., 400.
Newcomers: Chris Carver, soph., distances; David Roy, jr., distances; Jared Hanks, jr., distances; Lucia Gregory, jr., 800/hj.
Outlook: In a name, Streeter. As has been the case the past few years, Streeter will carry the Miners colors at state and close out a stellar career.
, DataTimes MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: Athletes to watch Dana Streeter, senior, Wallace, hurdles/jumps Shannon Siverson, senior, Post Falls, jumps Tony Smith, senior, Moscow, distances Bryce Knight, senior, Lake City, middle distances Melissa Mills, senior, Moscow, weight events Becky Straw, senior, Falls Christian, sprints/relays Josh Raymond, senior, Lewiston, sprints Matt Lider, senior, Lake City, jumps Sarah Peterson, senior, Falls Christian, jumps/relays Chris Cole, senior, Coeur d’Alene, distances Austin Lee, junior, Post Falls, throws Annie Goodson, sophomore, high jump/sprints