Healthy Beatty Boosts Mead Girls
Prep track
As birthdays go, this one was a beauty.
Allison Beatty celebrated her 18th birthday Thursday afternoon with a national-best javelin throw of 155 feet, 3 inches as the Mead Panthers wrapped up their fourth straight Greater Spokane League title.
Beatty, who has been slowed by mononucleosis, finally got a good day to throw as she returned to health and regained the state lead - and more.
As an extra bonus, she did it with a representative of Texas A&M, one of the schools she is considering attending next year, in attendance.
Beatty won the state championship last year with a school-record throw of 152-7, the second-best throw in the nation.
She threw 144 feet in the first meet this season, then missed three weeks with mono. Bad weather greeted her upon her return and she threw in the 130s in two league meets and one invitational, losing the state lead in the process.
The Panthers swept Shadle Park and Gonzaga Prep at Mead.
The other big mark on the day was a state-best 5-minute, 3-second run in the 1,600-meters for Ferris junior Jennifer Smith.
The Mead boys also swept, running their dual meet win streak to 136.
In the Frontier League, West Valley boys and girls won dual meets at Pullman to move closer to league titles with one week left.
GSL teams have their district meet at Spokane Falls next Thursday and Friday. The top eight finishers advance to the regional meet at Richland.
Girls
Beatty wasn’t the only Panther to have a good day. Autumn Wood matched her league-meet record in the 300-meter hurdles at 44.8 seconds and the 800-meter relay team matched the record University established last year at 1:45.3.
University finished second by sweeping Rogers and North Central at NC. Heathy Silvey, normally a 400 runner, won the 100 and 200 for the Titans. NC’s Lori Kostelcky won the two distance races.
Lewis and Clark wound up third by beating rival Ferris and Central Valley. Theresa Brooks won the 100 and 200 and Mary Bowley took the shot put and discus for the Tigers.
West Valley had two double winners in its win, Amy Aldendorf in the shot and discus and Arin Craig in the long jump and 100 hurdles.
East Valley stayed in second place by beating Clarkston and Colville at West Valley. Cheny also beat visiting Riverside.
Boys
Mead has now gone 15-1/2 years without losing a league track meet and though the Panthers won easily, they only had one double winner, D.J. Miller in the long and triple jumps.
Gonzaga Prep had a pair of double winners, hurdler Chris Barton and distance runner Jim Rucker.
University matched its girls’ second-place finish by winning 10 individual events and two relays at NC. Shaun McMackin of Rogers was the lone double winner, taking the 100 and javelin.
Central Valley clinched third place with depth. The Bears had no individual winners. Mike Lynch of LC won the three sprints and Isaac Hawkins of Ferris the two distances races.
West Valley got a Frontier League-best 177-3 from Joe Bonner in the javelin, while Pullman’s Richardo Colon long-jumped 23-6.
In East Valley’s sweep, Jerry Claridge won the three jumps and Jesse Ewell won the 100 and shot put. Ty Gregorak threw a league-best 49-9 in the shot put for the Knights.
, DataTimes