Riverside Track Team On The Young Side

Riverside High’s track program has tripled its turnout from a year ago, but may not improve on last year’s Frontier League records.

“We’re pretty young,” said coach Cory NeVille. “Out of 64 kids we have nine seniors. I don’t think we’ll be very competitive this year.”

Jon Ashcraft, the district cross country champion, has state potential in the high jump. Corey Ramsey gives the Rams a tested sprinter.

But the team has no hurdlers or horizontal jumpers and is thin in other events.

Sprints are solid enough with veteran Troy Patrick and juniors Jared Liberty and Duane Craig, who also pole vault. Junior Bill Warner is a quality distance runner.

Throwing events will be covered by seniors Brandon Hayes, Joe Lenz and Waylon Presley, junior Paul Gorman and sophomore Matt Weed.

Sophomore Kynan Ramsey is approaching 12-feet in the pole vault and freshman Luke Wilson adds high-jump depth.

The girls team appears stronger. Pole vault is a scoring event this year and sophomore Tracy Koesel has cleared 10-feet.

She’ll also run sprints and relays with sophomore Brooke Dornquast, Nicole Liberty, and juniors Ryann Alderson and Christy Mease.

Junior hurdler Abbey Wood is also approaching 35-feet in the triple jump. Other hurdlers are sophomores Jamie Baker, Larissa Mueller (a shot-put prospect) and freshman Hayley Wood, Abbey’s sister.

Among the distance runners are Mease, senior Nicole Lamarche, sophomores Nora Zaprzalka and Jamie Nichols, and freshman Makayla Gabel.

In the field events, Kelly Nave, Laura Faraschuk and freshman Casey Bantz are throwers.

Jamie Rizzuto, Mueller and Gabel are in the jumps.

Next year Riverside leaves the Frontier League for the revamped Great Northern AA League which includes Lakeside and Deer Park.

“It will be kinder than the Frontier, no doubt,” said NeVille. “But we still have Pullman, Colville, Chewelah and Newport. It will be interesting to see.”

, DataTimes