Lakeland Exceeds Expectations Girls Squad Races To District Title Despite Absence Of Key Standout

Lakeland High track coach Lee Libera figured his girls team would have to score at least 100 points to capture the A-2 District I-II title.

He didn’t know if it would be possible, especially with one key standout absent.

Libera underestimated his Hawks, who rode the back of another standout, senior Amber Jamison, to the district championship Saturday afternoon.

Lakeland tallied 118 points, easily topping runner-up Moscow (101).

Moscow’s boys won convincingly in what many thought would be a tighter chase. The Bears put up 134 points. St. Maries (111) finished runner-up for a second straight year and Kellogg (109) was a close third.

The top three individuals in each event and the winning relay teams advance to state, which will be held Friday and Saturday at Boise State University.

“Everyone just stepped up today,” Libera said. “I figured we’d be hard-pressed to score 100 points.”

Lakeland competed without junior hurdler/ jumper Sarah DeBoer, who missed the meet because of personal reasons.

Jamison and company were more than up to the task. She took titles in the triple jump (35-1-1/2) and long jump (16-4), both season bests under ideal conditions at Corbit Field.

“She’s jumping better with every meet,” Libera said.

Jamison will try to defend her state title in the triple jump. She also ran legs on winning relays, the 400 (52.71 seconds) and 1,600 (4:25.14). Lakeland swept the four relays, which accounted for 40 points.

Jamison had to share the individual spotlight with Priest River senior Missy Ennis, a three-event winner who was nosed out for a fourth win at the tape in the 100.

That race was too close to call, forcing meet officials to review the videotape. A newspaper photo showed Lakeland’s Jessica Banbury (13.21) breaking the tape barely ahead of Ennis (13.22).

Ennis’ wins came in the high jump (5 feet), 200 (27.12) and 400 (1:00.45).

“I just didn’t have the competition in most events,” Ennis said. “It’ll come next week at state. I’m ready to go.”

Ennis came out of the blocks slower than normal in the 100 because she was determined to not do what she did last year at district - false start in the event.

Other impressive marks among the girls was Kellogg’s Alecia Derbyshire in the shot put (38-1/4) and Rachel Drury of Moscow in the pole vault (9-6).

Eight of 11 boys contributed to St. Maries’ impressive runner-up finish. St. Maries has the worst track facilities in the league.

“I’m real proud because I knew it would be tough to duplicate last year,” St. Maries coach Gary Krumheuer said.

Leading the Lumberjacks was senior distance runner Jeremy Badgett, who took firsts in the 800 (2:00.34) and 1,600 (4:50.16) and Brad Roe, who captured firsts in the 200 (23.3) and 400 (51.99). Roe also ran a leg on the winning 800 relay (1:33.95).

Kellogg’s Steve Sanderson was victorious in the 110 (16.75) and 300 (40.39) hurdles.

A-1 Region I

The Lewiston boys opened a comfortable lead after the field events Friday before the host Bengals sprinted away to the regional championship Saturday.

Lewiston posted 165-1/2 points. Coming in a tie for second were Post Falls and Sandpoint (72).

The top two finishers in the individual events and the winning relays advance to state, which will be held Friday and Saturday at Boise State University.

Behind the strong efforts of Brenda Nipp, Coeur d’Alene’s girls earned the top trophy with 103 points. Lewiston was second with 84 and Post Falls third (71).

Nipp sprinted to firsts in the 100 (12.9), 200 (26.5) and 400 (59.5), and she ran the anchor leg on the winning 1,600 relay (4:09).

Sandpoint’s Caleb Bowman was a double-sprint winner in the 100 (10.9) and 200 (22.2), both season bests by big margins.

Lewiston scored chunks of points in the relays, sweeping the 400 (43.8), 800 (1:30.2) and 1,600 (3:32.0).

A-4 District I-II

Kootenai’s girls captured a district title Saturday with 124 points, well ahead of runner-up Deary (104) at Kamiah High School.

Kootenai got points on the track and in the field.

Senior sprinter Annie Goodson was unchallenged in victories in the 100 (13.2), 200 (27.0) and 400 (1:01.3).

Weight specialists Jamie Bornitz and Danyel Hunter took first and second, respectively, in the shot put. They both finished first and second in the discus on Friday.

Bornitz took the shot with a put of 33-4-1/2.

Teammate Shenelle Kraack added a first in the 100 hurdles (18.0).

The top three finishers in the individual events and the top two relays advance to state.

Lakeside’s Brendon Nelson, a winner Friday in the long jump, added a first in the triple jump (42-2-3/4).

In the A-3 district meet, Wallace’s Chris Carlson took first in the 300 hurdles (42.8) and third in the 110 (17.1).

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