Records Fall In District 8 Meet

Prep track

In a well-run 200 meters, the best runners blast out of the corner like they were propelled by a slingshot.

Jason Berger and Whitney Schmaljohn shot into the record book - along with four other Greater Spokane League athletes - Thursday night on the fast Central Valley track.

Berger and Schmaljohn clipped two-tenths of a second off meet records to highlight the first day of the District 8 track meet. The top eight in each individual event qualify for the Eastern AAA regional next weekend at CV.

There were 10 finals, eight in field events, and qualifying heats in all races up to 800 meters. The meet concludes this evening.

Berger, a University senior, went 21.6 seconds, erasing the 21.8 Mead’s Jeff Baerwald ran in 1988. Schmaljohn, a CV senior, was 24.7, besting the 24.9 Katharine Hough of U-Hi ran in 1995.

“That’s the best I’ve ever done,” Schmaljohn said. “I don’t even remember the race, it went by way too fast.”

Schmaljohn was fresh since she opted to try for state in three relays, which will be run tonight, and just one open event.

“I kind of wish I had more open events but I’m glad I’m trying to go to state with my friends,” she said. “We’re pretty good, we can place in the top three in all three. It’s fun to help get more people to state.”

Berger used a “disappointing” 100 to get pumped for the 200.

“I didn’t feel like I had that good of a 100,” he said. “Everyone stepped up for District and had a PR. I stayed the same.”

Berger only ran a 10.7 in the 100, a time matched by freshman teammate Anthony Buchanan. The time matched the meet record held by four others.

Gonzaga Prep senior Lisa Bradley ran 15.1 seconds in the girls 100-meter hurdles to set another record. The previous best was a 15.4 by Dawn Moon of Ferris in 1985. Lewis and Clark sophomore Theresa Brooks matched the 400 record of 57 seconds established by Cheryl Kreig of CV in 1982.

Jennifer Smith of Ferris just missed the 1,600 record, running 4:58.4, one-tenth behind Jessica Fry’s 1994 time for Rogers. Smith won by more than 20 seconds. Ferris’ Isaac Hawkins won the 3,200 by 12 seconds, going 9:05.

Frontier League

West Valley’s boys and East Valley’s girls wrapped up 6-0 seasons in dominant fashion.

At WV, the host Eagles beat Cheney’s boys 109-36 and Colville’s 108-37. WV won every field event, including Devon Tensley’s wins in the long jump (21 feet, 8-1/2 inches) and triple jump (43-11-1/4).

Crystal Gerkey won the 400-meter run (1 minute, 1.25 seconds) and the high jump (5-2) to lead EV to a 94-66 win over visiting Riverside.

WV’s girls and EV’s boys finished the year 5-1.

The Eagles topped Cheney 95-54 and Colville 100-41 at WV. Staci Adams won the 100 (12.3) and 300 hurdles (48.7), Stacey Roberts the discus (122-4) and shot put (33-11), and WV swept the relays.

EV topped Riverside 133-10 as Jerry Claridge took the long jump (20-5-1/2) and triple jump (42-1). The Knights won all but two events, the 400 and 3,200, and swept the top three in everything else.

, DataTimes