Capping A Stellar Year Sandpoint’S Bowman Wins 3 Golds

Caleb Bowman’s senior season started with gold and ended with gold Saturday in the State A-1 track and field championships.

Bowman led Sandpoint High to the State A-1 Division II football championship last fall.

Saturday, the speedy sprinter added a three-layered coat of gold to his star-studded year as he defended a state title, won a race he finished runner-up in last spring and anchored an unexpected relay winner.

Bowman was in a class by himself at Boise State University’s Ed Jacoby Track while performing in rain, sun and mostly chilly conditions.

When the A-1 teams arrived for the afternoon session, the weather was at its worst. The 100 final, which Bowman was a runner-up in last year, was contested into a head wind and driving rain into the athletes’ faces.

It didn’t faze Bowman, and neither did a false start. Actually, Bowman’s break from the blocks in the second attempt was better than the first.

The gazelle-like runner left the other six in the blocks, pulling away early as he won in a time of 11.13 seconds.

Bowman led a 1-2-3 finish for North Idaho sprinters. Lewiston’s Rick McCrery (11.29) nosed out Lake City’s Scott Bushnell (11.30).

About an hour later, Bowman teamed with Paul Nieman, Lee Van Horn and Doug Hawkins to knock off defending champ Lewiston in the 400 relay.

Bowman took the final exchange trailing two runners, but he quickly overtook them to bring Sandpoint home in 43.6 seconds.

“I was just focused on the finish line,” said Bowman, who wasn’t bothered by coming from behind. “I was really expecting (gold) in the 100 and 200. I almost feel best about the (relay). I knew we could do it. We just had to put it together.”

He capped the day by defending his title in the 200, winning in 22.06 seconds. Bushnell pushed Bowman, finishing second (22.33).

“I feel so good for the other guys,” Bowman said specifically about his relay teammates and in general about the representation by North Idaho’s sprinters.

Van Horn ran on a two-week-old stress fracture in his shin.

“When you run on an adrenaline rush you don’t feel anything,” Van Horn said, smiling.

LC’s Bushnell, headed to Carroll College to play football, was more than satisfied finishing runner-up to Bowman. He said if he couldn’t beat Bowman at least he beat the others.

It was a disappointing day for Coeur d’Alene senior sprinter Brenda Nipp. A contender for a title in the 400, she faded late to third (58.7), and she placed but didn’t medal in the 100 (seventh) and 200 (eighth). She finished the meet by anchoring the Viks’ 1,600 relay, which finished fifth.

Nipp drew the seventh lane for the 400 after purposely running slow in the prelims to avoid aggravating a still-healing quad muscle pull.

“I had to run scared (by herself) and that’s hard to do because you know that they’re there but you don’t have any contact with them,” said Nipp, who led until the final 50 meters.

When it was time to kick, Nipp had nothing left. She teared up after the finish - not at her placing but based on her time.

“Fifty-eight seconds. That’s the most frustrating thing of all,” Nipp said. “I was doing fine until they told me my time. That wasn’t a PR (personal record) and I didn’t break the school record.”

Nipp refused to use her injury as an excuse.

“My body wasn’t reacting to what I was telling it to do,” she said. “I’m on the road to recovery.”

Post Falls senior sprinter Jennifer Swanstrom capped her career with four medals.

Swanstrom anchored the 400 and 800 relays, both of which finished third in times of 51.28 and 1:48.15, respectively. She teamed with Carmi Eberle, Tawny Moore and Trisha Wagner in both relays.

In her open events, Swanstrom took fourth in the 200 (26.41) and sixth in the 100 (13.21).

As Swanstrom looked back on four years of being a three-sport athlete, she became emotional.

“I’m just sad it’s over,” said Swanstrom, who was particularly elated with the bronze medals in the relays. “It hit me when I got done that it’s over. I think I did my best. I’m happy with that.”

In events completed late Friday, LC’s Carly Smith, hobbling on a sprained ankle, took third in the pole vault (9-9) and Lewiston’s Rachel Allen was second (10-6); Mandi Jordan of Lewiston took third in the triple jump (34-8-1/2); and Post Falls’ Joe Getchius was fifth in the pole vault (13-0).

Other area state placers: LC’s boys medley took fifth; CdA’s Anna-Kate Ambrose was sixth in the high jump; Mickey Hewitt of Lewiston was fifth in the 300 hurdles; Sandpoint’s Stacy Bolstad was fifth in the 100 hurdles; and Sandpoint’s Matt Smith was sixth in the discus.

Boise took the girls team title and Centennial the boys title. Lewiston’s boys placed fourth.