Lumberjacks Duo Golden
A-2 state track and field
It may take the overnight road trip home for reality to sink in for a pair of gold-medal winning Kellogg athletes.
Heather Hoeck and Wendy Vork stunned themselves with individual victories Saturday in the State A-2 track and field championships at Boise State University’s Ed Jacoby Track.
Perhaps the most surprised was Hoeck, a sophomore who appeared to be in a state of shock after winning the 200-meter final.
It was certainly one of the most dramatic finishes Saturday, requiring a photo decision.
Hoeck trailed Jerome’s Alica McLimore for seemingly 199 meters before Hoeck outstretched McLimore at the tape. Hoeck finished in a time of 26.05, three-hundreths ahead of McLimore.
A mistake by McLimore probably cost her gold. As she neared the finish line it appeared she slowed down. She also raised her hands and began celebrating prematurely.
As McLimore raised her hands, Hoeck extended her arms forward as she broke the plane of the finish line.
“I think she knew I was there, but she started to slow down,” said Hoeck, who took second in the long jump on Friday and ran a leg on a fifth-place 800 relay.
Her time was a personal record by a second. Which could also explain her pale appearance afterward.
“I was really nervous,” Hoeck said. “I didn’t think I’d make the finals (in prelims Friday). I was ranked fifth in my heat and they take the top four.”
Vork was so scared about high-jumping Saturday that she couldn’t sleep Friday. So teammate Morgan Stevens stayed up with her until 2 a.m.
Four hours later, Vork awoke and the nervousness had disappeared. Three hours later, she went out and captured gold in a sudden-death jumpoff.
Vork and Emmett’s Lindsey Kline both cleared 5-2 and both missed on three attempts at 5-4. Overall, they had the same misses, prompting the jump off.
They each missed on one more try at 5-4, then missed again at 5-3, 5-2 and 5-1 in that order. The bar was moved back to 5-2 and Vork, who went first on all jumpoffs, cleared the standard and Kline missed.
“She didn’t want to compete last night,” Kellogg coach Dale Hunt said. “She felt a lot of pressure. But she competed today. It’s the ultimate of competition.”
Said Vork: “It was weird. I didn’t feel any pressure and I always do when I jump. I’m just glad I was here. It didn’t really matter as long as I did my best.”
Another Intermountain League female athlete had a fine day. Priest River senior Nikki Farr captured medals in her two events, placing second in the 100 hurdles (17.08) and sixth in the 300 intermediates (50.12).
“I was kind of surprised; I wasn’t expecting it at all,” Farr said. “I didn’t make it to the finals last year (out of prelims). My goal in the 300s was just to finish - serious. I’ve never liked them. I’ve never not finished them, but sometimes I feel like I should stop.”
Other IML state placers Saturday were: Tema Bassett of Lakeland, fourth in the 400 (1:02.93); freshman Jenny Liou of Moscow, sixth in the 1,600 (5:34.61); the Lakeland girls 1,600 relay, fourth at 4:14.48; Jolie Kunkel of St. Maries in the shot put, sixth (34-10); Moscow’s Maurice Williams, sixths in the 200 and 400.
Jerome’s boys easily won a team championship while the Jerome girls edged Emmett by 3.5 points.