10 From Vc Qualify For State

Youth was served for Valley Christian School, whose boys won the District 7B track championships Thursday, but not without dismay.

“That was the most stressful track meet I’ve been at in my entire life,” said coach Linda Lanker, a former collegiate and national hurdler. “One minute I was so excited, the next extremely disappointed. It was that way every race. It was emotionally draining.”

Top three athletes per event qualified for state and the Panther boys and girls advanced 10 to next weekend’s meet at Eastern Washington University.

But there were also five fourth-place finishes left home, including freshman sprinter Kristin Lanker.

“My poor daughter was in tears, but I told her she made it in the 1,600 relay and was the youngest kid out there,” said the coach.

Another in tears was freshman Tiffany Drozdov who thought she hadn’t qualified for state in the high jump. Then it was announced she took third.

“Then she started laughing and screaming with tears running down her face,” said Lanker.

Senior Michael Spuler advanced in the 200 and 400, with a school record 51.7 in the latter.

Everyone else who made it was a freshman or a sophomore.

Soph Jared Evans won both hurdles races with freshman Jayvan Eberle hot on his heels in second.

Freshman Steve Goering moves on after a dead-heat 1,600 and 3,200 in school record times.

“There was a huge controversy between us and St. George’s for third in the 1,600,” said Lanker. “Half picked one way, half the other.”

The finish line video didn’t work, but meet officials picked Goering.

Frosh Jeremy Hopson came out of nowhere for third in the 400. His 52.9 time moved Hopson onto the team’s winning 1,600 relay.

Sophomore Katie Rosholt lowered her 800 school record six seconds to 2:24.2 to make it to state, and freshman Nicole Peterson advanced in the long jump, and are part of the team’s 1,600 relay state qualifier.

And several years yet lie ahead for the Panther state participants.

Turnabout is fair play

Last fall after Melissa Frostad finished fifth in the state cross country meet behind her state champion twin sister Melanie, she vowed to catch up.

Sixth months later, the East Valley freshman made good on her promise. On the first night of the regional 3A track meet Thursday in Prosser, Melissa ran 11:35.5 for 3,200 meters to beat Melanie by 1.1 seconds.

The beauty of the regional was that, by going one-two, both have qualified for state and will race head-to-head once more next weekend in Tacoma.

Regional competition was completed on Friday. Other results are in today’s Spokesman-Review sports section.

Entering the meet, West Valley’s Staci Adams was among state leaders in three events, the 100, 200 and 300 hurdles. EV’s AnnMarie Adams moved among the leaders in the 800.

All eyes were on the boys high jump during Friday’s action.

State leader Kurt Kraemer of Hanford had already cleared 7-feet.

But there were no slouches in the remainder of the field, which included the state’s top four 3A leapers and another who has cleared 6-6. Three are from the Valley.

During last week’s Frontier League regional qualifying meet at East Valley, Knight sophomore Andrew Burgess scaled 6-8 to upset WV’s Eric Deno and Ryan Schroder.

Schroder has gone 6-8 and Deno 6-7 this year. Two berths were at stake in Prosser, but anyone who clears in excess of 6-4 advances to state.

Kraemer was also the 3A leader in the long jump and state’s best triple jumper with West Valley’s Devion Tensley in pursuit.

Eagle Rick Collins entered regionals with a state best 15-9 pole vault.

East Valley’s Brandon Blize is state hurdles leader with Brad Groh of WV not far back. Knight shot putter Nick Hansen had the fifth-best 3A distance of 53-6.

State’s top 20 in 4A region

Several Valley Greater Spokane League athletes ranked among the state’s top 20 track athletes are competing for state spots this weekend in Richland.

First night of the meet was Friday. The meet concludes today.

Central Valley’s 1,600 and 400 relay teams rank first and second. Team members include Leslie Meredith, Stephanie Crace, Wendy Wagar, Corinne Gannon and Amy Nickerson.

Meredith was among the sprint leaders until injury relegated her to the relays only. Nickerson is among the state’s best in the long jump.

University’s Jaime Miller moved up to fourth in the 1,600 meters and is also ranked at 3,200 meters.

Titan Anthony Buchanan ranks among the top three in the 100 and 200. Teammates Kris Martin is third in the 800 and 1,600 and Seth Mott is top eight in both. Pole vaulters Jeff Wineinger and Brad Walker are fourth and 14th. Discus thrower Ryan Metcalf is 15th overall.

CV 400 runner Josh Hemenway lowered his time to 49.6, sharing seventh in state.

State chances halved

Freeman’s state track prospects were halved, although not by competition.

A projected regional track meet pitting all Eastern Washington 1A teams against each other fell through.

So instead of a meet with four entries per state, the Scotties will be in Chelan today with two available state berths per event.

“Yakima Valley, from District 3, originally agreed to the meet and backed out,” said Freeman coach John Hays.

The Northeast A League boys champion and girls runnerup, as a result, face a tall order getting athletes to state. Chelan and the Caribou Trail League has numerous classification leaders.

Fifteen Freeman boys and 10 girls are competing in today’s noon meet.

John Russell is one of them, During last week’s NEA meet, Russell became the State A leader in the 800 with a 1:57.3 time.

He’s also a probable 1,600 state qualifier, although he has a tough foe in Chelan’s Rosario Blanco.

Which left brother Joe Russell with his work cut out for him today.

“Joe’s got a chance,” said Hays. “He’s got to run 4:26 and can do that. He’s got to stay with the big boys.”

Freeman’s girls fared better. Kim Davey shattered her school discus record.

Davey threw 121-3, 10 feet farther than her previous best, which puts her among the State A leaders.

Returning state placer Sarah Pratt, three league champion relay teams, distance runner Laura Halverson and hurdler Jami Harless are other state candidates.

VALLEY REGIONAL TRACK AND FIELD QUALIFIERS These Valley athletes are competing in state-qualifying 4A, 3A, 1A and B track and field meets this weekend:

Central Valley 200,400 - Josh Hemenway, Garret Graham (also shot put), Stephanie Crace, Adrienne Nowaski. 800 - Brandon Bonewell, Wendy Wagar. High hurdles, intermediate hurdles - Jake Roberts, Amy Wilson. Boys and girls 400 and 1,600 relays. Long jump, triple jump - Cameron Summers, Amy Nickerson (also 200), Melissa Loss (also 100 hurdles), Melissa Murphy. High jump - Joel Gordon, Marc Hinckley, Marie Cox. Pole vault - Norm Tollefson, Emily Roberts. Shot put, discus - Presto Crossman, Kris White, Brandon Hunt, Wil Beck, Heather Harding, Mary Caruso. Javelin - Anne Moseanko, Rae Jewell.

East Valley 100, 200, 400 - Andrew Gillespie, James Moss, Jeff Storey. Amanda McManus. 800, 1,600, 3,200 - Jim Marlow, Dave McCarty, Ryan Coordes, AnnMarie Adams, Melanie Frostad, Melissa Frostad, Korinda Godwin. High, intermediate hurdles - Brandon Blize. Boys and girls 400, 800 and 1,600 relays. Shot put, discus - Nick Hansen, Blake Horgen, Mike Mertens, Scott Skogen, Ashley Likely, Rachelle Schultz. Javelin Randy Ruchert, Dan Pooley, Brittany Hauser. Long jump, triple jump - Kelly Daly, Moss. High jump - Crystal Gerky, Jenny Kann. Pole vault - Cory Haskins, MacKenzie Rogers, Mary Bartlett, Carmen Moss.

Freeman 100, 200, 400 - Bill DePell, Gary Mills (also 300 hurdles), Andy Miller (also long jump), Tom Ward, Sarah Pratt. 800, 1,600, 3,200 - John Russell, Joe Russell, Ian Higgins, Heather Wilkerson, Laura Halverson. High hurdles, 300 hurdles - Justin Greger (also high jump, triple jump), Preston Carrell, Jami Harless. Javelin - Chris Meenach, Ross Ennis. Shot put, discus - Lance Rasmussen, Kim Davey (also javelin), Jordan Moberg (also high jump). Long jump - Lindsay Floch. Triple jump - Ryan Sprague. Pole vault - Jeff Wigen. Boys 400 relay, girls 400, 800 and 1,600 relays.

University 100, 200, 400 - Anthony Buchanan, Craig Weaver, Ali Russell (also long jump), Jessica Henson. 800, 1600, 3,200 - Kris Martin, Seth Mott, Jamie Miller, Jenni Hanna, Courtney Martin. High hurdles, intermediate hurdles - Sara Steblaj. Boys and girls 400 and 1,600 relays. Long jump, triple jump - David Jones, Julie Schroeder. High jump - Dorothy Buchanan, Courtney Red. Pole vault - Jeff Wineinger, Brad Walker, Ryan Conrad. Discus - Ryan Metcalf, Javelin - Casey Lektorich, Kelli McGilley.

Valley Christian 100, 200, 400 - Michael Spuler (also long jump), Jeremy Hopson, Crystal Robertson, Kristin Lanker, Nicole Peterson (also discus, long jump). 800, 1,600, 3,200 - Chad Meyer, Steve Goering, Andrew Diaz, Joel Vlasic Katie Rosholt, Kim Wright. High, 300 hurdles - Jared Evans (also triple jump), Jayvan Eberle (also high jump), Sarah Teterud, Andrea Hayes, Allison West. Shot put, discus, javelin - Scott Jorgens, Keith Bolster, Justin Fulton, Stephanie Meyer, Theresa Yates. High jump - Jonathan Brecto, Tiffany Drozdov, Natalie Lewis (also long jump). Boys 400, girls 400, 800 and 1,600 relays.

West Valley 100, 200, 400 - Staci Adams, Adrienne Tucker, Kelly Cole. 800, 1,600, 3,200 - Sean McLachlan, David McNeill, Lounder. High, intermediate hurdles - Brad Groh (also triple jump), Sergio Allen, Bonnie Krous. Boys 1600 and girls 800 and 1,600 relays. Shot put, discus - Chris Sorenson, Ryan Spivey. Javelin - Corde Kurtz, Stephanie Lawler, Shannon Groh. Long jump, triple jump - Devion Tensley, Andy Miller. High jump - Ryan Schroder, Eric Deno, Heather Huffman. Pole vault - Rick Collins, Josh Rieger, Tjay Frampton.