Mead Boys Capture Two Close Battles

Prep track and field

It was perfect track meet drama last event, last attempts, tight score.

Unfortunately, the meet was in the Pacific Northwest.

In April.

A steady downpour soaked everyone to the bone Thursday night, but it didn’t dampen the drama of a terrific Greater Spokane League track meet.

Twice Central Valley pole vaulter Mike Manchester went well over the bar at 12 feet, 6 inches and appeared to be deep enough into the pit, only to tick the bar enough to bounce it down.

Those misses relegated Manchester to third place, giving Trevor Johnson of Mead second place and the Panthers squeaked out a 74-71 win over the Bears at Ferris.

Reverse Johnson and Manchester and CV wins 73-72.

CV easily beat Ferris, but Mead only edged the Saxons by sweeping the triple jump, the second-to-last event.

The meet wasn’t about marks, but it was about competing.

“We won it on the character of our kids. They just came to compete,” first-year Mead coach John Mires said. “It was a level playing field. The conditions were equal for everyone. Our kids came with a little more passion.”

Melissa Loss won three events and Heather Harding and Amy Nickerson won two apiece as Central Valley swept Mead and Ferris.

The weather forced the pole vault to be postponed in the Mt. Spokane-University-Gonzaga Prep meet at Spokane Community Colleges. The battle between Mt. Spokane and University was still in doubt, so the pole vault will be completed this afternoon before the junior varsity meet. Mt. Spokane needs one point to seal the win over the defending league and two-time defending boys state champions.

Boys

Manchester didn’t lose the meet for CV. The Bears’ four 6-foot high jumpers never made it that high and junior Billy Reamers pulled out the win for Mead by clearing 5-10. The Bears were without state javelin runner-up Tye Scott because of a freak practice injury. That allowed Reamers to win that event.

“We got a big turnaround early in the meet when Billy Reamers won the high hurdles,” Mires said. “It was only his second time running them in competition. He came back and won the high jump and was our second triple jumper. Those were three huge events we were going to get killed. He’s ecstatic. He’s learning new events every week.”

At SCC, University had three multiple winners, but Mt. Spokane had the depth to hold the edge.

Cameron Stewart won the shot put and discus for Mt. Spokane, leading the Wildcats’ dominance in throwing events.

Anthony Buchanan was a triple sprint winner for the Titans. Max Schmidt won the distances and Don Turner the long and high jumps.

Gonzaga Prep’s Matt Blaine took both hurdles.

At East Valley, Shadle Park swept the Knights and Lewis and Clark. EV edged LC.

Demetrius Scott won the 400 and long jump for Shadle Park. East Valley’s Blake Horgan took the league lead in the shot put with a throw of 54-9, improving his personal best by 21 inches and his season best by exactly 5 feet.

Girls

Loss won the 100 hurdles, high jump and triple jump, Harding got the shot put and discus and Nickerson won the 100 and long jump.

The weather was quite a shock for Harding, who was in California last week competing in the prestigious Arcadia meet.

“This zaps your energy,” she said after mediocre distances. “I care. I just would have liked to have done better. It’s never a waste of time. It’s worth competing. Jessica Pluth is here. Last year she (was my main rival), and Mead is here. They usually have good throwers.”

Harding threw the discus 117-10 and the shot put 36-3. Neither effort was challenged.

“I was happy with my discus,” she said. “It’s good to get back into it. I’ve been focusing on California and the shot.”

CV also got a win from veteran Wendy Wager in the 800, her first race after injuring a hamstring.

Unfortunately, she may have re-injured herself but not enough to upset her.

“I wanted to run. I needed to get a race in,” she said. I’m glad I ran, even though I had a miserable time. At least I know where I’m at. The last 100 yards it was really, really tight. I couldn’t get warm.”

Freshman Heidi Bunkowske won the 100 and 300 hurdles and sophomore Katie Morton won the 200 and 400 to lead University to a sweep of Gonzaga Prep and Mt. Spokane. Mt. Spokane topped Gonzaga Prep.

North Central senior Jennifer Kennedy won three events and sophomores Laura Hodgson and Dani Reed won two as the Indians defeated Rogers.

Kennedy won the 100, 200 and long jump, Reid took the hurdles and Hodgson doubled in the 800 and 1,600. Sarah Bayne won the shot put and discus for the Pirates.

No results were reported from East Valley, where LC and Shadle Park competed.