Mt. Spokane, Shadle Park Compete Today In Decisive Meet

Thu., April 20, 2000

By Dave Trimmer davetrimmer@yahoo.com

GSL Track

Shadle Park track coach Ivan Corley said Michael Kiter is going to run two races this afternoon. That’s how big the Mt. Spokane-Shadle Park boys dual meet is today at Shadle.

Both teams are 4-0 in the Greater Spokane League.

Even with one week remaining, the loser should still make the GSL final four, but the winner is a lock - and probably the favorite to win the league championship.

Kiter didn’t double in Pasco last weekend, settling for an impressive win in a 1,600-meter duel with Max Schmidt of University.

“I had no idea what kind of time (to expect),” Kiter said. “I hoped to PR and get some kind of hardware. I did everything I wanted.”

Surging past Schmidt in the homestretch, Kiter won in 4 minutes, 16.4 seconds, beating Schmidt by three-tenths and shaving almost four seconds off his personal record.

Schmidt came back to win the 3,200 but Kiter was satisfied with one race. He had run a strong 9:15.48 in the 3,200 in Arcadia, Calif., a week earlier.

“I’m strong mentally right now,” Kiter said. “After (the 1,600) and Arcadia, I’m really tired. If I ran real slow and got killed, I don’t want to take that chance.”

Besides, Kiter has to be ready to run today. Running a strong third in the Pasco mile was Cameron Schwehr of Mt. Spokane. Schwehr’s time of 4:19.4 was lower than the 4:20.2 Schmidt and Kiter shared as the state best going into the weekend.

Add Ferris’ Andrew Ice, who was fourth in Pasco at 4:19.8 and was 2 seconds ahead of Kiter in the Arcadia 3,200, and Kiter is focused for the second half of the track season.

“(The GSL 1,600 sweep in Pasco) set it in good,” Kiter said. “The main competition is from the GSL. As long as we’re racing like we’re racing, we keep pushing each other to better times. No one is going to give a step.”

That includes today.

Mead is also 4-0 going into a meet today at East Valley with University as the third team in the triple dual. The Panthers are in good shape to make the final four after a thrilling 74-71 win over Central Valley at Ferris last week.

In all probability, the odd team out of the final four will be the loser of next week’s CV-University dual at CV.

The Shadle Park and Mt. Spokane girls are battling for a possible berth in the final four. Both are 2-2 going in.

University and CV are locks to get in at 4-0. East Valley is 3-0 so its matchup with Mead, 3-1, is crucial for both teams. Mead faces Shadle Park and fast improving North Central the last week. NC is 1-2 and has a home meet today against winless Ferris, 0-3, and Gonzaga Prep, 0-4.

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