Riverside’S Prichard Has Track Trifecta Pullman Boys Win 1,600-Meter Relay Title; Steilacoom Boys, Omak Girls Win 2A Team Titles

It took a Ram-tough long distance runner and four speedy Greyhounds to keep the State 2A track and field championships from being a bust for the Great Northern League.

The Riverside Rams’ Katie Prichard finished with three state titles as she defended her crown in the 800 meters and captured the 1,600 Saturday at Eastern Washington University’s Woodward Stadium.

Prichard started her gold rush Friday in the 3,200.

The Pullman Greyhounds’ 1,600-meter boys relay team captured the lone state title for GNL boys. And that didn’t come until the final race.

Omak’s girls, behind three victories by Oregon-bound Ann Sullivan, sprinted away to a team title with 74 points. White Salmon was a distant second (44), Steilacoom (40) was third and Pullman (38) took fourth.

Steilacoom’s boys - made up of four sprinters and a thrower - held off Connell by a point to capture the team championship with 55. Pullman and Ephrata tied for third (37).

A strong southwesterly wind and intermittent rain allowed for less than ideal conditions Saturday.

Girls

Prichard, third in the 400 last year, gave the event up this season for the 1,600 after breaking the school record in the four-lap race the fourth time she did it.

“It was a tough call, but since I was doing the other distances I thought I’d stick with it,” Prichard said. “Doing the 1,600 allowed me more recovery time for the 800.”

Prichard breezed to victory in the 1,600 with a time of 5 minutes, 22.62 seconds. About 4 hours later, Prichard clocked 2:20.45 in the 800.

Just as the 800 began, the worst of the day’s weather unleashed sheets of sideways-blowing rain. Prichard ran as if oblivious to it.

“I love running in the rain,” Prichard said, smiling. “In cross country we get rain all the time. Our coach has instilled in us that it’s fun to run in the rain.”

Two other girls captured three state titles: Sullivan and Cathy Schmidt of Ilwaco.

Sullivan, the reigning champion in four events, defended in the 100 (13.15) and both the 100 (14.94) and 300 (45.23) hurdles.

In a showdown in the 200, Janae Young of Steilacoom stopped Sullivan’s bid for a fourth gold. Young’s time of 25.67 was six-tenths of a second faster than Sullivan’s.

“I felt strong out of the blocks, but she’s obviously faster than me,” said Sullivan, who accounted for 38 of her team’s 74 points and finished with 11 individual state titles. “Even if I’d run my best she would have beat me.”

Young, a junior, was hoping to take the 100, but she suffered her first false start Friday during preliminary heats.

“I just wanted to come back and prove to myself that I could get over it and not let it affect me,” Young said.

Schmidt completed a sweep in the throws. She added titles in the javelin (125-9) and shot put (40-8, a meet record) after winning in the discus Friday.

Other winners were Emily Turner of Omak in the 400 (59.50); Steilacoom in the 400 (49.05) and 800 (1:46.32) relays; Kiona-Benton in the 1,600 relay (4:12.46); and Chelsea Huffman of Woodland in the triple jump (36-10-3/4).

Boys

Pullman juniors Jacob Petz, Brett Udy and Paul Miller and freshman John Cassleman teamed for a time of 3:29.77 to lift the Greyhounds into a tie for third.

The Greyhounds surprised themselves.

“I’m still in a daze,” said Miller, who ran the anchor leg. “We came into this thinking we were going to get fourth and if everything fell into place we could possibly get second.”

Gillette led Steilacoom with wins in the 100 (11.29) and 200 (23.23) and ran on the winning 400 relay (43.65). Senior Matt Harriman of Omak won a third straight title in the 3,200 (9:44.49).

Other winners were: Hans Hurt of Naches Valley in the 400 (50.39); Ryan Wieseler of Connell in the 800 (1:58.67); Derek Price of Connell in the 110 hurdles (15.14); Luke Marker of Chelan in the 300 hurdles (39.62); Teddi Davis of White Salmon in the high jump (6-7); Jake Andreson of White Salmon in the pole vault (14-9); Marques Blalock-Howard of LaCenter in the long jump (22-3-1/4); and Josh Bartz of Steilacoom in the discus (159-9).