Noble dazzling at district

Never say that Greater Spokane League track athletes lack a flair for the dramatic.

On a day when intrepid Rogers High sprinter Becca Noble rated her day a perfect 10, she outdid herself in the night’s final race, the 1,600-meter relay.

Noble made up some 30 meters on the state’s second-best 400 runner during the final leg in a stirring finish that sent the Pirates past Gonzaga Prep to victory and both under 3:59, the state’s second- and third-fastest times.

“She’s the real deal. The REAL deal,” said appreciative witness Chuck Bowden, who coaches Central Valley’s boys.

Another boys coach, Keven Frandsen of U-Hi, said he timed her split against Bullpups standout Alex Butler in 52.9 seconds and added that would earn her a spot on his Titans relay team.

Such superlatives underscored a day in which Noble easily won the 100 into a slight headwind, the 200 in 24.88 and the 400 in yet another scorching time, 53.79, automatic.

“It was a really good day,” Noble said. “The sun was out and I love the weather.”

And she loves the challenge, said her coach, Chris Caviness. Noble faced long odds in the relay against Butler, a 57-second 400 runner.

But she made up the huge difference and got past Butler in the last few meters as Rogers ran a brilliant 3:58.10 and Prep and equally superb 3:58.46.

“Becca has a fire in her eye, loves to compete and take on a challenge,” Caviness said.

Thus did another District 8 track meet come to a dazzling end. The top four relay teams and top eight individuals in the contest earned their right to compete again next week in Yakima where the top four in competition among GSL and Big Nine schools advance to state.

Besides Noble, there was yet another thrilling duel between distance stalwarts, Mt. Spokane’s Megan O’Reilly and University’s Amie Dahnke.

This time it was at 1,600 meters, where the two ran side-by-side for two laps before Dahnke made her move with 600 meters remaining.

Once again, O’Reilly caught her with a closing rush, equaling her career best of 4:58.8 with a 70-second final lap. Dahnke had a season-best 5:00.14.

“Seventy seconds, that’s pretty quick,” said an elated O’Reilly.

Another girls standout, the Bullpups’ Corinna O’Brien, found herself in postseason form at the right time. Like Noble, the basketball player-trackster, has sprinter’s speed (12.4 in the 100) and distance endurance. But she hadn’t spent much time at 800 meters, an event in which she placed at state last year.

“We didn’t really have a miler and I stepped in and did that,” she said. “I never had a chance to run the 800 and was ranked sixth and kind of disappointed.”

Against CV’s Anna Layman, who has the state’s fourth-fastest time, O’Brien had too much kick in winning by 2 seconds in 2:17.95.

“I still have more to give,” said O’Brien. “I definitely feel good about it.”

Rogers’ Emily Dahl won both hurdles races and Ferris won the other two relays, timing a swift 1:45.59 to edge U-Hi by .4 at 800 meters. Lewis and Clark’s Briann January added the high jump to Thursday’s long jump victory. The latter result was previously incorrectly recorded.

Also incorrect was the boys shot put. U-Hi’s Michael Kelley actually finished fifth, not tied for first as the statistics initially indicated.

EV’s Andy Roof, the shot winner at 54-1 ½ , added the discus title at 175-10 Friday.

During boys competition, Lewis and Clark’s Andre Jennings won the 200 in 22.33, the second-fastest freshman time in state history, .11 behind Leon Jackson, then at Kamiakin.

Evan Garber added the 1,600 title to his 3,200 win the day before, going wire-to-wire in a swift 4:12.07. His challengers, again, were Ferris’ Justin Houck and Mike Quackenbush, who ran 4:14.35 and 4:16.32.

Hurdlers Tasheen Garry from CV and Jared Bjerkestrand from Shadle Park resumed their rivalry, each splitting a race.

“He always beats me,” said Bjerkestrand after Garry’s 38.78-39.06 300 intermediate win.

“Unless it’s the 110 highs, then he beats me,” said Garry, fifth to Bjerkestrand’s 14.85 victory. “He’s a competitor.”

3A

Cheney junior Katie Kimball had a ready answer for her emergence as the area’s premier girls 300 meter hurdler.

“I think its because I lifted weights this year,” she said. “It’s made a big difference because I’m still strong at the end of the race.”

Kimball lowered her career best to 45.61 electronic as part of a day that included a 15.89 100 hurdles victory and the anchor leg on the Blackhawks’ 1,600 relay title quartet.

Her long hurdles time is currently the best among 3A state performers, indicative of a title challenge if all goes well next week at the regional meet in Yakima.

“That would be pretty neat,” she agreed.

Cheney girls won eight of 11 races during the two-day meet, freshman Amanda Swenson sweeping the two short sprints. The Blackhawks added a couple more wins in the field.

West Valley’s Kayla Mainer was a double jumps winner and on two relay wins, her finishing lunge getting the Eagles past Cheney 1:48.97 to 1:48.98.

In the boys meet, Blackhawk Tyrel Poosri was a double hurdles victor as well.

“My times were a little slow,” he said. “I was hoping to get in the 39s and 14s, but there’s always next week.”

Cheney and WV divided the 10 track events. The Eagles won five of seven field events, including Kevin Lemieux’s personal best 155-8 discus throw.