BF’s Poston wins two gold medals at State

BOISE — Bonners Ferry freshman Katie Poston is an athlete of few words.

Or at least she was Friday as the 87th annual state high school track and field championships continued at Boise State University’s Bronco Stadium.

Poston let her marks in the throws speak for themselves. She followed up her State 3A title in the shot put (41-11) Thursday with gold in the discus (138-10).

“I could have done better,” Poston said matter of factly of her winning throws. “I wanted to break the state (3A) meet records.”

Poston, who showed little emotion in accepting her gold medal, admitted she surprised herself this season. She owns the school records in both throws — 44-1 in the shot and her state throw in the discus bettered her previous best by 16 inches. She broke a 26-year-old record (126-6) in the discus earlier in the season.

She will have three more years to break the state meet records in the shot (44-3 ¼) and discus (143-6). At the pace she set this year she will likely break those records sooner than later.

Poston’s state victories accounted for 20 of the Badgers’ 38 points through eight events. Bonners Ferry trails pacesetter Sugar-Salem by 10 points going into today’s running finals.

Timberlake’s boys had 25 points and sit in third through eight events. The bulk of the Tigers’ points will come on the track behind sprinter Caleb Cazier today. Defending champ Salmon is atop the field with 42.

Bonners Ferry senior Birrell White was a surprise state champion in the pole vault, winning with a vault of 12-6 and matching his season best. Lakeland junior Kam Kiefer took second, also jumping 12-6 and equaling his personal best.

To hear James Hegbloom of Mullan tell it, qualifying for state is just as satisfying as winning any medals. So imagine his delight with capturing a state title in the 1A shot put.

“It’s a blast down here,” Hegbloom, a senior, said. “It’s the only reason I do track — to come down here.”

Hegbloom threw the shot a modest 46 feet, 10 ¼ inches — nearly four feet further than his fifth-place mark a year ago but well short of 50, his goal at state.

Perhaps the opposite emotional extreme of a first-time state winner is the dejection of not defending a state title. Count Wallace senior Gretchen Bailey among those disappointed Friday.

Bailey, seeking to repeat in the 2A long jump, fouled on her first two jumps before pulling off a ‘safe’ vault on her final attempt in the prelims just to make the nine-person finals. She took off two feet in front of the board for 15-4 ¼, the next to worst jump among the finalists. She scratched two more times in the finals and had to settle for eighth.

Bailey wanted to extend her school record of 18-0.

“I was jumping a foot farther than everybody,” Bailey said, wiping away tears. “I couldn’t get a mark. I don’t know why my steps were off. I was just too pumped up I guess.”

Wallace coach Dave Rounds chalked it up to a life lesson.

“What’s really bothering her is her average jump would have won it,” Rounds said. “She scratched those first two jumps and she started panicking. But hey, she had a great year.”

Kootenai’s girls are seeking a state three-peat in 1A, and the medley team of Stefanie Blackburn, Tabitha Kraack and Darcy and Amy Collins added 10 points to the cause with a state title. The Warriors, running the relay together for just the second time this season, ran in a time of 1:56.1.

The Warriors take a lead into today’s final events with 46 points, 24.5 ahead of Oakley.

Other 1A medal winners Friday were: Nikita Amy of Kootenai, third in the girls shot put (34-8 ¼); Jordan Kincheloe and Blackburn of Kootenai took third (7-9) and fifth (7-6) respectively in the girls pole vault; Tony Kraack of Kootenai, third in the boys pole vault (12-0); Clark Fork’s boys medley took fourth (3:51.47).

Other 3A medal winners Friday were: Kyle Mann of Kellogg, second in the boys discus (145-10): Kellogg’s boys medley foursome of Tom Gillies, Eli Bourgard, Seth Patton and Tyler Powers took second (3:40.62); Johanna Farrell of Bonners Ferry, second in the girls high jump (5-1); Jenna Hays of Bonners Ferry, third in the girls pole vault (9-6); Emily Arthurs of Kellogg, third in the girls discus (115-9); Blake Cord of Timberlake, fourth in the boys discus (143-8); Ian Kelsey of Lakeland, fifth in the boys high jump (6-2); and Zack Jones of Timberlake, fifth in the boys discus (140-3).