Pullman just shy of repeating title

Team titles for Eastern Washington teams seemingly blew away with the stiff non-stop winds Saturday at the WIAA/Dairy Farmers of Washington State 2A, 1A and B Boys Track and Field Championships at Eastern Washington University’s Woodward Stadium.

Still, nine area athletes and two relays captured gold at the meets for the state’s three smallest classifications concluded three-day runs.

In 2A, Pullman fell three points short of defending its state title as the Greyhounds finished with 64, three behind champion South Whidbey. Medical Lake took third, just a point behind Pullman, and Toppenish, a point behind Medical Lake, grabbed the final trophy. First through fourth were separated by just 10 points.

South Whidbey secured the team title when three-event winner Kyle McGillen, a senior, captured the long jump with a leap of 22 feet, 11 inches in the next-to-last event scored. Pullman sophomore Ashton Grant was second (22-7).

Plenty of drama remained for Pullman and Medical Lake, though, going into the final event, the 1,600-meter relay. South Whidbey and Toppenish didn’t have teams in the race.

Phil Hinrichs pulled Pullman nearly even with Medical Lake going into the final lap. The Cardinals had built a sizeable lead through the first two laps.

Hinrichs handed off to anchor and 400 champion Brendan Cassleman and the speedy Greyhound overcame a 10-meter deficit in the final 100, passing Medical Lake’s anchor, Scott Traynor, in the final 10 meters. Pullman finished in a winning time of 3 minutes, 26.61 seconds, .34 ahead of Medical Lake.

Hinrichs earned a second state title, adding a gold in the 800 (1:56.64) to go with the 1,600 he won on Thursday. In a strange way, though, Hinrichs thought his victory earned him a measure of redemption. He actually finished second by time in the 1,600 but was declared the winner when Mike Dols of Chelan was disqualified after he bumped Hinrichs out of his lane as the Greyhound was attempting to pass Dols in the final 50 meters.

“It was a bitter-sweet thing,” said Hinrichs, who signed a letter of intent to attend Washington State last Friday. “I felt I was going to go by him, but no one wants to win by the rule, especially in track when they’re rarely ever used.”

So Hinrich was determined to win decisively Saturday. And he did, finishing nearly 2 seconds ahead of Dols in the 800.

“I feel better about (the 800),” Hinrichs said. “I had a chip on my shoulder because I had to prove that I didn’t win by DQ – I won because I was a better runner. Even though I didn’t lose, I had to redeem myself because (Thursday) it felt like a loss to me.”

Ian Weber of Newport was the other area individual winner in 2A. Weber won the 110 hurdles in 15.59, edging J.D. Kottwitz of Medical Lake by four-tenths of a second.

Kottwitz teamed with Curtis Stolworthy, Roman Bullock and Brandon Propeck to win the 400 relay (43.88).

1A

Tacoma Baptist stormed past defending champ Freeman by scoring 67 points to the Scotties’ three Saturday.

Behind two individual victories and two relay titles, Tacoma Baptist finished with 83 points. Freeman, which had 57 after the first two days, still managed second with 60.

Kevin Hatch, who had two firsts and a second going into the long jump Saturday, was Freeman’s best hope for points. But Hatch scratched on his first two jumps in the prelims and had to back off on his third attempt to try to make the finals. His safe jump of 18-8 ¾, nearly 4 feet short of his season best, was only good enough for 11th.

T.J. Hunt of Lind-Ritzville was the lone 1A local winner. Hunt captured the 300 hurdles (40.40).

B

It was a school-record day for Northport.

Actually, it was a school-record day for Northport’s two state entrants – juniors Chad Butorac and Franklin Chambers, who combined for 38 points as Northport finished fifth, just four points out of the school’s first state track trophy. Kittitas and South Bend finished as co-champs with 50 points each.

Butorac and Chambers captured the first individual state titles in school history. Butorac doubled, winning the 100 (11.3) and 200 (22.57), and Chambers took gold in the javelin (166-5).

Phillip MacArthur of Selkirk didn’t defend his state title in the discus, placing second (151-2) behind winner Mitch Wheelhouse of Glenwood (153-8). MacArthur set a meet record Friday in winning the shot put.