Timberlake boys, Priest River girls take crowns

While rain soaked the athletes at the 3A District I track meet Saturday, it didn’t stop the Timberlake boys and Priest River girls from singing in it at Van Tuinistra Memorial Field.

Timberlake captured a third consecutive district title as the Tigers’ boys doubled the field with 154 points as the two-day meet concluded at Spirit Lake. Kellogg took second with 73, followed by Bonners Ferry (69), St. Maries (45) and Priest River (24).

Priest River captured its first district championship in school history as the Spartans’ girls posted 111 points. Defending district and state champ Bonners Ferry finished second with 88, followed by Kellogg (83.5), Timberlake (51.5) and St. Maries (40).

The top three individuals in each event and the winning relays advance to state, which will be held Friday and Saturday at Boise State University.

Timberlake senior Eric Lambert qualified for state in four events, adding a win in the triple jump (41 feet, 5 inches) Saturday to go with a win in the long jump Friday. He also ran on the 400- and 1,600-meter relays, both of which won.

“I think we have more depth this year,” said Lambert, who figures to earn four medals next week. “I think legitimately we’re a top-three team. We have a ton of young athletes who have never won (state) before and it would be sweet to get them (a state trophy) while I’m on my way out.”

Sophomore John Macklin was a three-event winner for Timberlake. He captured the 100 (15.9) and 300 (42.5) hurdles and the pole vault (12-6).

“I thought we were a top-three team last year at this exact (time),” Timberlake coach Brian Kluss said. “If we go down there and perform and have some kids do above what we expect we should have a chance. The kids’ goal is to win it. They got a taste of it last year and they want to keep that rolling.”

Priest River received points from all 11 of its girls, seven of whom qualified for state.

“At the start of the year I thought we had the talent to do it, but depth was always a worry for me,” Priest River coach Jared Hughes said of winning a district title. “But all these girls stepped up.”

Junior sprinter AshLee Rey led the way for the Spartans as a four-event winner. Rey won the 100 (12.8), 200 (27.1) and the 400 (59.5) and ran the anchor leg on the victorious 1,600 relay (4:16.4).

Senior Jamie Brower of Kellogg, the defending state champ in the 400, finished runner-up to Rey in all three sprints.

Rey knows she’ll have another showdown or two with Brower at state. The Spartan wants a state title.

“It would be really special because it’s everything I’ve worked for in track,” Rey said.

District I has sent quality sprinters to state in recent years, particularly among the boys. Kellogg’s Seth Patton hopes to be the next to capture gold as he won district titles in the 200 (23.4) and 400 (50.2).

“I ran in the shadow of Caleb Cazier (Timberlake) and Chris Person (Priest River) last year,” Patton, a senior, said. Person won a state title in the 200 and Cazier won in the 400 a year ago.

“I think I’ve got a good chance to win the 400,” Patton said. “I want to show people I can do it too and go down and represent the (Intermountain League) one more year.”

Patton’s teammate, Tyler Powers, the defending state champ in the 800, broke a nearly 20-year-old school record in the 800, winning in 1:58.4.

Powers and Patton each run on Kellogg’s medley relay, which won a district title Friday. It has taken second at state the last two years.

As part of their motivation to bring home a state title, Kellogg’s medley foursome plans to sport new ‘dos at state – Mohawks. Patton has the clippers and he will be the barber Monday at his house.

“At this point, whatever’s working I’m not going to question,” Kellogg coach Todd Howard said, smiling and shaking his head.

Other top performances were: Amanda Corning of Priest River in the 100 (16.6) and 300 (49.2) hurdles; Cami Wendt of Kellogg in the long jump (16-1); Katie Poston of Bonners Ferry in the shot put (42-6½; and Angela Storro of Priest River in the high jump (5-1).

1A Region I

Prairie’s girls knocked off three-time regional champ Kootenai as the two-day tourney concluded at Kootenai. State will be held Thursday through Saturday at Boise.

Prairie posted 111 points, 15 more than Kootenai. In the boys, Deary unseated defening champ Nezperce. Deary finished with 98, two more than Nezperce.

Kootenai’s Darcy Collins, who won in the high jump on Friday, added three more wins Saturday in the 200 (26.9) and 100 (15.2) and 300 (47.9) hurdles.