Markedly improved performances
Eleaya Schuerch and Mark Simpson knew their time was coming but time was running out.
The track season is on the homestretch – the three weeks of postseason competition commencing at University Thursday evening with the District 8 3A meet – and neither one had reached their goals.
They were winning, they were getting better but those magical numbers remained elusive.
Schuerch desperately wanted 18 feet in the long jump and Simpson wanted 15 feet in the pole vault.
Schuerch, an East Valley sophomore, got her number, temporarily taking over the area lead with a jump of 18 feet, 3 inches to win the 3A portion of the Greater Spokane meet. Simpson, a North Central senior, finally brought his goal into focus by clearing 14-6.
“I’m so excited,” Schuerch said. “The whole season I’ve been trying to get 18, that was the goal. I’ve had series of 17 but I just didn’t get that 18. I didn’t know it would come today.”
She then helped the Knights’ 400 relay move on to the regional. The 3A schools advanced five individuals and three relays to the matchup with the Mid-Valley League at U-Hi next weekend.
“My coach said I was going to pop one,” Schuerch said. “I was really excited, really focused.”
She is also the favorite in the triple jump when the meet concludes today with field events beginning at 3:30 and races at 4:40.
“Long jump is my favorite event, I’m pretty sure it’s my best event, but the triple jump is up there,” she said.
Simpson cleared 14 feet at regional last year but it took until last week to get a 3-inch personal record. Fortunately the next one didn’t take that long.
“I’ve been working on getting on 15-foot poles all year and today it all came together. I was ready to pop one today,” Simpson said. “With a new coach (Lex Katich) you have to regress before you progress. I was real close to 15 on those jumps. I’m real confident I can get it.”
The confidence has a good base. Katich went 14-6 for Wilbur-Creston then moved on to Washington State where he became a 16-11 vaulter.
“We’ve been going up a pole every week,” Simpson said. “Lex is an amazing coach.”
The shot put competition among the 3A boys didn’t really materialize. Only three throwers broke 50 feet but none came close to a PR. EV’s Tyler Jolley won with a put of 51-1.
The big winner was EV’s Chris Shearer, who upped his PR in the javelin by more than 3 feet with a throw of 189-9 and then tied his best with a 6-6 high jump for another easy win.