Blackhawks sweep 3A district hurdles

Call the Greater Spokane League District 3A track meet “the meet of hurdles.”

Make that Cheney hurdlers.

Blackhawks Tyreil Poosri and Katie Kimble swept both hurdle events to highlight the action Friday night at University.

“Tyreil is a good hurdler, I’m a good hurdler and we have a good coach (Curt Hisaw),” Kimble said. “He pushes me and I push Tyreil.”

Kimble clipped a tenth of a second off her best in the 100-meter hurdles (15.4) but missed her best in the 300 hurdles by a tenth (46.1).

“I wanted to get in the 45’s,” said Kimble, the defending state champ in the longer race. “I’ll peak at state. God has kept me from injury. I haven’t had the problems with my body like I all the other years.”

Poorsi did get a personal record in the 300s (40.3) but wasn’t close in the 110s (15.45), even though he won big.

“I always want to PR. I was surprised in the 110s, I think it was the rain,” he said. “No excuses. I feel like I have a lot more in both. I need to attack the hurdles in the 3s and get a better start in the 110s.”

The meet also featured a family sweep – the Graessers of North Central winning the 1,600.

Luke, a senior, started it off by holding off teammate Caleb Jahey, winning in 4:26.8. Mary, a sophomore, won handily in 5:26.05.

That gave the family three district titles with Katie winning the 1,600 four years ago.

“Katie got the trend going but we’ve all been doing it since elementary school,” Luke said. “It seemed kind of natural.”

Mary said, “My dad was a runner, kind of. We just do it. We always ran cross country in grade school.”

Following in the sister’s footsteps – and maybe besting her – didn’t bother Mary.

“It’s the event I can win at so I do it,” she said. “I’m .5 off of Katie’s record.”

Mary was favored in the 3,200 on Thursday but ran the second half with a side ache and coasted in third. That was more than good enough as the top five individuals and top three relays advance to meet the Mid-Valley League at the regional next weekend at U-Hi.

Though one is generally warming up or cooling down when the other is racing, the Graessers keep an eye on each other.

“Basically we just do our own thing but it’s pretty cool to win the same race,” Mary said.

Luke added, “When I see her racing I cheer her on. We’re just really competitive. We talk some but it’s hard because we run in different races, but it’s kind of nice, though.”

NC junior Anna Walters was a double winner in the 200 (25.9) and 400 (58.5) and East Valley sophomore Eleaya Schuerch completed a double by adding the triple jump (35 feet, 8¼ inches) to the long jump she won on Thursday.

There were also two more double winners for the boys. East Valley junior Anthony Laborin won the 100 (11.0) and 200 (22.5) and West Valley senior Rashad Toussaint added the triple jump (45-2 on just one attempt in order to rest a sore heel) to his Thursday win in the long jump.