U-Hi athletes come home state champs

University’s Dana McClendon is only a sophomore, but her track and field future is bright.

Last weekend at the WIAA/Dairy Farmers of Washington State 4A track meet, McClendon became the second-best shot putter in Spokane girls history in winning the state championship.

McClendon improved her school record to 44-feet, 6 1/2-inches, a foot better than her previous mark. She needs three more feet over the next two years to become the all-time leader.

McClendon also added a second place in the discus with a 129-6 throw. She has a best of 130-7.

“I didn’t even make it to state in the discus last year, and that’s what I was aiming for,” McClendon said. “I’m excited (about the future), and I’m a little nervous. I have expectations for what I can do, and now everyone knows.”

McClendon wasn’t U-Hi’s only state champion. Fellow sophomore Wes Nolen continued his late-season javelin rampage, throwing 190-7 for the boys title. It was a three-foot improvement over his previous best.

Another Titan, Nate Thompson, finished sixth in the discus with a throw of 151-1. Katie Hawkins tied for sixth in the girls pole vault at 10-6, a foot below her season’s best.

CV’s 1,600 relay was sixth in 3:24.84 and Anna Layman was seventh with 2:25.71 in the 800.

Schuerch a champ

East Valley long jumper Eleaya Schuerch won the 3A state long jump by 3 1/4 inches at 17-7 1/4 over Dominique Radcliffe of Kelso.

The two had been separated by less than an inch (17-10 3/4 to 17-10) coming into the meet.

“I almost had a heart attack,” said Schuerch while Radcliffe finished her last jump. “I didn’t know if I was going to win. It could have gone either way.”

The wind was the hardest part, she added. Every time she jumps in Pasco, she said, it’s been into the wind.

Schuerch, among the state leaders, went unplaced in the triple jump, but East Valley finished eighth in the meet with 26 points.

Lyndzie Johnson was third in the shot put at 38-4 – “I didn’t do good; I have 40 feet in me,” she said – and fourth in the discus at 124-1. Junior Pam Eatock was fourth in the javelin at 116-7.

Other placers were West Valley’s Arton Toussaint, third at 45-8 in the 3A triple jump, Brittiny Almy, fourth in the long jump at 16-4 and Melissa Mauro, fifth in the high jump at 5-2.

Freeman gets it done

There were no team trophies, but plenty of individual successes for Freeman athletes at last weekend’s State 1A meets in Cheney.

Freeman girls placed in 10 events and finished fifth with 40 points behind four private schools from the Emerald City League in and around Seattle.

Five boys, including one state champion and a third place finisher, scored 22 3/4 points.

Seniors Jessie DePell and Andrew Wilkerson had memorable career-ending meets. DePell finished third in the pole vault, fourth in the triple jump at 34-9 1/2 and was a member of two relay medalists.

Wilkerson threw a school record 158-3 to win the discus.

Freshman Leah Willard was second in the high jump with a 5-0 jump, an event coach John Hays said prior to that he wouldn’t have been surprised if she won.

Junior Greg Emtman‘s closing rush earned him third at 800 meters in a taut four-runner race, just .23 of a second off the lead. His time was a personal best 1:59.45.

“The 800 is my favorite race and I gave it all I had,” said Emtman. “I came in wanting to break two minutes and I did, so I’m happy with that.”

In girls competition, Freeman’s relay teams accounted for seven points, but some team members accounted for more. Besides DePell, Carly Heinen finished sixth in the 300 hurdles at 49.57 after timing a career-best 48.06 in the preliminaries, and Janessa Miller was sixth in the 100 hurdles in 16.73 and seventh in the high jump. They ran on both relay teams.

Maeve Sayres, on one relay, placed seventh twice at 800 and 1,600 meters. Melanie Frankert, seventh in the discus, and relay runner Ashley Carrell also contributed.

Besides Wilkerson and Emtman, Chris Davis finished sixth in the 100, Marc Soelberg was seventh in the pole vault and Saegan Neiman tied for seventh in the high jump.

The tragedy, said Hays, was the 300 hurdles where Luke Heinen had qualified for the finals with a preliminary time just .2 second off the school record.

But the race was re-run because of a foul, and times were substantially slower than the first heat, which only was run once. Heinen, even though he finished fourth, missed out for the finals when times were compared.

“He might have broken the school record the next day had he been in the finals,” Hays said.

Hattamer shines

Valley Christian junior sprinter Erica Hattamer accounted for 10 points with places in two races during State B track competition.

Hattamer ran 59.41 to place third at 400 meters and 27.86 for fifth in the 200.

“I was really going for first place,” she said after the 400 race. “You don’t go into something expecting anything less. The surprise was the 200. I was not expected to be there.”

Justin McNamara finished eighth at 51.94 in his 400 race.

Wheelchair gold

Central Valley wheelchair athlete Krystle Horton won four championships last weekend during the State 4A/3A WIAA/Dairy Farmers of Washington track meets in Pasco.

She won the 100, 200, 400 and 1,600 meter events.

Horton had finished seventh among women in the Lilac Bloomsday wheelchair race in May.

Scotties break even

Freeman’s softball team tied for seventh place with a 2-2 record during last weekend’s State 1A tournament in Moses Lake.

The Scotties bounced back from a tourney opening 2-1 loss to Cascade Christian with 5-1 and 2-1 wins over Cle Elum and Friday Harbor before losing 10-5 to Cedar Park Christian.

Casey Olson and Lauren Nooner were both 1-1 on the mound, Olson on both ends of 2-1 scores.

Olson pitched a four-hitter in the opening loss and a two-hitter in the win over Friday Harbor. In that game, Kristin Nooner‘s grounder to second scored Erin Cory in the bottom of the seventh for the winning run.

Lauren Nooner pitched a two-hitter, striking out seven, allowing just a seventh inning run to Cle Elum. Freeman scored three times in the fifth. Twice Linda Trejbal was hit by pitches with the bases loaded to drive in runs.

The Scotties had six hits in the opening loss, but could score just once, in the bottom of the seventh. Nicole Oakshott had two hits and scored.

A six-run third inning lifted Cedar Park Christian in the elimination game on Saturday.

Jesica Jackson finished the weekend with four hits and Oakshott had three.

Doubles team fourth

The Freeman doubles tennis team of wrestling state champion Danny Mathews and Andy Nonnenmacher finished fourth during State 1A tennis last weekend.

Mathews and Nonnenmacher lost their opener in straight sets, but won twice in consolation play, including 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 in the placing match.