Odessa, Liberty win titles
There are several ways to win a big track and field meet.
One is to ride a couple of outstanding individual performers. Another is to use superior depth to rack up points.
The District 7B championships Friday at Spokane Falls Community College saw both.
Odessa used a pair of double-event winners and a victorious relay team to outdistance St. George’s 93-64 and capture the district boys crown.
Liberty used its depth to cruise to the girls title, scoring 97 team points to finish 21 ahead of second-place Reardan.
The top three finishers in the boys meet and top four in the girls advance to the State B championships Friday and next Saturday at Eastern Washington University.
Odessa sophomore Matt Conrath won both the 800 and 1,600 meters and anchored a runaway victory in the 4x400 relay, while teammate Aaron Wilson won both the pole vault and high jump to power the Tigers to the first-place finish in the boys meet.
Conrath finished with a 4-second lead over his nearest competitor in both his individual races, but could “only” muster a 3-second advantage over second-place Northwest Christian in the final relay.
Wilson cleared 6 feet, an inch off his personal best, to win the high jump and cleared 10-6 to win the pole vault.
“I came in with the idea of just trying to relax and have fun,” the junior said. “If you come in looking to win you always end up being disappointed.”
Davenport sophomore Allan Cantrell won both sprints, clocking 11.65 seconds in the 100 and 23.54 in the 200.
The Lancers had only two individual champions, high jumper Tina Dahm and triple jumper Cami Bullock. Instead, Liberty used depth to run away with the title. Lancers earned three of the four state berths in the triple jump and qualified two javelin throwers for state and will send both a 4x100 and a 4x200 relay team.
Despite an interruption caused by lightening in the area, Dahm cleared 5-10 to win the high jump and helped both state-qualifying relay teams. Bullock jumped 33 feet, 9 1/2 inches to win the triple jump, with teammates Shawn Hennessey and Chelsea Crosby qualifying third and fourth, respectively. Bullock also ran a leg on the state-qualifying 4x200 relay.
The day’s best individual performance came in the girls 800 meters. St. George’s sophomore Maja Rodell used a long, powerful stride to carve more than 3 seconds off the 18-year-old meet record, crossing in 2:19.86 seconds. Reardan’s Chris Wegner set the standard, running 2:23.10 in 1988.
Rodell, starting in the middle of the track, made up the outside stagger as she entered the first turn and ran away from the competition.
“I like to run by myself – I like to be out in front,” she said. “I’m looking forward to running at state. I’d like to see how I can do against the best runners in the state.”
Valley Christian’s Erica Hattamer won two individual events and anchored a pair of state-qualifying relay teams.
The junior turned in a strong performance to win the 400 in 1:00.43, edging Lind-Ritzville’s Ann Marie Hunt by 1.4 seconds.
Going into the 200, Hunt, the favorite, false-started and was disqualified. Hattamer started strong and won with a time of 27.62 seconds. But before she celebrated her victory, she dashed across the track to console Hunt.
“I told her that it should have been her winning this race,” Hattamer said. “It’s kind of funny. This is was only the third time I’ve ever run this race. My coach put me in it for the first time about three weeks ago.
“What I really want to concentrate on is helping my relay teammates qualify for state.”
That she did, anchoring a third-place finish in both the 4x200 and 4x400 relays.
“District 9 B: Ashley Stabl ran the 300 hurdles in 46.3 to set a meet record and help Tekoa-Oakesdale/Rosalia rise to the top of the girls standings after the first of two days at Colfax. Clarissa Harston will also represent T-O/R at state after a winning triple jump of 32-4. LaCrosse/Washtucna’s Pam Passmore landed first-place finishes in the javelin and shot put. Asotin stands one point out of first, and had a top finish in the 3,200 from Rachel Gundy… Steve Trevino and Bobby Baskett finished first and second, respectively, in the long jump to push T-O/R’s boys to the top. Kris Widman scored a win for T-O/R in the high jump at 6-8, and teammate Jared Mills won the 300 hurdles at 42.2. Brett Fowler placed first in the 1,600 with a 4:41.2 for Asotin. DeSales had two first-place finishers and remained out of first by five points.