T-Wolves rule

Don’t tell Lake City track coach Kelly Reed his teams’ victories in the Inland Empire League championships Friday afternoon may have been a bit hollow.

It’s not his fault that his team’s chief competition, Lewiston, essentially bypassed the conference finals for a second consecutive year.

The Timberwolves boys pulled off a league title repeat, posting 143.75 points to top runner-up Coeur d’Alene by 21, while 4A Moscow took third (92).

In the girls, LC tallied 114 points while 4A Sandpoint was second with 96, a half-point ahead of Post Falls.

Even though his teams cruised to league titles, Reed knows they will have a difficult time repeating as regional champs in two weeks – especially with those meets held at Volmer Bowl in Lewiston. The Bengals’ best boys and girls were in Boise for a meet Friday.

“Obviously Lewiston’s varsity not being here impacts the meet dramatically because they’ve got several potential (regional) champions on both the boys and the girls (teams),” Reed said. “It would be great to have them here, but I respect (Lewiston coach Keith Stuffle’s) decision to take his teams to Boise. He thinks that’s what’s best for them so that’s fine.”

Leading the LC boys’ repeat bid was the one-two-three finish by John Coyle, C.J. Helbling and Nic Cotton in the 1,600 meters. That accounted for 24 points and the cushion between themselves and CdA.

“Our boys distance group put the meet away in the mile by going one-two-three,” Reed said.

LC’s Logan Frederickson won the 800 (2:01.82) and the Timberwolves were victorious in three relays – the 400, 1,600 and medley.

The one Lewiston standout that attended the meet was thrower Cody Hays. He was a double winner, breaking the meet record in the discus with a heave of 165 feet, 6 inches to best the old mark of 157-7. He also won the shot put with a throw of 51-5, topping Paul Morgan of Moscow by 5 inches.

Senior hurdles standout Arica Johnson led the LC girls by winning the 100 (16.15) and the 300 (47.73). She missed a meet record by one-hundredths of a second in the 300. Her time was a career best despite the fact that she botched the approaches to all 10 hurdles and was going against a stiff headwind at the start of the race.

“My strides were OK, but I was off going over the hurdles,” Johnson said. “I just picked it up in between the hurdles. I was either too close or too far from the hurdles. It’s been an interesting year. I feel stronger so it’s easier to run. I don’t get tired as easy. I’ve been working hard and it’s paying off.”

Johnson also anchored the winning medley (1:55.64).

“She had a great day,” Reed said. “She looks stronger and I think she grew a little bit since last year. We could use her in all of our relays, both hurdles, and she could probably run the open 100 and 200. She’s pretty versatile.”

Another double winner on the girls side was Lakeland junior thrower Kristine Leonard. She threw 119-9 in the discus – a career best by 10 feet, and she threw 38-3 in the shot. It was another personal best by 6 inches.

“This week I was practicing a lot on form and technique and slowing down and not trying to muscle up on the throws,” Leonard said. “And it worked out keeping my shoulders level.”

Leonard, a transfer last year from the San Fernando Valley in California, has been a pleasant addition, Lakeland coach Lee Libera said.

“I thought she’d have a good year,” Libera said. “She’s made a lot of improvement the last couple of weeks.”

A steady, stiff wind out of the west didn’t allow for any fabulous times.

Still, there were three other double winners. They were: Jake Rhodes of CdA in the 100 (11.20) and 200 (22.93); Anna Stone of CdA in the 1,600 (5:25.67) and 3,200 (11:25.76); and Brad Reynolds of Post Falls in the 110 (15.35) and 300 (39.75) hurdles