Girls track teams prepare for league
These days, Shane Toy is doing the math in his head.
The girls track coach at East Valley High School is busy these days, mulling over a formula to help his squad score the maximum points in each upcoming Greater Spokane League meet.
“That’s the thing people don’t realize about this sport,” Toy said. “They think of it as an individual sport, and on one level, it is. But it’s also an exceptional team sport, and that’s what you have to figure out.”
That often means placing athletes in events that will allow them to help the team most.
“Especially for the league meets,” Toy said. “After that we can concentrate on putting kids in their best events for state.”
The GSL season starts Wednesday with a full round of league meets before teams take their spring break.
“It just feels early to start in on league meets,” Central Valley coach Dennis McGuire said. “You really don’t want to have a meet that counts on your season record like that this early.
“I’d much rather hold off until after the break to start in on them, but we’re all in the same boat on that one.”
Central Valley Bears
McGuire has a roster that runs well into three figures, but there’s a problem with having big numbers: it always takes a while to discover who should compete where.
“You never know who’s going to come through in competition,” he said. “We have a really big turnout, and it’s hard to judge just what you have until you have the chance to sort them all and time them.
“It takes a couple meets to really see what you have. You might have a kid kind of hiding from us, but at a meet she might really shine.
“You have to find them along the way.”
McGuire said he will base his lineup on past performances for today’s Cross State Challenge at Central Valley, where the Bears and Freeman Scotties host Seattle Academy and Snohomish in a unique Class 4A/1A combined meet.
“I can’t complain too much,” McGuire said. “We should be pretty good.
“We don’t have that 12.3-second sprinter that we really need, but outside of that, I think we’re going to be good.”
Senior high jumper Hailey Ficklin is back and jumping well after struggling with injuries a year ago.
Juniors Mikala Locnikar and Chelsea Moore are the team’s top returning sprinters.
“I think we’re going to have a pretty good hurdle crew with (senior) Lisa Haley, (juniors) Kasey Pena, Christi Schofield, Amber Buckholtz and (sophomore) Leslie Wilson,” McGuire said. “That’s a pretty good group right there.
“And I put one of my distance girls in the 300 hurdles – (sophomore) Tris Kline – and I think she’s going to do pretty well there, too.”
The team’s distance corps is made up of cross country veterans: juniors Brittany Carter, Camille Carter and sophomores Breanna Barsten, Erin Murphy, Ari Rios and Eden Lake. That group will be a team strength as well.
Throwers are relative newcomers, but McGuire expects them to be solid.
Senior Krystal Horton is a standout wheelchair athlete.
East Valley Knights
The Knights have a reputation for being competitors. Bring out a stopwatch or a yardstick, and it brings out the best of East Valley athletes.
“We have been lucky that way,” Toy said. “Jo E. Mayer was that way last year, and we are really going to miss that.
“Lori Bourgeous is very much that way this year, and so is Eleaya Schuerch. I think our younger kids see that and learn from it.”
Bourgeous ran a 48.37 in the 300 hurdles at Clarkston – one of the state’s best marks this season. Bourgeous also ran a 16.62 100 hurdles, with senior Kylee Williamson right on her heels at 16.63.
Scheurch is the defending state long jump champion, leaping 17-31/4 at Pasco. She also went 35-4 at state in the triple jump prelims and turned in a 34-5 to win at West Valley Wednesday.
At the moment, the only real mystery for the Knights is who will step up as the team’s top shot put and discus competitors. The team’s top two throwers graduated, but the program has a way of regenerating throwers so the cupboard isn’t bare, and junior Kathy Tate and sophomore Demari Schuerch are leading candidates to fill the role.
Senior Pam Eatock, who placed fourth at state in the javelin with a throw of 116-7, is one of the two top returners in the state in that event. She’s already throwing on par with last season and looking to improve.
“She had a throw that was just out of the sector that was more than 120 feet,” Toy said. “Her best throw at Clarkston was 115-4.
“You don’t expect your javelin throwers to come around until later, so this is a good sign.”
The Knights had the fastest Class 3A 400-relay team in the state (51.64) after the Banana Belt meet in Clarkston, and that unit – Bourgeous, (state veteran) Angela Shearer, Kylee Williamson and Eleaya Schuerch – lowered its time by a half-second Wednesday at West Valley (51.13).
East Valley won its meet at West Valley Wednesday, scoring 91 points, with West Valley at 61 and Eastmont 36.
University Titans
The Titans should be strong in the distance races, with seniors Karen and Katie Owens back for their final season.
“Our distance runners will be strong,” said coach Abby Hornstein, starting her second season as girls head coach. “(Senior) Rachel Fridye is back there, too, and (sophomore) Elise Thatcher is going to do well.”
“(Junior) Evie Baker is looking really good in the throws right now, (senior) Brittney Barnes in the sprints and jumps and (sophomore) Madeline Fuchs is looking really good in the hurdles as well.”
The Titans have a good-size turnout and, like Central Valley, will need a few meets to figure out their lineup.
West Valley Eagles
Coach Rick Kuhl takes the Eagles into their first Great Northern League season with a solid group.
“I was impressed with the way West Valley competed,” East Valley coach Toy said. “They’re going to be a strong group.”
Sophomore Krystal Hughes won the 1,600 meters with a time of 5:30, and freshman Rachel Rubright won the 3,200 in 12:50.80.
Junior Melissa Mauro won the 300 hurdles in 50.30.
Sophomore Alyssa Wold, the All-GSL high jumper a year ago, won her event by clearing 5-2 Wednesday.
Ashley Kearns was a double winner in the shot and discus with throws of 35-5 and 134-101/2, respectively.
Junior Lacey Nordby, a three-sport athlete, will be versatile in the sprints and jumps.