GSL track: Shadle Park girls notch impressive win over Mead

Standing at the starting line on a surprisingly splendid Wednesday afternoon at Shadle Park, Nikki Codd at her side, Brianna Brown was worried – with good reason.

She was the anchor for Shadle’s 1,600-meter relay and if she could hold off one of the best runners in the Greater Spokane League, the Highlanders would have a victory in a critical season-opening showdown with Mead.

“I don’t think I’m a very confident runner,” Brown said. “Mostly I run scared.”

She had a 15-meter lead before Codd received the baton and it took the Panthers standout about 250 meters to reel in Brown. But as they turned down the homestretch, Brown inched away to give Shadle a 79-71 victory.

“It’s the second time I had to run against her in this race,” said Brown, a junior. “I was thinking she’s going to get me. She did get me. I don’t like to lose. I had a lot more in me.”

That capped a spectacular day for Brown and her teammates, who won every event on the track, except for Codd’s specialty, the 800.

Brown, junior Jordan Carlson, senior Brynn DeLong and freshman distance star Andrea Nelson led the charge.

Carlson won the 100 (12.7 seconds) and 200 (25.8) and anchored the winning 400 relay (49.7) and 800 relay (state-best 1:45); DeLong swept the 100 (15.4) and 300 (47.0) hurdles and ran on both relays; Nelson swept the 1,600 (5:22.5) and 3,200 (11:55.3) and was second to Codd’s 2:16.6 in the 800; and Brown won the 400 (59.6) , high jump (4 feet, 10 inches) and was second in the 200.

First-year Shadle coach Jamie Rees rolled the dice early, putting Carlson in the short relay instead of the finale.

“We had confidence in our other ladies to pull it through in the 4x4,” Carlson said. “I couldn’t have been more proud of Bri. She pushed herself. I’m so happy to be part of this team. This meet proves we’re bringing it in the GSL.”

Mead also gambled, putting Codd in the 800 relay and holding her out of the open 400, which wouldn’t have affected the outcome.

“It’s nice to have someone hard to go against the first time, be all intense about it and see what we can actually do,” DeLong said. “It’s early in the season and we beat Mead. They’re a very good school. It feels good.”

Winning the GSL isn’t the only goal for the Highlanders.

“We want to place at state as a team – we try to set high goals,” Carlson said. “A lot can happen (in the next two months). The good thing about our team is a lot of girls peak later in the season. We’ll only get stronger.”

She’s including herself in that group.

“I’m pretty confident,” she said. “Last year I had a lot of injury problems. This year I’m older, trying to take care of myself better. I’m going to make sure I’m stronger. Every practice I’m trying to put in more effort than I did before. Running those 400s in practice make a difference, pushing yourself will make you stronger.”

Both teams easily outdistanced Mt. Spokane.

On the boys’ side it was Mead sweeping with Warren Anderson winning the 100 (11.5) and 400 (53.0) and Todd Loncasty making a statement in the discus.

Loncasty, an inch behind Mt. Spokane’s Dustin Schneider, uncorked a last throw of 154-3, giving him a personal record by 20 feet.

“I kind of felt the urge,” Loncasty said. “He had a mark, he had me by 1 inch. It was my last throw – I thought I’d take a chance. I finally caught one. It was a nice mark, the kind of mark I wanted for the middle of the year and I’m there already. It feels good.”

The junior has a season goal of 167, which should get him to state.

“Until I get consistent with that type of depth, it won’t change my goals,” he said. “I’ll keep shooting for better PR’s. Once I do that my goals will change.”

Other top marks for Mead were Mike McGee hitting 52-5 in the shot put, Justin Graff throwing 181-8 in the javelin and Luke Hattrup clearing 14-0 in the pole vault.

The other double winner was Mt. Spokane’s Jared Ryan in the long jump (20-5 1/2) and high jump (6-2).

Other meets

At North Central, the Central Valley boys swept the host Indians and Rogers. Double winners for the boys were CV’s Sean Coyle in the 800-1,600 and NC’s Nick Roark in the 100 (11.0) and 110 hurdles (15.2). The NC girls edged CV 76-74 for a sweep behind double winners Mary Graesser in the 1,600 (5:22) and 3,200 (11:59) Katelyn Fiorillo in the 100-200.

At University, Lewis and Clark swept the host Titans and East Valley on the boys’ side with EV sweeping the girls, which included U-Hi and LC tying. LC got two wins from Derek Thompson in the distances and Alex Shaw in the high jump and shot put. EV’s Case Parker won the 200-400 and Tim Armstrong swept the hurdles (15.4, 39.9). U-Hi’s Wes Nolan unleashed a state best 195-3 in the javelin, almost 5 feet better than his state-winning mark last spring. The EV girls had a pair of triple winners, Lori Bourgeous in the 100 and hurdles (15.3, 46.3) and Eleaya Schuerch in the high jump, long jump (17-8) and triple jump (35-1). LC’s Eleanor Siler won the 200-400 and Chelsea Momany swept the distances.

In a dual meet at Ferris, the host Saxons swept Gonzaga Prep. Andre Jennings won the 100 (10.6) and 200 (21.8), David Hickerson the 800 and 1,600 (4:18.6), Jared Karsteter the hurdles and Adrian Milsap the triple jump and discus for the boys. Kelly McNamee won both hurdles and high jump (5-4), Kelsey Lin the 100-200 (26.9), Jessica Bates the 400-800 and Tanya Romanchuck the shot-discus.