Shadle ‘brings it’

So many outstanding performances were weaved into the Greater Spokane League’s District 8 track meet at Spokane Falls Community College Friday night, it’s hard to believe the best came last.

Shadle Park capped the two-day regional qualifying meet by putting together the fastest girls 1,600-meter relay in Spokane history, which they need to hold off Mead.

“I said at the beginning of the season we were bringing it to the GSL,” junior anchor Jordan Carlson said. “I think we just brought it.”

Amy Before, Morgan Guske, Brianne Brown and Carlson combined to run 3 minutes, 51.5 seconds, which was almost 4 seconds faster than Central Valley’s 1998 record. That Bears quartet of Stephanie Crace, Wendy Wager, Corinne Gannon and Leslie Meredith then knocked off about 2 more seconds to win regional and then won state at 3:52.21, the fourth-fastest time in state history.

Now the Highlanders are No. 2 behind a 3:48.3 by Sammamish in 1978, and Mead’s 3:52.81 is seventh.

“We had a good workout Monday,” said Carlson, who also won the 100 (12.46) and 200 (25.02). “Coach (Jaime Rees) told us we were ready and I guess everybody believed her.”

The difference between the Highlanders and Panthers was the third leg. Brown, who won the 400 in a personal record of 56.93, produced the 10-meter advantage that helped Carlson hold off Mead’s Nikki Codd. Codd, who has a 56.4 400 on her resume this year, elected to run the 800 and 1,600 in the postseason.

“Confidence,” Brown said. “I finally got my confidence. I finally realized I could run fast.”

The relay capped an outstanding performance by the GSL champions, who won eight of 11 running events, with Mead getting the other three.

The top eight individuals and four relays in the 4A meet advance to the Eastern Regional Friday and next Saturday at SFCC.

The top four individuals and two relays advanced in the 3A.

4A

In addition to the speedsters, including Brynn DeLong, who won the 100 (14.95) and 300 hurdles (45.52), Shadle got a distance double from freshman Andrea Nelson.

After coasting to an easy win in the 3,200 on Thursday, Nelson hooked up with Codd in the 1,600 and Gonzaga Prep’s Theresa Hailey tagged along for the ride.

Nelson and Codd ran shoulder to shoulder for three fast laps when Codd surged ahead. But Nelson stayed focused and regained the lead around the final corner to more than 14 seconds off her best in the 1,600. Her time of 4:58.73 broke a 19-year-old school record. Hailey had a 13-second PR of 5:02.83 in edging Codd at the wire.

“I’ve never really run a fast-paced 1,600,” Nelson said. “I wanted to get that speed in and I wanted to PR. There could have be (more) if I needed it for future races.”

Nelson said she remained confident when Codd surged and focused when she regained the lead.

“I was just telling myself I had to keep going,” she said. “I didn’t know where anybody else was.”

The only other double winner was Mead thrower Ashlee Hutchinson, who had a PR of 129-7 in the javelin.

Double winners for the boys were D.J. Gaines of Rogers in the 100 (11.34) and 200 (23.03, PR); David Hickerson of Ferris in the 800 (1:55.54, PR) and 1,600 (4:17.29); and Mike Magee of Mead in the shot put (54-2¼, PR) and discus (144-8, PR).

Hickerson’s double was particularly impressive.

It started in the 1,600, when he surged away from a tight pack midway through the race and was never challenged, then doubled back in the 800.

“I had an allergy attack before the 800, I wasn’t expecting that,” he said. “I knew if I didn’t take it out (in the 1,600) it would be slow like the 3,200. (Shadle’s) Peter Miller likes those kinds of races. I thought I could get them burned out.

“These guys are going to be the same guys at state. I think we can get five under the state qualifying standard (three advance from regional unless more hit the standard). I expected that today, but it didn’t really happen.”

3A

East Valley junior Lori Bourgeous was the big winner.

She won the 100 hurdles (15.83), 200 (25.81) and 300 hurdles (46.20, PR) to go with Thursday’s winning 400 relay, when she ran the leadoff leg to kick off a school-record 49.96.

“I wasn’t too nervous about placing, I was just nervous about PR’ing, mainly in the 300 hurdles,” she said. “I ran my hardest. I collapsed at the end. I’ve never done that before.”

Other double winners, getting one each day, were North Central’s Mary Graesser in the distances, adding the 1,600 (5:21.10); EV’s Eleaya Schuerch in the horizontal jumps, adding the triple jump (34-7); and Mt. Spokane’s Sam Damiano in the throws, adding the discus (122-4).

“I like the discus better,” Damiano said. “I’ve been pretty consistent at 125. I was a little short today. My goal is the school record. I’m 6 inches short. Maybe it was a little anticlimactic for district, but state will be competitive. I think the next jump is coming.”

All the double winners for the boys came on the track.

EV’s Case Parker won the 200 (22.39) and 400 (49.28, PR); NC’s Leon Dean won the 800 (1:58.39) and 1,600 (4:24.30); and EV’s Tim Armstrong in the 110 (14.80) and 300 hurdles (40.48).

“I ran real strong at the first of the year,” said Armstrong, who has been among the state leaders since March. “I’m just working my way back to that. “

NC senior Justin Brayton has been the GSL’s dominant high jumper all year, making the leap from clearing 6-0 last year to a school-record 6-7 ¼ earlier this season. After going 6-5 he took a couple of good shots at improving an inch to match the state lead.

“I worked out in the winter, working on my legs, getting that explosion,” he said.