Boys and girls track

The Timberlake High boys track team has captured three 3A state titles in the last four years and four consecutive state trophies.

Timberlake coach Brian Kluss expects a fifth straight state trophy. Whether it’s another state championship remains to be seen.

Here’s a look at the Timberlake, Lakeland and Post Falls boys and girls track teams.

Timberlake

The Tigers boys have established themselves as one of the premier 3A programs in the state. This may be the first year that the girls challenge for a state trophy.

The boys return six state qualifiers. They are seniors Nick Puckett, Joe Masterson and Nathan Pugh and sophomores Derek Puckett, Ryan Sacksteder and Travis Porter.

Nick Puckett won a state title in the 200 meters and placed third in the 100 last year. He also anchored the 1,600 relay, which placed second. His fourth event will be the 400.

“He’s the fastest returning sprinter in the state,” Kluss said.

Puckett will be favored to sweep the 100 and 200 and will challenge for a top finish in the 400.

Masterson, who throws the shot put and discus, placed fourth in the discus last year. Pugh returns in the 800, Sacksteder in the distances and Porter in the jumps.

Seniors Levi Powers, Josh Malloy and Josh Goodman decided not to turn out this year, opting to play baseball. The loss of Powers is big. He won a state title as a sophomore in the triple jump and placed second last year and he was victorious in the 300 hurdles a year ago.

How well Powers would have fared this year is unknown because of an injured ankle that has bothered him since football.

“He has scar tissue on his heel and it hasn’t healed up,” Kluss said. “He needs surgery.”

Malloy and Goodman could have assisted on some relays.

“We’ll miss them, but we want people who want to be here,” Kluss said. “We’ll still be a quality team without them, but we’ll certainly miss them in May (at state).”

The Tigers are looking for good things from senior thrower Chris Costigan, junior Patrick Lagrimanta (relays/sprints) and sophomores John Shaffer (sprints/relays), Brian Tucker (distances) and Josh Mitchell (distances). Tucker finished ninth last fall at the state cross country meet.

“We have some other kids that will surprise some people,” Kluss said. “We have a super group of sophomores. It’s a very balanced year around the state. That’s to our advantage. There doesn’t appear to be a loaded team like we’ve been the last few years. Since it’s going to be a balanced (state) meet, I think it gives us a shot to do well. At the very least we’ll be in the top four for a trophy.”

The boys shouldn’t be challenged in league or district. They’ve won five straight district titles.

Kluss is optimistic that the girls can challenge for their first state trophy in school history.

The girls return 12 state qualifiers. They are seniors Tara Oster (sprint/relays), Kendra Pyles (throws), Camy Kuchenski (hurdles/sprints/relays) and Brianna Kramer (pole vault), juniors Whitney Gierra (sprints/relays), Kayla Kuchenski (800/relays) and Devyn Muhlhauser (relays) and sophomores Nikki Johnson (jumps), Natalie Lambert (sprints/relays), Lexey Sanders (sprints/relays), Alex Turbin (distances) and Megan Williams (hurdles/relays). Turbin was a state medalist (15th) last fall in cross country.

Oster won four medals at state last year. She was third in the 200, fifth in the 100 and ran legs on the 400 (third) and 1,600 (fourth) relays.

“I expect big things from her,” Kluss said.

Three freshmen have already shown Kluss they will contribute. They are Emily Cazier (sprints/relays), Kaitlyn Nichols (sprints) and Cassie Thompson (jumps).

Bonners Ferry’s girls took third at state last year and will contend again for a state trophy. Bonners Ferry is favored to defend its district title. Priest River and Kellogg also has some talented athletes so Kluss expects much competition among the girls teams.

Lakeland

The Hawks boys and girls won’t contend for team trophies at state, but a number of athletes will challenge for medals.

The returning boys state qualifiers are seniors Shawn Hiebert (sprints/relays), Jake Price (relays/high jump) and Brian Hannibal (pole vault) and junior Austin Black (jumps/hurdles).

Price is the only returning leg on the state title-winning 1,600 relay. Hiebert won regional titles in the 100 and 200.

Others to watch are seniors Charlie Harster (distances), Wade English (distances) and Josh Hann (hurdles) and junior Brandon Crow (sprints/relays).

The returning state qualifiers among the girls are seniors Kristine Leonard (throws) and Melissa Phillips (relays) and juniors Camille Reynolds (sprints/relays), Kari Rucker (400/relays) and Kim Heitstuman (relays).

Leonard placed third in both the shot and discus at state last year, Phillips took seventh in the 200 and Rucker was seventh in the 400. Three of the four legs are back in the medal-winning medley (fourth) and 800 (sixth) relays.

Leonard will challenge for state titles.

Others to watch are juniors Alli Whitted (hurdles/jumps) and April Bockstruck (distances) and freshman Latecia Howell (jumps/relays).

Post Falls

The Trojans boys and girls are as inexperienced as they’ve been in some time under coach Wade Quesnell.

Just two state qualifiers return in the boys. They are junior throwers Austin Tate and Chris Hotine.

There are about a dozen boys to watch. They are seniors Jacob King (throws), Ryan Booth (middle distances/relays) and Steve Anderson (pole vault) and juniors Sean Rollins (sprints/relays), Chad Mehalechko (hurdles/relays), Thomas Nick (relays), Adam Lippert (relays), Chris Wilson (hurdles/relays), Dakota Allert (jumps), Mikey Jenicek (jumps) and Jordan Powers (distances).

“This is as thin in experience as we’ve been in a long time,” Quesnell said.

The girls return just one senior with experience, but have a few more state qualifiers back than the boys.

Senior Michelle Allen (sprints/relays) is the lone experienced senior back. Other state qualifiers include juniors Angie Whalen (distances) and Aynslee Stuart (sprints/relays) and sophomores Kacie Shields (hurdles/relays) and Rebecca Bauman (throws).

Others to watch are junior Nikki Tonasket (jumps), sophomores Jalana White (jumps) and Danielle Meehan (throws) and freshman Hailey Smith (jumps).

“We have three or four freshmen sprinters that will have to help us in the relays,” Quesnell said.