NC boys, Mt. Spokane girls win team titles

RICHLAND – The Greater Spokane League more than held its own at the Eastern 3A regional track and field meet at Fran Risch Stadium.

Despite starting in a huge hole for the two-day meet, Spokane athletes won their share by the time the action concluded under a blistering 98-degree Saturday afternoon.

Although the Columbia Basin League got twice as many qualifiers (8-4 in individual events), the GSL boys won 11 of 17 events, managed a 26-25 edge in state qualifiers for Pasco next weekend and North Central ran away with the team title, scoring 143 1/2 points.

That advantage came despite getting swept 9-0 in state berths for the long, triple and high jumps plus the 400 relay, where the GSL had no entries.

The girls got just 17 of the 54 state berths, plus an additional two javelin throwers who made the state-qualifying standard. Mt. Spokane, however, edged Kamiakin 107-102 for the team trophy with Eastmont at 100 points.

Boys

As usual, NC’s David Butler was a double winner in the 110- (14.84 seconds) and 300-meter hurdles (season-best 39.18). So was East Valley’s Case Parker in the 200 (22.31) and 400 (49.08), although NC’s 100 winner Alex Cassis (11.14) was just one one-hundredths back in the 200. Parker also brought EV’s 1,600 relay team from behind to edge NC.

Less expected was NC’s Andrew Kimple adding the 1,600 (4:20.07) and Mt. Spokane’s Ian Schneidmiller the shot put (52 feet, 10 inches) to titles they won Friday.

“I wasn’t expecting to win,” said Kimple, the 3,200 winner. “Last year I won the 2-mile and then got fourth in the mile. The main goal was just to qualify for state. I saw the opportunity at the last 100. If you get the opportunity you’ve got to take it.”

Schneidmiller won the shot by 11 inches with a 9-inch PR.

“I thought there was a possibility, but I had more confidence in the discus,” he said. “(The discus) didn’t calm my nerves any, but I knew I was going in one event. … I think I’m peaking pretty good in both events. I have some more for state.”

Girls

Spokane girls won just four events, Mt. Spokane’s Courtney Zalud in the 1,600 (5:14.53) and Rachel Damiano in the discus (119-5); and East Valley’s Lori Bourgous in the 100 hurdles (15.17) and Morgan Dunning in the pole vault (11-0).

“I was just so mad about my race yesterday,” Bourgous said after her fourth-place qualifying of 16.27. “I wanted to get it out of my system. I think I wasn’t acclimated to the head, not drinking enough water. Today I stayed in the shade and didn’t warm up as much as I usually do.”

With the 800 ahead of her, Zalud was going to take it easy in the 1,600, but she won handily before finishing second in the 800.

“I wasn’t planning to do that,” she said. “I was planning on stay (with the pack). I just started going.”