LC sets high marks at state track meet

Eleanor Siler of Lewis and Clark won the 4A state 400-meter title by what amounts to a mile in the one-lap race, a full second over the second-place finisher.

Her time of 55.62-seconds ties her for 22nd on the list of the fastest 400 runners in state history.

Among the names she went past is Teresa Brooks, the second-fastest 400 runner in Spokane history. Siler erased Brooks’ 55.85 from the LC record book.

“I’ve been wanting to run 55 all year,” Siler said. “I finally did it.”

What helps make Siler’s undefeated season remarkable is that for the most part her biggest competition was herself, which she never expected.

Shadle Park’s Brianne Brown had a faster time last year, going 56.10, giving her the best time of returning 400 runners. Siler was right behind at 56.11, which she clocked in finishing second at state.

But Brown got sick before the season.

“Bacterial meningitis really gets you,” said Brown, who reported she was in a coma prior to the season.

She improved every week, running her season best, 58.02 on Friday. Her time on Saturday was 58.40, but it was a far cry the 56.07 she ran last year.

“I was tired but I didn’t want to use me being out three weeks as an excuse,” Brown said of her season. “It was disappointing.”

She still rebounded to help the Highlanders win the state title in the 1,600 relay and earned the admiration of Siler in the process.

“I think I cried when I found out Brianne was sick, but you just have to run your race,” Siler said. “She still did awesome. How can you be, like, in a coma and then finish (eighth) at state?”

Siler ran the leadoff leg for the Tigers’ 800 relay, handing off the sophomore Richelle Signer, who passed to sophomore Kit Parker, with senior Brittany Kennedy bringing the baton home.

LC had the state-best time of 1:42.58, which was a school record, entering the final weekend and promptly posted the fastest qualifier at 1:42.22.

In the finals, the Tigers ran 1:42.09, the best ever by a Spokane quartet, but Garfield, anchored by state champ 100 and 200 speedster Bianca Greene, came away with the state title.

Only once, by unofficial count, in the first 10 track meets of the season did Alex Shaw fail to crack 50-feet in the shot put.

The Lewis and Clark senior won the district meet, regional meet and was seeded third at state on the strength of his 53-foot, 5¾-inch toss.

As usual, he picked up two medals at state. The first was for helping the 400-meter relay team to a fifth place finish. The second was for being a good guy.

Shaw only threw the shot 47-8, his worst official mark of the season, burying him in 13th place. But when awards were presented, Shaw was summoned to the podium. He was given a sportsmanship medallion for the way he handled his disappointment and encouraged others.

“You just have those days when you’re not going to be your best,” he said. “I had an off day.”

A model of consistency all year, Shaw gets close to 47 feet warming up.

Sticking around showed a lot of class, especially as Josh Hopkins, a senior from University who was seeded ninth, uncorked a throw of 54-6¾, close to a two-foot personal record.

“The guy before me had a 53-footer and I figured the second flight would all be 54 to 55 feet so I figured I had to be first in my flight to have a remote chance of making the finals,” said Hopkins.

Shaw appreciated what he saw.

“There was good competition so I stuck around, shook hands and wished everyone luck,” he said. “It was still a competition. Just because I didn’t do my best doesn’t mean I couldn’t encourage others.”

All season long, LC’s Joe Zimmerman, Mead’s Justin Graff and U-Hi’s Wes Nolen talked about the intensity, unpredictability and camaraderie of their javelin competition.

Zimmerman won the district meet, Graff won regional and Nolen topped the trio at state, although he was only second.

Maybe it was karma. According to Nolen, the plan was for each to get a haircut before state, but he was the only one to show up with his hair buzzed off. He was the only one to PR at state.

He almost didn’t make it, either.

Wednesday before the meet Nolen was in the hospital, feared to have appendicitis. It turned out to be a kidney stone.