CV track trio focuses on improving solid marks
There really wasn’t much for the Central Valley girls track team to worry about, so the Bears focused on what they did best.
Led by a trio of junior leaders, CV rolled past Lewis and Clark and University on U-Hi’s home turf on a blustery Thursday afternoon for Greater Spokane League track and field.
Though the conditions kept most times and marks from improving to the same degree they did in the past week, Paula Jennings, Mica Kondryszyn and Kendra Szoke made sure the Bears had plenty to cheer about.
Jennings made her second big surge. A week after breaking the 40-foot barrier in the shot put, she added another foot with a throw of 41-8.
“It was the next logical thing,” Jennings said. “I just went out there and got it. Just focused, tried to do the best I can. I just want to keep pushing it farther and farther. Next I’ll try for 42, push as far as I can go.”
She’ll have more motivation since Mead freshman Courtney Hutchinson went 42-9, an 18-inch personal record. If that’s not enough, the Bears (5-1) are at Mt. Spokane (6-0) next week.
Szoke had a personal record of 35-7 in the triple jump – an event she prefers – before backing off in the long jump with shin splits.
“It’s the hardest thing around, other than pole vault, and I like things that push me,” Szoke said of the triple jump.
Szoke said her class was gifted athletically, with Kondryszyn providing a big boost in soccer and track.
Kondryszyn won the high hurdles in 16.59 seconds and the low hurdles in 48.89.
“I went to the Oaks Christian Academy,” said Kondryszyn, who is now in Running Start. “It was kind of scary at first coming from another school, but it’s a good way of making friends outside of the Christian school.”
CV’s boys defeated U-Hi and handed LC its first league loss. LC’s Levi Taylor won the javelin (180-8) and the triple jump (44-21/2), and placed third in the long jump.
In other GSL meets: Hutchinson wasn’t the only big winner at Mead as the Panthers boys and girls whipped Ferris and Gonzaga Prep. The Panthers girls, already the state leader in the 1,600 relay, took over the league lead in the 400 (50.2) and 800 (1:48.2) relays. In her first 3,200, Mead’s Baylee Mires ran 11:19.4, a GSL 4A best. G-Prep’s Jessica Bennett took over the league 4A lead in the 300 hurdles (46.8). For the boys, Wes Bailey lowered his league-leading 300 hurdles time to 38.6 and helped Mead go a league-best 43.0 in the 400 relay. Justin Zimmerman in the 400 (50.2) and Kjelby Oiland in the shot put (58-1) posted league bests for Ferris. … At East Valley, the host Knights dominated the throws, taking eight of nine scoring spots to offset triple winner Gavin Brady of Shadle Park for the easy win. Shadle’s girls won every event on the track except the 400 relay to beat the Knights. … At Rogers, the North Central boys beat Mt. Spokane to the finish line by a little more than a second in the 1,600 relay to pull out a 77-68 win. The top mark was a 10.4 in the 100 by the Rogers’ Cor’de Bailey. Mt. Spokane’s girls won twice to remain undefeated. NC had a pair of league bests, with Ashley Graybel in the high jump (5-5) and Celena Ward in the javelin (131-6). NC’s Katie Knight ran an impressive 10:58.3 in a windy 3,200.
GNL
At Medical Lake, Cheney had an easy time with the host Cardinals. The Blackhawks boys won 13 of 17 events and the girls won 13 of 18, including all running events except the 400 relay, with freshmen winning the 100 (Janessa Day) and 800 (Sanne Holland).
At Pullman, the Greyhounds swept Colville and Riverside. Jennifer Nakata of Pullman took the GNL lead in the 100 hurdles (15.9) while matching her league-best high jump (5-4). Teammate Niina Al-Hassan added a league-leading 126-0 in the javelin to her 300 hurdles win. Colville’s Jared Fisher went 23.0 in the 200 for a league best.