Broken bone doesn’t stop Freeman thrower Romey
Given the weather of this spring, it’s no surprise that Morgan Romey – or any other thrower – slipped while throwing the discus a few weeks back.
The Freeman senior, runner-up in the shot put and discus at the State 1A meet last year, thought she had a sprain and continued throwing for a couple of more weeks. She even placed fifth in the discus (118 feet, 8 inches) and fourth in the shot put (37-8½) at the Pasco Invitational.
That’s when the pain became unbearable and a visit to a doctor revealed a broken bone (connected to her pointing finger) in her right hand.
Romey continued throwing the discus and uncorked a school-record throw of 136-5 to win the Riverside Invitational last weekend.
“Being able to focus on one event sure does help,” she said. “Trying to split up your time in practice going from shot put to discus can be really hard. I don’t feel pain when I throw discus, because you keep your hand flat. With the shot put, you bend your hand back all the way and with the snap of the wrist (it hurts).”
With a little more free time at practice Romey, who plans to throw in college next season, works on her second job – helping underclassmen.
“I have two senior leaders,” Scotties coach John Hays said. “Romey and Talia Neiman, who is among the state leaders in the high jump and 300 hurdles and is part of the school-record 800 relay. They are more like assistant coaches (always) there to help the younger athletes.”
Romey planned to simulate a shot put with a softball this week because she hopes to throw the shot put in the postseason, which begins next week. She doesn’t figure she’ll be too far behind, because she is a rotational thrower in both events. Separating the two events is sometimes hard in practice, but similar enough to make for a quicker comeback.
“Trying to focus on what you’re supposed to do in each, it’s really tough to figure out what clicks and what doesn’t,” she said.
Her goal isn’t to improve on her state placings but to improve on the distances that placed her there.
“I just go to better myself,” she said. “I don’t specifically go to beat other people. I try to get personal bests all the time. If I focus on getting first place, I bring myself down.”
Keep on trying
Credit North Central sophomore Katie Knight with tenacity – she’s certainly not afraid to lose. Chasing Glacier Peak sophomore Amy-Eloise Neale, Knight finds herself among the nation’s leaders in several events. The latest is the 1,500 from a Portland meet. Neal won in 4 minutes, 26.71 seconds with Knight second at 4:30.89. Those times are first and third in the nation. Both are in the top 10 in the mile and 3,200.
Title time
Cheney’s girls upended Deer Park on Wednesday to create a three-way tie for the Great Northern League title that includes East Valley. It’s Cheney’s fourth straight title. … The Cheney boys clinched their title earlier, their third straight, and now the Blackhawks have won 20 straight league meets. … The Greater Spokane League title is on the line today at Mt. Spokane where the unbeaten Mead and North Central boys collide. Should Mt. Spokane’s girls beat Mead, there will be a three-way tie that includes CV.
Finally some color in those cheeks
Central Valley girls went to Lake Washington’s all-girls meet last weekend. Paula Jennings, who suffered a knee injury after placing at state in the shot put last year, finally broke 40 feet again. The Bears finished sixth. “My girls won the 4-by-800 relay and the 4-by-400, but there weren’t any really fantastic times,” coach Dennis McGuire said. “However, I got sunburned, so it was a good day.”
Riverside wrap
Jaime Weisner of Clarkston seems to be rounding into track shape after missing time at basketball tournaments out of state. At Riverside she won the 100 hurdles (15.81), 300 hurdles (47.66), long jump (16-1¾) and javelin (136-2). Her throw in the javelin was better than her state-winning 4A effort (135-1) last year for Walla Walla, but it pales next to Othello’s State 2A champion Christine Kirkwood, who upped her state record to 166-9. … Boys set three Riverside records: Mt. Spokane’s Hunter Johnson in the 1,600 (4:24.65), Shadle Park’s Nathan Weitz in the 3,200 (9:13.48) and Aaron Castle of Newport in the shot put (60-11). Among girls, Katie Morris of Shadle Park set the 800 record (2:16.67), Maddie Timm of Okanogan set the high jump record (5-4) and Anandae Egland tied the pole vault record (11-6).
Last lap
North Central’s Samantha Hill went 35-10 in the triple jump in a GSL meet last week, breaking Wendy Wilson’s 21-year old school record by more than a foot. … North Central’s Vince Hamilton had a winning time of 8:58.26 in the 3,200 at the Shoreline Invitational. The time is No. 20 on the state’s all-time list, seventh among GSL runners … At the GNL meet in Pullman last week, West Valley sophomore Jenae Martin won the 200 (28.12) and 400 (1:01.91) and contribute to the winning 800 (1:50.69) and 1,600 (4:17.69) relays, all in season-best times. … Tucker Rudy of Freeman was chosen athlete of the meet as the Scotties won the Timberlake Invitational. He tied the meet record in the 100 (10.91) and the 400 relay broke the meet and school record (43.36). The 1,600 relay (3:32) moved up to second in state at the 1A level while Quinn Robinson leads in the 400 (50.90). … Mt. Spokane speedster Chase Naccarato added the long jump to his events at the Mooberry Relays and he j21-5 at the Riverside Invitational meet last weekend.