Early track season sees promising times
Early season track times are like watching a competitive auction. The opening bid rarely wins the prize.
But there have been some interesting opening bids.
At East Valley, football standout Rodrick Fisher owns the area’s top times in the 100- and 200-meter sprints – times guaranteed to get the attention of college football coaches looking for a deep-threat receiver.
Fisher, the adopted son of East Valley football coach Adam Fisher, ran 10.98 seconds in a dual meet with the Cheney Blackhawks – only the second sub-11-second time this season in the Great Northern League – but didn’t win the race. Cheney’s Charles Johnson picked that same meet to run 10.93 in one of the most thrilling finishes this far this season.
Fisher reversed the finish order in the 200 meters, running 21.75 to Johnson’s 21.81.
Other top times:
100 meters
University’s Ty Haskew already has run a personal best time of 11.66 seconds at the Rat Cockrum Relays and a Central Valley freshman has turned in an 11.88 personal record at the Eastmont Invitational.
On the girls side, Central Valley’s Katie Hawkins ran 13.12 at the Eastmont Invitational and has three teammates, Marissa Orrino, Hayden McAuliff and Anna Duggan right on her heels. University sophomore Piper Lawson ran 13.57 at a junior varsity/freshman meet.
West Valley’s LaTrouchka Duke ran a 13.58 personal record and East Valley duo Lutisha Stewart and Taylor Sellers have run 13.64 and 13.86, respectively.
200 meters
CV’s Kevin Harper ran a personal best 23.99 at the Eastmont Invitational and U-Hi junior Zach May is just a blink off after turning in a 24.21. Titan teammate Kye Duplessis ran 24.77 and Erik Fitzgerald of CV ran 24.83.
Hawkins already has run 26.76 this spring and CV teammates Lacie Hull and Molly McCormick have run 27.14 and 27.45 seconds. University’s Clivia Prince ran 28.92 at the Howard Dolphin Invitational at West Valley.
Stewart has run 27.70.
400 meters
Madeline Liberg was the state champion last year with a time of 57.66, but she did not finish her heat at the Eastmont Invitational and has not run since.
CV senior Anna Fomin has the top time in the Greater Spokane League, running 59.70 at the Ray Cross Invitational. McCormick ran 1:02.55 in the same meet. U-Hi’s Kelsey Crosby ran 1:03.30.
Autumn Stewart ran 1:05.39 for East Valley and WV’s Madalyn Roig ran 1:07.09.
Isaac Nichols ran a personal best 52.16 at the Ray Cross Invitational, where teammate Grant Hannan ran 52.98 and U-Hi’s May turned in a 54.43.
800 meters
CV’s Will Grassel and Fielding Demars ran 1:58.69 and 1:59.43, respectively, at the Eastmont Invitational.
Hunter Reynolds of EV ran 2:02.53 and Cody Skay of WV ran 2:02.69.
Central Valley has an assortment of talent at this distance, with six runners amongst the league’s top 10 times. Anna Pecha ran 2:18.16 with Fomin right behind with a 2:19.77 personal best. Crosby ran 2:31.27.
WV’s Shaunie Kopczynski has run 2:39.63 and EV’s Vera Korchemnaya ran 2:40.38.
1600 meters
Ryan Kline and Gabe Romney are the standard bearers from CV, running 4:21.88 and 4:30.19, respectively. Three teammates are on their heels. University’s Jack Sloan has run 4:33.43.
Jacob Nicholson ran 4:23.50 at the Ray Cross and owns the GNL’s top time. Hunter Reynolds of EV ran 4:35.42 at West Valley.
CV’s Kearan Nelson ran 5:08.67 at the Eastmont Invitational. U-Hi’s Rebecca Lehman ran 5:17.57 at the Ray Cockrum Relays for a personal best.
WV freshman Mikayla Davis leads a strong group of Eagles with a time of 5:46.82.
3200 meters
Kline and Romney again have the league’s top times, running 9:35.36 and 9:38.12, respectively.
Nicholson and Skay have the two top times, running 9:47.18 and 9:57.09, respectively.
Nelson also has the best time at this distance, running a personal best time of 10:46.5 at the Arcadia Invitational. Lehman ran 11:48.19.
WV has a crop of freshman running strong at the distance, led by Annika Esvelt’s 12:27.95.