It’s been a long time since a Cheney High boys track and field team came up on the top end of a score against Great Northern League rival East Valley. In fact, the last time Cheney beat the Knights — 2008 — both schools were in a different league: the Greater Spokane League.
But come up on top the Blackhawks did last Wednesday, winning 11 of 17 events — claiming at least the top three spots in four of them — to down the host Knights 86-59 in the first GNL meet of the season for both schools.
“Lost by one last year,” third-year head coach Derek Slaughter said in an email. “Made a statement this year!”
Cheney took the top four spots in the 100- and 200-meter dashes, with Charles Johnson taking first in both with respective times of 11.33 seconds and 22.56. After a second-place finish in the 200, Carson Brown came out on top in the 400 in 50.84, with Kevin Houndonougbo second in a season-best 53.92.
Danny Boyd won the 110 hurdles in 16.68, with Isaiah Dunn second in a season-best 17.06. Those results flipped in the 300 hurdles — sort of — with Dunn hitting the tape first in 43.07 and Boyd in fourth.
Second-place finishes on the track also went to Zach Jongeward (100) and freshman Beckett Schoenleber (3,200, PR: 11:06.47). Isaiah Rigo was first in the 1,600 wheelchair in 4:28.37.
In the relays, the 4x100 team of Jongeward, Jacob McGourin, Dusten Butikofer and Johnson was first in 44.37, as was the 4x400 team of Houndoughbo, Brown, Dunn and Johnson in 3:35.30 with Cheney teams also finishing third and fourth.
In the field events, the Blackhawks went 1-3 in the discus and 1-6 in the javelin. McGourin topped the field in the discus, winning with a personal record throw of 152-09 feet. In fact, all three of Cheney’s top-three finishers set new PR’s, with Ryan Reimer-Golden second in 152-07 and Andrew Rushing third in 126-01.
Reimer-Golden led six Blackhawks in capturing the javelin with a toss of 142-11, with Greg Michel setting a new PR of 136-10 for second and Ryan Riekmann a new PR of 126-09 for third. Reimer-Golden also set a PR (40-06) for third in the shot put.
Freshman Cole Omlin set a new PR to win the high jump with a leap of 6-5 — just missing the school record of 6-7 — with Dawson West second at 5-10. Omlin was also second in the triple jump with a PR of 39-11.50. Will Rushing captured the pole vault, going 12-feet even for a season-best mark, with freshman Skyler Hanson four feet back in second.
Third-place finishes on the track went to Chris Diaz (100), Peyton Putney (200) and Tucker Cunningham (1,600).
Cheney hosted Clarkston March 28 in its first home league meet. The Blackhawks travel to Chattaroy Friday, March 30, for the Riverside Invitational before taking a 12-day break from competition for spring break.
Cheney resumes competition April 11 against West Valley at Millwood.
John McCallum can be reached at [email protected].
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