Tough road for eastern schools as allocations are trimmed
CHENEY – The Blackhawks track and field team might use the boost it got from winning their final Greater Spokane League meets to travel the road the next several weeks to the state championships.
The Blackhawks traveled to Gonzaga Prep on May 4, where the boys topped the host Bullpups, 85-56, and then edged Lewis and Clark, 73-71.
Cheney’s girls won a bit more decisively, 79-67, over Prep and 88-53 against Lewis and Clark.
Now begins the trek to Tacoma and the potential state titles -- state is set for May 25-27-- a journey that includes stops at Central Valley in Spokane Valley on May 10-12, and at Richland for regionals May 19-20.
It will be a road, not unlike the ones on which we regularly drive, that is both bumpy and full of potholes to dodge.
“We will send the top 16 athletes in each event to this meet (sub-regionals),” head Coach Derek Slaughter wrote in an email.
Of that number, the Top 9 finishers — plus the next two fastest from both leagues — will compete at Fran Rish Stadium at Richland High School.
Eastside schools only have two allocations, not three like last year, so it will be tough to get out, Slaughter predicted.
“I will have a lot of athletes this and next week competing and only a select few will get through to state,” Slaughter said.
Slaughter pegs the Mid-Columbia Conference’s Walla Walla as a favorite to win the 3A state title this year.
Mead and Mount Spokane are both wanting to be on the podium in both guys and girls, he added.
As for that last league meet, both Sam Habegger in the 800-meter and 3,200 winner, Adam Estock, had what Slaughter termed “great performances.”
Habegger turned a 2:24.19 second school record and Karlee Pope’s 2:28.97 was a personal record in a one-two finish in the 800.
Estock clocked a 9:48.60 PR for the win in the 3,200, while Holland Hurd’s 10:18.83 was third.
Micah Ragaza-Bouras recorded a 43-08.75 PR in the shot put to lead a 1-2-3 Cheney sweep. Elijah Axtell’s 41-10.75 was runner-up with Peter Johnson third with his 41-05.0 a PR.
Ragaza-Bouras won the discus with a toss of 123-8.
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