Cheney hosts Van Kuren

CHENEY - Cheney track and field opened Greater Spokane League competition April 11 at Central Valley, in a meet also featuring Mount Spokane.

The Blackhawks boys lost to CV, 105-40, and Mount Spokane, 107-38, while the girls faced similar results - Mount Spokane won, 105-45, and CV prevailed 85-61.

On Saturday, April 13 both Blackhawks teams fared much better at home in the Van Kuren Invitational.

The boys won the team title among 30 teams over GSL rival Ridgeline, 73-54, while the girls were runners-up to GSL 2A East Valley, 126.17-64.

"We are still in the storming phase as a team, but this meet was a step in the right direction," head coach Derek Slaughter wrote in an email.

Notable finishes in the GSL meet were Eugene Hennequin, with a 21-foot personal record in the long jump.

Joy Assonken's 33-foot, 8-inch throw won the shot put and her 106-04 was also tops in the javelin.

Clara Browne had a personal record with 123-07 in the discus; she was also second at 105-09 in Javelin.

April Passey was also the winner in the triple jump at 33-06.5.

While the Van Karen Invite had a variety of good finishes for Cheney athletes who are among state leaders, Slaughter said the event had a somewhat somber note.

"This was the first year without both of the namesakes for the meet," he said.

"Ruth passed away this winter and it was the first meet I had run without her involved."

Van Kuren Invite

The Van Kuren Invitational was started to honor the family who were drivers behind local track and field.

Lawson Van Kuren passed away in 2015.

Cheney competitors won a handful of individual event titles including Andrew Houndonougbo's personal record of 52.65 in the 400 meters.

The Blackhawks' 4x800 relay team of Cameron Frenk, Conor Thomsen, Holland Hurd and Lucas Curley turned a time of 8:46.97 for the win.

In field events, Alma Smith won the pole vault at 14 feet and Hennequin's 22-08.5 was a new personal record in long jump.

For the girls, Browne won the discus at 131-02.

"This was the first meet we were almost at 100% as a team and it really showed," Slaughter said. "Look out in the next few weeks to see the full strength of this squad that is figuring it out."