Coeur d’Alene’s Seaman notches win in discus

Coeur d’Alene thrower Madison Seaman’s outstanding high school career and emotional senior season are coming to a fitting end at the Idaho 5A track and field state championships at Meridian.

Seaman captured her first state title Friday at Rocky Mountain High School, winning the discus with a 5A state record-tying throw of 148 feet, 7 inches. The throw also set a school record and outdistanced runner-up Brooklyn Daylong of Vallivue by 24 feet.

“It feels good,” Seaman said. “I broke the school record by a foot and I actually surprised myself by doing it, so it was good to go out with a bang.”

Seaman will look to sweep the throws when she competes in the shot put today. She is among the favorites to win what will be her final event in a season dedicated to her late father, Joe Seaman, who took his life in late 2011.

“He told me last year at state (after finishing fourth in the discus and second in the shot put) that he was going to be here when I was on the top of the podium,” Seaman said. “I felt like he showed up for me today.”

In the boys meet, Coeur d’Alene senior Cody Curtis had his 3,200-meter repeat bid spoiled by Highland’s Dallin Farnsworth, who finished in 9 minutes, 14.9 seconds.

Curtis, who beat Farnsworth in the same event last year, finished second in 9:27.04. The two will go head-to-head again today in the 1,600. The CdA boys also picked up a fourth-place long jump finish by junior Makenzie Baker.

Lake City’s Linscott breaks through

Lake City high jumper Zack Linscott was tired of collecting second-place hardware. Motivated by his runner-up finishes in each of the past two seasons, the senior captured an elusive state title by clearing a height of 6 feet, 4 inches to edge Meridian senior Kyle McLaughlin and district rival Chandler Smith of Post Falls.

Linscott said his legs weren’t feeling great, but he overcame it by hitting his spot and keeping good tempo through his approach.

“This is amazing,” Linscott said. “This is what I’ve been striving for all year, and what happened the last two years is what drove me to do what I did today.”

The Lake City girls had a strong first day, led by senior pole vaulters Kierstie Shellman and Erin Stone. Shellman cleared 11-6 and finished second behind repeat champion Allison Jeffries of Eagle. Stone placed fifth with a height of 9-6.

Senior thrower Kadie Blank added a third-place finish in the discus (118-4), helping the Timberwolves finish the day in third place with 20.5 points. Vallivue leads with 26 points and CdA is fourth with 17.

“Our team is doing great things this year,” Shellman said. “We’ve got great senior leadership, and we’re a team that’s going to fight to the end.”

Eagle leads the boys’ team race with 29.5 points, followed by Rocky Mountain (26), Meridian (18) and CdA (16.5). Post Falls has 11.5 points and Lake City has 11.

4A

The Inland Empire League had two state champions in the meet at Middleton High School.

Nikole Alamillo of Sandpoint captured the discus with a season-best throw of 126-0 after earning a medal the year before.

Wade Schumaker of Moscow was victorious in the high jump. He leaped a personal-best 6-8.

Sam Levora of Sandpoint took third in the 3,200 in 9:39.65.