Prep notebook: Iron Wood Classic brings out top preps, pros

The fifth annual Iron Wood Throws Classic, for professional and prep athletes, will be held this weekend at Iron Wood Throwers Center in Rathdrum.

Friday’s session will feature the javelin and discus events, while the hammer and shot put competitions are on Saturday.

Some of the top high school throwers in the country are expected to participate.

Daniel Viveros of Bakersfield, California, and Tanner Duffin of Atlanta have personal records in the shot put of more than 70 feet.

Duffin will also participate in the discus, in which he is among four competitors with throws better than 200 feet – including Devin Robertson of Jefferson City, Missouri, who has topped 218.

Ty Hampton of North Bend, Oregon, is the top-rated prep javelin thrower at the event, with a PR of 221 feet, 4 inches.

On the girls side, Gretchen Hoekstre of Seaside, Oregon, ranks first among shot put participants with a PR of 50-1 1/2. Faith Bender of Bakersfield, California, is the top-rated discus thrower at 168-6.

Skylar Ciccolini of Lewistown, Pennsylvania, heads the javelin field with a PR of 184-2.

The men’s professional competitors will feature a contingent from the People’s Republic of China national team, and former Southeast Conference champion and University of Mississippi discus record holder Brian Williams and former Big West discus champ Jason Harrell – both with PRs over 213 feet.

The women’s pros include former U.S. Olympic discus thrower Gia Lewis-Smallwood, 2018 U.S. Indoor shot put champion Dani Bunch and 2016 national and collegiate record javelin holder Maggie Malone.

Valley Christian placers

at State 1B track

The Valley Christian Panthers were well-represented at the small school track championships last weekend – especially the girls team, which finished sixth overall – even if they were inadvertently omitted from our coverage of the event.

Sophomore Kenna Clark was a state champ in the girls 400-meter race with a time of 1 minute, 0.91 seconds.

Julia Hayes placed second in the high jump at 5-6, behind only four-time state champion – and Washington State recruit – Kaylee Sowle of Mary M. Knight at 5-8. Hayes’ finish equaled or bested the winning height at all other classifications. Hayes was third in the triple jump (35-3 3/4) and fourth in the long jump (15-4 3/4).

Grace Bruno placed fourth in the 300 hurdles (49.37) and eighth in the 100 hurdles (17.96). The 4x100 relay, featuring Clark, Hayes, Bruno and Karrah Pope, finished fifth at 53.64.

On the boys side, the 4x400 relay team (Braden Akers, Adam Bruno, Jonathan Moore, Dawson Blew) took fifth (3:40.82). Blew was sixth in javelin (140-1).

Club volleyball

wins state tourney

The College Preparatory Academy U15 Elite Volleyball team coached by former Eastern Washington coach Wade Benson took home the championship in the U16 Club Division at the 33rd Emerald City Classic in Seattle last weekend, going 9-0 in the tourney.

Gonzaga Prep freshman Bailey Benson was named tournament MVP and Cheney freshman Abbie Scott was selected to the all-tourney team.