Decisions, Decisions Cv’s Whitney Schmaljohn Faces A Dilemma: What To Compete In At District

Whitney Schmaljohn sent a message to all the other young ladies in the Greater Spokane League who think they’re fast.

Tag, you’re it.

Schmaljohn has rarely been it.

“When I was 7 I lived in Pasco,” Schmaljohn recalled recently. “I’d go to my grandma’s house and I played tag with all the neighbor kids. They could never catch me.”

GSL sprinters also have been chasing the Central Valley senior since her freshman year.

Exactly what events she’ll run in the postseason next week is currently a secret between her and coach Dennis McGuire.

The dilemma is obvious. She made a statement by running 12.2 seconds in the 100-meter dash last Thursday. Schmaljohn also is a three-time state qualifying 200 meter runner, two-time 400 qualifier, currently has the league’s fastest time in the 300 hurdles and is critical to the success of two of the league’s best sprint relay teams.

That adds up to six events. She can only run four in next Thursday’s District 8 meet at CV.

“I love running and competing,” said Schmaljohn.

Schmaljohn arrived on the scene as a relatively unknown ninth-grader from Greenacres, she said.

“The coaches didn’t pay much attention until the first freshman meet and I ran a 12.8,” she said. “(McGuire) told me that was the last time I’d ever have to do anything like that.”

McGuire tells the story differently.

He said he knew who was the fastest eighth-grader in the Valley the year before. Schmaljohn set a 200 meter record for Valley junior high Class B competition.

“I knew she was quick, but until they come up you don’t know how accurate the times are,” McGuire said. “All of the freshmen go to the first freshman meet.”

Although not considering herself special, Schmaljohn has been running and winning ever since.

“I thought that was just what I was supposed to do,” she said.

Schmaljohn was convinced to participate in cross country for the overall training experience, though she would rather keep things short.

“I definitely could be a sprinter (year-round) if my coaches didn’t want me to do cross country,” she said.

Distance work, however, helped.

“That’s just strength building,” McGuire said with a chuckle. “She hated it mentally, because (sprinters) don’t think they need it.”

As a freshman she made state in the 200.

As a sophomore it was the 200 and 400. She calls the 400 her career highlight thus far, finishing third behind North Kitsap’s Chelsie Pentz, who is also a senior.

Last year Schmaljohn went in the 200, placing sixth, 400 and 1,600 relay.

“Going into college she could probably be a (seven-event) heptathlete,” McGuire said. “But, quite frankly, if I were a college coach I’d make her an 800 runner instantly.”

First, though, McGuire and Schmaljohn have to figure out what events are best for her and the team at district next Thursday. Her health could play a role.

Schmaljohn has shin splints that kept her from competing in the second league meet.

“My physical therapist doesn’t know exactly what’s wrong,” she said. “I definitely have shin splints but there’s something else wrong, too. My shin is all kind of discolored. I’m living on Advil.”

That was before her 12.2, which gave the rest of the GSL a headache trying to figure out what events Schmaljohn is going to run.

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