Area athletes shine at recent meets

Last weekend’s Pasco and Freeman invitational track meets produced more than their share of local accomplishment, particularly at the latter.

In Pasco, East Valley’s Eleaya Schuerch won the long jump and was sixth in the triple jump with 17-feet, 7 1/2-inch and 35-8 1/2 efforts. Teammate McKenzie Carter placed in the discus.

University’s Dana McClendon finished second in the discus with an impressive 130-7 and third in the shot put at 40-2. Teammate Katie Hawkins placed in the pole vault.

East Valley’s Nick Atwood who was third at 9.25.78 in the 3,200 and defending GSL 4A 3,200 district champion Sean Coyle ran 9:27.67 for fourth place for Central Valley.

Anthony Laborin placed in both 100 and 400, and Tyler Jolley placed in the discus for the Knights, who also ran 43.94 for sixth in the 400 relay.

Arton Toussaint at 44-3 had a personal best in the triple jump, and Kevin Martin at 40.58 in the 400 hurdles also medaled.

Athletes from most Valley schools garnered multiple top six places in most events during the large, predominantly smaller school Freeman meet, at Central Valley on a cold, damp Saturday.

Among them were the Scotties’ Chris Davis, who won twice, at 11.4 in the 100-meter dash and 19-11 in the long jump, which beat CV’s Nathan Webb by a quarter inch. Davis also was third in the 200.

Teammate Andrew Wilkerson won the discus over CV’s Titus Mertens 145-9 to 138-9. Mertens won the shot put.

The Bears finished second to Timberlake in the boys meet with five top-six efforts in the distances, including second place by Jayson Taylor in the 3,200 meters at 10:10.6. Evander Cobb was second in the triple jump.

EV had two sub-52-second 400-meter performances, by McKay Clarkson at 42.7 (third place), and Andrew Thatcher (fourth) at 52.9. Kyle Bowers ran 15.9 for third in the high hurdles.

Freeman’s Maeve Sayres was second in both 800 and 1,600. Jessie DePell won the long jump, and the Scotties won the 1,600 relay.

EV’s Pam Eatock won the javelin and Kaylee Hartshorn cleared 5-0 for second in the high jump.

Losses catch up to CV

Playing soccer without your forwards is like running a mixer without the beaters. The ingredients are there, but without all the instruments, they’re difficult to blend.

Central Valley’s soccer team has played without its two high scorers, Jay Vela, who broke a school athletic code, and Josh Antles, who has been gone since injuring his knee against Cheney in March. They’ve been missed “big time,” said coach Brandon Deyarmin.

The Bears have scored just two goals, both by midfielder Jesse Dunbar, in three matches since league scoring leader Vela’s absence. Last week the Bears lost 2-0 to Lewis and Clark and 2-1 in a shootout against North Central.

Vela’s due back Friday against U-Hi. Antles has been rehabbing three days a week, and Deyarmin is anticipating his return as well.

“We have great midfielders, but without the forwards we’re asking them to do totally different things,” said Deyarmin. “I knew it would catch up to us.”

A coach who had hoped to win or place second in league is now looking at a backdoor district effort in order to return to state.

Heckuva comeback

University’s baseball team trailed West Valley 8-2 and was six outs away Monday from settling on a split of its series with the Eagles.

But as Titans assistant Scott Sutherland said, there’s no panic or quit in this year’s senior-oriented team.

U-Hi scored five times in the bottom of the sixth inning, the big blow a two-run double by Kenny VanSickle, who wore WV out during a two-game series. He drove in seven runs with five hits in the games.

A walk and two bunts loaded the bases in the seventh, setting up Nick Burger‘s game-winning two-run single. It was redemption for Burger. The starting pitcher, he did not get out of the second inning when the Eagles scored six times and took an 8-0 lead.

But Travis Lewis blanked WV with six innings of relief and was one of four Titans with two hits in Monday’s makeup game. Five of U-Hi’s 11 hits were doubles.

The Titans (10-2) beat Clarkston 4-3 on Tuesday and are battling with Ferris (9-1) for first place in the GSL. The two teams meet Tuesday.

Golf teams close

One stroke may make a difference between individuals during a round of golf. But it’s been that way as well for boys teams in the Greater Spokane League.

On Monday a mere four shots separated four of six schools currently in second through seventh places in the standings.

Five of those six-person squads (five best scores count in the team total) are separated by a scant 16 total strokes after 54 holes. And those shots don’t necessarily reflect their position in league which is based upon assigned points for each weekly finish. The five are just 4.5 points apart, and the standings change weekly.

Central Valley is now third with 31, after shooting 393. But University, which was third going into Monday’s meet at Downriver, dropped to fifth despite shooting a second consecutive 396.

Bear Nick Grigsby was one of five golfers who tied for second individually with 72, four strokes off the lead.

Teammate Patrick Norton and U-Hi’s Hank Frame were among five others who finished another stroke back in the taut league.