IEL burns up records
It was difficult to tell what was appreciated most at the Inland Empire League track and field championships Friday at Lake City High School – the competition or the toasty weather.
Call it a tie. Nonetheless, the athletes were the winners as eight meet records were broken.
Moscow’s girls, led by four-event winner Meredith Dolny, defended their conference championship. The Bears finished with 156.5 points, 20.5 ahead of runner-up Post Falls.
Lake City’s boys knocked off defending champ Moscow. The Timberwolves piled up 178 points, 20 more than runner-up Moscow.
One of the top performances came from Coeur d’Alene senior pole vaulter Lucas Pope, who soared in rarified air. Pope became the first vaulter in North Idaho history to reach 15 feet.
“It felt wonderful. I’ve been hoping to get it (15) for quite a while now,” said Pope, who eclipsed his school record by 3 inches.
At CdA, they’re calling the pole vault the “Pope vault” these days.
“I came in hoping to get 15,” said Pope, who also prevailed in the 110-meter hurdles (15.34 seconds).
Pope, who has the state’s top mark by nearly a foot, made three attempts at 15-3, but seemed to run out of adrenaline after reaching the 15-foot milestone.
“I have a couple of issues to work out on the top end of my vault,” Pope said. “I’m hoping to go a little higher yet. The (heat) helped a lot. We’ve been battling the rain and the cold all season. We finally got a nice day and it all came together.”
Pope was named the male field athlete of the meet. Lake City sophomore John Coyle, who topped Michael Armon of CdA in the 3,200, was named the male track athlete of the meet.
Coyle won in a personal-best 9 minutes, 47.30 seconds. Armon, who came back last week to run his first race, a 1,600, since major knee surgery, was second (9:57.27). Coyle also ran the anchor leg on LC’s winning medley relay (3:48.35).
Coyle took the lead going into the final lap and won going away. He was using the 3,200 as a training race. His favorite events are the 800, the 800 leg in the medley and the 1,600. He said he may have to consider adding a fourth event.
“I was just trying to stay with Mike,” Coyle said of his strategy. “I figured he’d go in the 9:40s and I’d go in the 9:40s. He beat me pretty bad in the mile last week, so I figured he’d set a good pace. I admire Mike for coming back from the injury and everything.”
Armon said he was disappointed in his race, but not disappointed in finishing second.
“I just didn’t have the extra gear or the aerobic base when I needed it,” Armon said. “I had a good first five laps or so and then just kind of petered out at the end and Coyle caught me. I had nothing left and couldn’t go with him. He ran a good race.”
Dolny had individual wins in the 100 (15.79) and 300 (48.28) hurdles, the 200 (26.91), and she anchored the winning 400 relay (51.23).
She was named the female track athlete of the meet and teammate Kelsey Taylor was named the female field athlete of the meet for her wins in the shot (40-11) and discus (128-9).
Dolny, who has signed to play volleyball at North Idaho College, expects her team to contend for the State 4A title.
“Quality over quantity is going to be our motto at state this year,” Dolny said. “We accomplished what we wanted to do (Friday). My goal was to win all four of my events. We have a strong league and that makes everybody better.”
LC coach Kelly Reed sees his team making strides in its bid to defend its boys 5A Region I title.
“I thought we were outstanding,” Reed said. “Our relays looked good. John Coyle had a great performance in the 3,200 and a great leg in the medley relay. Things are starting to shape up. The important thing now is to try to get everybody that isn’t healthy healthy by regionals and not get anybody else hurt.”
Other multiple-event individual winners were: Kristin Palmer of CdA in the 400 (1:01.20) and 800 (2:23.13); Angie Whalen of Post Falls in the 1,600 (5:20.06) and 3,200 (11:49.43); and Paul Morgan of Moscow in the shot (50-1/2) and discus (152-7).