Cards wraps up NEA track with pair of wins

They’ve been tough, if not dominant in both sprints and distance races so far this track season and now Medical Lake is finding new strength in field events that could help deliver a repeat of the state 1A championship in two weeks.

Between now and then, however, are the two-day District 7 championships Friday and Saturday, May 22-23 at Riverside High School.

The Cardinal boys come off a pair of dual-meet wins last Wednesday in Colville where they topped the hosts 77-67 and visiting Chewelah 77-54. The ML girls earned their first Northeast A League win 71-51 over Chewelah but lost to Colville 90-55.

Medical Lake scored wins in the 100 and 200 meters with Dawson Lack while Domenic Rehm had twin victories in the 800 and 1,600. Noah Kroeze was notable as he broke a milestone of 4 minutes, 40 seconds in the 1,600 and finished second to Rehm with a 4:38.

The sprint sweep came as the anchor of those events, Tellas Johnson, sat out the meet. “We ran without TJ, we rested him, but we swept all three distance races in both boys and girls,” co-head coach Gene Blankenship said.

Jacob Dingfield led a 1-7 Medical Lake finish in the 3,200 with a 10:04.70 with Kroeze picking up another second at 10:25.30. “We went 1-2-3 in every distance race,” Blankenship said.

There were no headline grabbing performances, “Just a real consistent effort all the way through,” Blankenship said.

The Cardinals scored key points with field event wins in the shot put and discus from senior Elijah Farman with a 44 foot, 8 inch toss in the shot and 131-01 in the discus. “We did pretty good in the field events, better than we’ve done in the past,” Blankenship said.

That accomplishment, Blankenship said, rests largely with new throwing coach Duran Bates. Previously, jumps and field events were being handled by co-head coach Steve Keith, Blankenship said.

“So those kids are getting more attention,” Blankenship said.

Sophomore Lexi Rolan’s 13.02 put her just ahead of freshman Beyonce Stevenson’s 14.29. Mariah Pena swept the field in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200.

“On the girls’ side we got beat by Colville but got our first win,”

District competition starts at 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday at 9 a.m.

Paul Delaney can be reached at [email protected].