By John McCallum
Managing Editor 

Cheney track and field guns for top spots at Lakewood

 

Last updated 5/24/2018 at 2:38pm

Grace Pohl

Isaiah Dunn helped propel the Blackhawk boys' 4x400 team into the state 2A meet this weekend in Lakewood. Cheney's efforts at regional competition earned them qualifiers in 12 of 13 events.

Cheney High boys track and field head coach Derek Slaughter felt the Blackhawks that had qualified for last Friday's regional meet were all in a good position to advance to state -and he was pretty close to correct.

Eight of the nine Blackhawks competing in individual events advanced out of competition in Ephrata to this weekend's 2A state meet at Mt. Tahoma High School in Lakewood. Additionally, both relay teams advanced with regional titles, giving Cheney representation in 12 of 13 events this Thursday - Saturday.

"As we expected this year, we have one of those crews that can weather some storms, trials and tribulations, and now get ready to lay something down in Tacoma," Slaughter said.

Charles Johnson and Cole Omlin earned first-place finishes at the meet between Great Northern League and Central Washington Athletic Conference athletes that received no team scoring. Johnson finished first in the 100- and 200-meter dashes with times of 10.68 seconds and 21.55 while Omlin was first in the high jump with a leap of 6 feet, 2 inches.

Peyton Putney was second in both the 100 and 200, posting a season-best 22.45 in the 200. Carson Brown advanced in the 200 with a personal record mark of 22.71 for fourth, and was second in the 400 in 50.45.

Danny Boyd set a PR of 15.80 for third in the 110-hurdles, while Isaiah Dunn and Bas Holland placed fourth in the 300 hurdles and 3,200-meter run respectively, with Holland setting a PR time of 9:58.09. Omlin qualified in the long jump and triple jump with third and fourth place finishes, while fellow freshman Ryan Riekmann advanced with fourth in the javelin.

The only event Cheney didn't qualify for state in was the discus where Jacob McGourin finished sixth. Slaughter said the start of the discus lined up with the 4x100, which McGourin runs, and he may not have had time to warm up properly.

"He just felt weird on his throws," Slaughter said. "I think he just had his off day on the wrong day."

The junior will still be joining his comrades at Mt. Tahoma as he teamed with Zach Jongeward, Putney and Johnson to take first in the 4x100 relay in 42.87. The 4x400 team also advanced, with members Kevin Houndonougbo, Brown, Dunn and Johnson covering the distance in a first-place time of 3:27.16.

Add to this Isaiah Rigo, who auto-timed into state competition in the 100, 400 and mile wheelchair events.

"There's not going to be a lot of downtime for Cheney people this year," Slaughter said about state.

Cheney's girls squad will have some opportunities to earn hardware of their own this weekend as five individuals and three relay teams move on from Ephrata to Lakewood.

Alsatta Bakana turned in times of 25.38 and 59.03 to capture first in the 200 and 400, with fellow senior Jolene Whiteley turning in a PR of 2:21.21 for third in the 800. Just like at districts, the Blackhawks pulled a 1-2-3 finish in the pole vault against the CWAC, with Sophia Van Wormer first at 11-06, Zoe Lamb second at 10-06 and Makayla Miller one foot back lower for third.

"They're all three capable of jumping higher," pole vault coach and girls head coach Tom Stralser said.

The 4x100 relay team of Maddie Warren, Alexis Miller, Alexis Van Horne and Bakana was first with a time of 49.40. The 4x200 team of Miller, Van Horne, Bakana and Warren was second while the 4x400 team of Warren, Whiteley, Megan Habegger and Jaela Thornberg was third.

Grace Pohl

Cheney senior Jolene Whiteley advanced to state with a third-place finish in the 800-meter run.

Stralser was impressed with Cheney's performance, adding that everyone who the coaches felt would advance to state did so. The one disappointment came with Hannah Spakousky's fifth-place finish in the 3,200. The senior battled injury during cross country and came back from off-season surgery to compete in track, setting a PR at Ephrata of 11:55.46.

"Boy, did that girl compete," Stralser said. "She left everything on the track. It was impressive."

Like Slaughter, Stralser believes the Blackhawk girls are ready to battle for the upper steps of the team podium stand at Mt. Tahoma.

"I'm confident we're going to finish in the top four, and we've got a good chance to win it, if everybody does what they can do," Stralser said.

John McCallum can be reached at jmac@cheneyfreepress.com.

Author Bio

John McCallum, Retired editor

John McCallum is an award-winning journalist who retired from Cheney Free Press after more than 20 years. He received 10 Washington Newspaper Publisher Association awards for journalism and photography, including first place awards for Best Investigative, Best News and back-to-back awards in Best Breaking News categories.

 

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