Cheney track has very busy week

Cheney Track and field piled up some notable performances in a pair of events last week.

Returning to competition following spring break, the Blackhawks ventured back into the Greater Spokane League on April 13 as well as at the very crowded field in the Van Kuren Invitational, April 15.

Cheney's boys lost to host Mount Spokane 105-40, but topped Ferris by a similar wide margin 105.5-43.5. Th Blackhawk girls were defeated by Mount Spokane 91-59 but tied Ferris 75-all in the league event.

Field events were good for Cheney boys in the GSL event as they earned not only a win, but a sweep in javelin with Cole Palmer tossing 144 feet, 3 inches. Jonah Ward (133-07), Curran Moore (132-09) and William Ward (129-03PR) were the other finishers.

Alma Smith's 10-06 won the pole vault. Curran Moore cleared 5-08 for a second in the high jump and then turndin a 19-08.50 and a PR in the long jump.

The Blackhawks 4X400 relay team was also victorious while in the 400 meters Teagan O'Callaghan's (52.98) personal record was good for a runner-up finish. Cheney's 4X100 relay teams also captured a second and third places.

Tenaya Belsby's winning time of 12:42.35 was a personal record in the 3,200 meters for the Cheney girls, one of seven wins on the day (counting ties).

Other first-place finishes came from Clara Browne in the discus with a distance of 104 feet, 5 inches. Shauna Elliott's 107-foot won the javelin.

Macey Richards from Cheney tied Maggie Degenhart from Mount Spokane for first at 4 feet, 10 inches in the high jump. The same was true in the pole vault where Madylen Dennstaedt and Ella Brinkman (Ferris) tied at 8-feet.

Blackhawk runners turned in notable results as Sam Habegger established a school record in the 800 meters in a runner-up time of 2:28.99.

Natalie Richards' 18.05, good for second, led a 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 finish for Cheney in the 100 meter hurdles. Emma Ayers (18.23aPR), Kaylee Kohlman (18.43a), Sarah Bolstad (19.14a) and Delia Keller (19.14a) rounded out the Cheney sweep.

In the 300 meter hurdles, Emma Ayers (53.06a) finished second in school-record time with Natalie Richards (53.09a), Kaylee Kohlman (53.37a), Hannah Ward (53.69aSR), Sarah Bolstad (56.10a) and Delia Keller (56.71a) behind Ayres.

And the 4X400 relay the Cheney team turned in a 4:22.98 for the win.

Caitlin Shaffer swept the 100, 200 and 400-meter wheelchair races setting a 1:47.98 PR in the 400.

At the Van Kuren in a field of 40 schools and over 1,100 athletes the Cheney girls topped that division 86-68 over GSL East Valley. Cheney's boys finished behind Timberlake 80.5-64.5.

Notable among the wins was the Cheney 4X100 relay contingent of Kordell Laher, Braxton Hinton, Teagan O'Callaghan and Tucker VanWormer who recorded a 43.96.

Habegger, O'Callaghan, Hinton and Carissa Hinton won the mixed 4X400. Browne won again in the discus with a 109-08 PR.

Cameron Frenk established a PR of 4:36.84 and was a close second in the 1,600 Meters. Carissa Hinton had 1:02.39 PR in winning the 400 meters.

"Our Senior Girls has amazing days," head coach Derek Slaughter wrote in an email.

The meet started at 10 a.m. at Cheney High School and finished at 7 p.m. with the finals of the pole vault.

Next for the Blackhawks is an April 20 GSL meet at home with Mead, Ridgeline and U-High followed by the Mooberry Relays, Saturday, April 22 at Rogers High in Spokane

Paul Delaney is a retired Free Press Publishing reporter and can be reached at pauldelaney53@comcast.net.