THE FRONT ROW with JASON ELLIOTT: 'Special light' ... Mitchell has always been up for the challenge as a Viking

Three weeks ago, Coeur d’Alene High track and field head coach Shawn Amos approached senior Maddie Mitchell with an idea.

The long jump.

Already a standout in four other events — the 110- and 300-meter hurdles, as well as the 4x100 relay and 4x200 relay, Mitchell said she didn’t really have the time.

Until ...

“They kind of stuck me in it,” Mitchell said. “I hadn’t done the long jump because I was already in four events. We dropped (me from) our 4x200, so they asked, ‘Why don’t you try the long jump?’ And I guess I did good.”

JUST HOW good, you might ask?

Mitchell competed in the event for the first time at the Legends Invitational in Walla Walla on April 30, finishing with a jump of 15 feet. Five days later, at the District 1 All-Star Meet at Post Falls High, Mitchell won the long jump with a mark of 16-7, 6 inches off a 20-year meet record.

“It really fits my personality where I just go out and do it,” Mitchell said. “That’s a big reason why they put me in it because they knew I could do it without any practice. I think I got more confidence knowing how to do it in that week. I just had to go out and run and jump.”

Mitchell, who also competed in volleyball and girls basketball at Coeur d’Alene, has now advanced to state in all three sports this year after finishing third in the long jump at the 5A Region 1 meet on Thursday at Coeur d’Alene High.

Mitchell was also the region’s top seed in both hurdle events. She won the 100 hurdles in 15.74 in Friday’s regional meet in Lewiston to advance to state next weekend at Mountain View High in Meridian, then followed that up later Friday by winning the 300 hurdles in 47.33.

“It’s extremely rare to be a three-sport athlete, especially at such a high level,” Amos said. “Like at a state level, it’s really tough to get kids to do that anymore.”

As for adding the long jump, Amos added it was a no-brainer.

“She’s actually good in any event she competes in,” Amos said. “We were just deciding just what other event we could put her in that she could score the most points. She went and tried it one time, and she’s got all the skills you need — she’s springy, she’s fast — and she's been doing it for two weeks. Once you get her going, she wants to compete and win and get good at it.”

As a 5-foot-7 starting guard on the basketball team, Mitchell was part of back-to-back state championship teams as a junior and senior.

“It’s been really fun obviously,” Mitchell said. “It’s been rewarding because the last four years, I’ve been working really hard in everything that I’ve done. To see it pay off has been nice.”

Her hard work in track has also changed her thinking — a little, anyway — about competing at the next level.

“I might try to walk on the track team at Boise State,” said Mitchell, who was leaning toward not competing in sports in college. “Between all of it, the hurdles, relays and jumps, my coaches have told me a few times this year that I actually could do it. Before, it was me not wanting to do it, but they’ve been pushing me to step out of my comfort zone and do it.”

AT THE District 1 All-Star Meet, Mitchell ran season-best times of 15.69 seconds in the 110 hurdles and 46.42 in the 300 hurdles.

“It was really coach Amos, (Tim) Burnside and Linda Lanker that really convinced me to consider competing in college,” Mitchell said. “They showed me my times and some of the top performers in the state and told me there’s no reason why you can’t do it. Something from that really clicked for me that I actually could do this.”

“She’s super competitive,” Amos said. “Whenever you say it’s race time, she’s going to compete, with a smile on her face most of the time. She’s one of the most competitive kids we’ve had, boy or girl.”

On the volleyball team, Mitchell was an outside hitter for the Vikings, who advanced to state last fall.

“Maddie had a lot of energy on the court,” Coeur d’Alene volleyball coach Carly Curtis said. “She’s athletic and quick. She’s got a competitive eye to read the defense. Her playing multiple sports likely gave her an advantage with this.”

While Mitchell hasn’t yet enrolled at Boise State, she’s already switching her major from nursing to forensic psychology.

“I really want to study the mental side of things,” Mitchell said. “I don’t think I could do the blood. I went and looked more into nursing and all the things they do on a daily basis, and I didn’t like that. So I had to change my path a little bit.”

Mitchell has a 3.3 grade point average.

“She’s one of those kids that you can really make fun of and she’ll give it right back,” Amos said. “If you ask her to do something, she might whine about it, but she’s always going to do it. She’s going to compete in and go as hard as she can to do her best. She’s just a special kid. She’s been a special light as part of our program.”

MITCHELL WAS an all-5A Inland Empire League selection as a junior and senior for basketball.

“Maddie loves competing and playing with her teammates,” said Nicole Symons, who coached Mitchell in basketball at Coeur d’Alene until stepping down as coach in April. “She enjoys tormenting players with her defense. She really stepped up her shooting this season and became an offensive threat as well.”

“She’s had a special career at Coeur d’Alene High, not just as an athlete here, but as a kid,” Amos said. “It’s going to be great to see what she does in the future.”

Jason Elliott is a sports writer for The Press. He can be reached by telephone at 208-664-8176, Ext. 2020 or via email at jelliott@cdapress.com. Follow him on ‘X’, formerly Twitter @JECdAPress.

    JASON ELLIOTT/Press Coeur d'Alene High senior Maddie Mitchell attempts a 3-pointer during the Vikings state 5A opening round basketball game against Rocky Mountain of Meridian on Feb. 15 at the Ford Idaho Center in Nampa.
  

    MARK NELKE/Press As an outside hitter, Maddie Mitchell helped Coeur d'Alene qualify for the state 5A volleyball tournament last fall.