THE FRONT ROW with Jason Elliott May, 22, 2013
On the final weekend of any sport, it's no secret that athletes step up their game just a little bit more as the postseason arrives.
Last weekend was no exception for area schools.
AT THE state 5A track meet at Eagle High, the Coeur d'Alene Viking girls team finished third despite winning a single event.
"We just had an amazing day at state on Saturday," Coeur d'Alene coach Linda Lanker said. "But to finish third with so many youngsters and only losing two seniors, it was great."
The Viking 4x400-meter relay team of Victoria Goetz, Brittany Tackett, Emily Callahan and Kaitlyn Gunnerson finished in 3 minutes, 58.41 seconds, just behind Eagle, which won in 3:58.31. Krista Story entered the 800 ranked eighth according to athletic.net, but also finished second.
"They almost pulled it off," Lanker said. "It was neck and neck and a photo finish. They were close to the school record, but they'll all be back next year. We just had some great performances. The girls came out and did the best they could, but to get third against those big schools (from Boise) was exciting."
As Post Falls coach Wade Quesnell described it, watching senior Wednesday Walton's race in the 300 hurdles was as close to perfect as it she has been all year.
"It was typical Wednesday," Quesnell said. "She ran a good, smooth race. The good hurdler from Eagle (Allison Jeffries) got out to a good start, but Wednesday took the lead with three hurdles remaining and it was over."
Her time of 44.61 seconds was a school record.
Post Falls senior Steven Beck, who'd battled some injuries, overcame those to win the boys pole vault.
"He kind of peaked a little at Pasco (Invitational)," Quesnell said. "But he came back and got 14 feet and had a good attempt to get 14-6. I thought the kids we brought down, they competed well."
"We finished in the middle of the pack as a team (boys 10th, girls tied for 11th), but everyone competed really well," Quesnell added.
Lake City sophomore Maddison Ward made it look easy, winning the 200 meter dash in 24.68 seconds.
"It was one of the best races I've seen any Lake City athlete run," Lake City coach Kelly Reed said. "The kids she beat were top-notch runners. She got the lead, and just put the hammer down. She was so strong and capable of maintaining that speed the entire way. It was an amazing race to watch."
Ward, who was also part of the school's 4x400 and 4x200 relay teams - who both finished third - and was second the 100 in 12.02 seconds, was part of 30 of the team's 34 points.
IT WASN'T quite the softball championship game that most expected at Ramsey Park - Lake City 10, Eagle 0 in 6 innings - but watching the Coeur d'Alene Vikings take on the Lake City Timberwolves in a semifinal game on Saturday morning, you might have thought the state 5A title was on the line then.
While it wasn't, it was more dramatic than the actual championship game between the Timberwolves - who beat Coeur d'Alene 4-3 to advance - and Eagle, which eliminated the Vikings 4-2 in the third place game.
"I'm just so proud of these kids," Coeur d'Alene coach Larry Bieber said after his defending champion Vikings finished third. "I thought we were going to (beat Lake City) in that last inning. But it's been a good ride."
And it was definitely a fun one to watch finish.
Jason Elliott is a sports writer for the Coeur d'Alene Press. He can be reached by telephone at 664-8176, Ext. 2020 or via email at [email protected].