THE FRONT ROW WITH JASON ELLIOTT: May 3, 2014

Sometimes a change can do some good.

We'll have to wait and see over the next couple of weeks if that actually is the case.

AFTER MORE than a decade on the bench, Jared Phay left NIC to take the head coaching position at the College of Southern Idaho.

You know, NIC's biggest rival in the NJCAA's Scenic West Athletic Conference, or so it might seem.

And granted, the gym is always packed when those teams play, and will be once again when CSI comes to town for the only time in the 2014-15 season on Jan. 17.

At first glance, the move might have seemed a little odd, with CSI and NIC playing in the same conference for the next two years before moving to the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges for the 2016-17 season.

But it's like Phay said the other day - "it was the right place at the right time."

NIC athletic director Al Williams said he doesn't foresee any other coaches from the school moving on due to the move in conferences.

"People are here for different reasons," Williams said. "With Jared, the timing was right to go to a program like CSI."

THURSDAY WAS a good day for area track and field athletes, with eight meet records broken during the annual District 1 All-Star meet at Post Falls High.

It also served as the final meet for most before state-qualifying meets next week in all five classifications.

In a new twist this year for the 5A and 4A Region 1 meets, the opening day will be held at Coeur d'Alene High on Friday, with the final day in Lewiston on Saturday. In recent years, both meets were held in Lewiston both days.

All field events will be held in Coeur d'Alene, with only the medley relay, 4x800-meter relay, 4x200 relay and 3,200-meter run on the track. The rest of the running events are in Lewiston.

"I think it's a good thing for everyone but Lewiston and Moscow," Lake City coach Kelly Reed said. "The kids get to sleep in their own beds, and are home earlier on Friday and save five hours of bus time. Our kids get to go to school for most of the day, which is a good thing. One reason we haven't done it sooner is because we've been hesitant of the weather, but it's going to be a positive. All of the field events will get done, so I think it's a positive all the way around and the weather can hold and we can continue to do that."

For those track fans that like to see top-flight competition, it might be the closest thing they get to seeing a state-like atmosphere.

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]. Follow him on Twitter at JEPressSports.