Broncos track & field gear up for postseason push

The calendar page has turned to May, sunny days prevail, and the Track and Field season is moving to an end after a delayed start due to snow-covered tracks and fields. Now the meets are gateways to State and results of competition determine who can continue to chase State medals.

The Lind-Ritzville/Sprague track team has operated this season with one senior, a few juniors and filled out with sophomores and freshmen. Seven men and ten women have been available to compete for the Broncos, which has resulted in only a one-time relay team, and few entries in any single event.

Fortunately, track and field is made up mostly of individual performances and the LRS team has been blessed with some excellent performers. In fact, eleven Broncos have placed in the top 7 in their event(s) 63 times during the season up to the point of the Sub-District meet on May 7.

To put that into some perspective, LRS has pretty much competed in large meets with multiple teams. Of the past eight meets, all have hosted 10 or more teams except for one, and that was the first meet of the season. It includes the large Van Kuren Invite at Spokane Falls Community College (53 teams), the Deer Park and Royal City meets (19 teams each), and of course our own Undeberg Invitational with 33 visiting teams.

Having said that, it’s a good time to recognize individuals who have shouldered the burdens of competition, including those who have shined brightly as “track stars.” That’s not to disparage those who have competed without top-finish results; in the end, everyone brings benefits to a track team. Some are special because they come day-in and day-out – maybe without potential to win, but present a show of consistence and dependability.

Among the stars of the season are Julia Klein and Brynne Nelson. Nelson threw the javelin a bit more than 58 feet in the first meet, but after flirting with throws in the 60’s and 70’s most of the season, she uncorked a toss of nearly 80 feet at Liberty and also set her personal record in the discus in the same meet. Klein flirted with success in the 800 meter run – beginning with a 3-minute time in the first meet in Cheney, dropping her time to about 2:42 for a series of four meets and finally burning a 2:32.98 personal record in the most recent competition. And by the way, she set a personal record in the 400 meter run on the same day.

Linnea Schafer brought a consistent presence to the women’s 1600 meter run. She was the only Broncos woman to walk to the starting line of that grueling race at least six times during the season. Her best can be improved, but if you think it’s easy, there’s a track waiting in Jimmie Snider Field—just step out and motor four laps in six minutes.

Sam Michels hasn’t (yet) earned a household name as a distance runner, but he took on both the 1600 and the 3200 meter races in virtually every meet—setting his personal record in the 3200 in the last meet at Royal City, running more than seven seconds under 12 minutes. He has the distinction of being the most photographed athlete on the Bronco team, but that’s because he comes past the start/finish line 12 times in each meet.

At the other end of the running spectrum, the LRS team is blessed with two competent sprinters (and sprint quality is the backbone of any track team.) Spencer Gering handles the 100 and 200 meter sprints – running both events at all of the last five meets -- and Conrad Ziemer joins him in the 200 as well. Very nearly like twins, it’s a pleasure to watch them turn the corner of the 200 virtually tied, and watch to see which one prevails. Both compete in the long jump, again putting up virtually identical numbers.

Gering ran the 400 meters at Cheney (probably the most trying event on the schedule) and didn’t run it again afterwards. But his sprint twin did: Ziemer posted a sub-60 second 400 meters in the first meet, and lowered it throughout the season to finish at Royal City with a personal record in both the 400 (53.51) and 800 meters (2:05.03). Only a sophomore, he will present a challenge to both sprinters and middle-distance runners in the future, and is one of Broncos’ best hopes to get to State. Ziemer ran the 200, 400, and 800, and long-jumped in all of the most recent five meets.

Doug Morris joined the team for the last four meets, providing a Bronco to compete in the high jump. He set his personal best in that event in the last meet in Royal City (5-10). Morris also complements the sprint crew, competing in both the 100 and 200 meter events.

Speaking of “complementing” sprinters, it’s time to notice freshman Sydney Kinch. She brings her vaulting pole, and is rapidly learning how to use it well. She began the season at 7’6” and has increased the height to 9’6” in the Quincy Invite, and a consistent 9’-00 since.

Pole-vaulters are generally fast—they have to be fast to turn forward momentum into vertical lift—and Kinch demonstrates sprinting speed on the track as well. She’s run a couple of 100 meters in 14+ seconds; otherwise she runs under 14 seconds, setting a personal record of 13.4 at the Quincy Invite, the same day she set her 9-06 vault. She also long jumps, another characteristic of a good sprinter, and runs the 200 meters in about 28 seconds.

Kinch teamed up with Julia Klein, Brinley Moore, and Brooke Koch to form a 4x100 sprint relay team at the Ritzville League meet on April 9. That relay event is one of the most exciting, fast, smooth and beautiful of all track events if the hand-offs go well. The Broncos women ran the 400 meter lap in 58 seconds flat, an average of 14.5 seconds each.

As The Journal goes to press, the Northeast 2B Sub-District Meet is in the process to determine who will take the next step toward the District Meet at Central Valley High School on May 17 and 18. It’s likely that some of the aforementioned Broncos will move on to the District Meet. After that, it gets really difficult to earn a ticket to the State Meet at EWU on May 23-25. The next issue will report on individuals’ progress.