Colfax boys, girls track teams win district titles

Colfax boys and girls booked a big track day Tuesday when they collected both sides of the District Seven championships at Whitworth. The Bulldog qualifiers will crank it up one more time next week at the state 2B finals in Cheney.

Both Colfax teams rolled home with District 7 titles Tuesday in the NE qualifying round at Whitworth. The Bulldogs hit a storm rolling north, but the clouds parted and Colfax went on to post the double win.

“It was just phenomenal, a great day for Bulldog track,” Coach Jason Cooper commented. He noted it was the first district team win for boys in the nine years he has been with the program in Colfax.

Colfax girls picked up their normal ration of wins and finished with a predictable margin, 53 points ahead of Northwest Christian.

The Bulldog boys picked up unexpected wins and added points for a 25-point edge over number-two Reardan. Coach Cooper said the Bulldogs fared better in the 11-team NE entry, which saw tracksters from the Panorama loop take placing points away from Northwest Christian and Reardan.

Colfax girls bagged wins in all three relay races. Morgan Willson took all three distance races and the Bulldogs won both hurdle events. They swept the 300 hurdles race.

Willson, who will start the Colfax state entry in the 3200 race at Cheney next Friday, clocked 2:27.4 in the 800, 5:26.3 in the 1600 and 11:36.4 in the 3200 for her triple win day. She also ran anchor on the wining 4 X 400 relay team which clocked 4:22.14. Megan Pearson, Regan Lowe and DeAnna Aeschliman ran other legs in the win.

Amelie Bruya, EB Hatley, Hannah Harazin and Kayla Johnson remained undefeated in the 4 X 100 with a 51.43. The same combo won the 4 X 200 with a 1:49.5.

Johnson won the 100 hurdles at 15.1, and Taylor Lange finished third at 18.16 to qualify for state.

The Colfax sweep in the 300 hurdles included Johnson at 51.5, Lange at 53.2 and Harazin at 53.6.

Hatley, who was coming off a sick day, placed third in the 200 with a 27.66. Lowe finished fourth in the 400 at 1:04.9 and Aeschliman placed fifth at 1:06.08.

Bruya, a freshman also qualified with a 4-8 for second in the high jump. Taylor Cai hit 29-8 in the shot and Casey Hall cleared 6-6 in the pole vault, both good for fourth place.

Colfax boys won the 4 X 100 and the 4 X 400 relay events. David Morse, Damon Buck, Alvin Li and Stetson Steiger clocked 45.55 in the one lapper.

Brandon Gfeller, Jay Hart, Justin Berarducci and Buck clocked 3:38.7 for the win in the four-lapper. Coach Cooper noted Berarducci was cut off by a Valley Christian runner on the third lap. Berarducci cranked it back up and set up Buck for a big finish.

Buck and Berarducci again booked a one-two in the 400. Buck clocked 52.56 with the win and Berarducci clocked 53.56 for second. Buck also qualified third in the 200 with a 23.87.

Mark Black cleared 9-0 for a third place finish in the pole vault, and Berarducci cleared 6-0 to qualify third in the high jump.

Steiger placed fourth in the discus with a heave of 111-9, and Preston Moore place fourth in the triple jump with a 38.75.

Boys team scores: Colfax 119, Reardan 93, Northwest Christian 88, Republic 68.5, Lind/Ritzville 68, St. George’s 59, Valley Christian 44, Liberty 38, Davenport 35.5, Selkirk 22, Mary Walker 21.

Girls team scores: Colfax 159, Northwest Christian 106, Liberty 79, St. George’s 78, Lind/Ritzville 69, Republic 57, Valley Christian 48, Davenport 26, Reardan 24, Mary Walker 19, Selkirk 16.