WESCO NORTH BOYS TRACK: Cascade edges Everett in 400m relay

Published 11:53 pm Friday, May 9, 2008

SNOHOMISH — Even an unexpected lineup change can’t slow down these guys.

Forced to incorporate a new member into its group for the first time this season, the Cascade High School 400-meter relay team zoomed to another victory over its crosstown rival.

Newcomer Mandeep Singh replaced recently injured Paul Heer (hamstring) in the first leg of the four-man relay and helped Cascade hold off Everett Friday in the Wesco North Division Boys Track and Field Championships.

Cascade recorded a time of 42.62 seconds, three-tenths of a second faster than Everett. The teams came into the meet ranked first and third in the state in the event, respectively.

Heer of top-ranked Cascade was injured Wednesday during the 400 relay preliminaries. Singh, his replacement, had only one practice to prepare for his debut.

“He stepped up big time,” said Lorne Bridgford, who ran a blazing anchor leg for the Bruins.

Bridgford quickly erased Everett’s lead of a few meters after he took the baton from teammate Julian Willis. Bridgford said the chance to chase a foe inspired him.

“When you’re behind somebody you want it bad,” he said.

Lake Stevens scored 178.6 points and cruised to the team title. Kyle VanSanten (3,200), Joey Bywater (1,600 on Wednesday) and Isaac Molstre (400) won individual events for the Vikings. Molstre also capped Lake Stevens’ team-championship performance with the anchor leg for the Vikings’ first-place 1,600 relay.

Everett (133.5 points) placed second in the team standings.

The top nine Class 4A individuals in each event and all relay teams that were not disqualified advanced to the 4A District 1 meet May 14 and 16 at Everett Memorial Stadium.

The top seven 3A individuals and all relay teams that were not disqualified advanced to the 3A District 1 meet May 14 and 16 at Shoreline District Stadium. Wesco and Northwest Conference athletes with the next four-best marks in each event also qualified for districts.

In the 400, Molstre of Lake Stevens finally beat Stanwood’s Isaac Teichgrab. They’ve been running against each other the past four years but before Friday Molstre had never defeated Teichgrab.

“Ever since freshman year he’s been whooping me,” said Molstre, who won the 400 in 50.64. Teichgrab (50.91) was close behind.

Everett’s J Hopkins was arguably the most outstanding athlete at the meet. He had individual victories in both hurdles events (110 and 300) and also won the 200. In the latter event he finished in 22.36, nearly three-tenths of a second faster than Molstre.

The home team had two individual winners. Snohomish thrower Marlyn Anderson placed first in two events (shot put Wednesday and discus Friday), and Chris Goodman prevailed for the Panthers in the 800.

Goodman’s winning time (1:56) is a personal record and he is a division track champion for the first time. It was extra special to do it at his home stadium, in front of his parents and supportive classmates, Goodman said.

Writer Mike Cane: mcane@heraldnet.com. Check out the prep sports blog Double Team at cmg-northwest2.go-vip.net/heraldnet/doubleteam.

At Veterans Memorial Stadium

Team scores: 1. Lake Stevens 178.6, 2. Everett 133.5, 3. Stanwood 90, 4. Snohomish 82.3, 5. Marysville-Pilchuck 82, 6. Arlington 71, 7. Monroe 53.5, 8. Oak Harbor 45, 9. Cascade 43.

110 hurdles-1. Hopkins (Evt) 14.83, 2. Tupen (LS) 15.19, 3. Sawyer (Evt) 15.52; 100-Mack (Arl) 11.04, 2. Dolan (Arl) 11.05, 3. Teichgrab (Stan) 11.08; *1,600-1. Bywater (LS) 4:22.83, 2. VanSanten (LS) 4:25.65, 3. S. Larson (LS) 4:27.26; 400 relay-Cascade 42.62, 2. Everett 42.92, 3. M-P 43.42; 400-1. Molstre (LS) 50.64, 2. Teichgrab (Stan) 50.91, 3. Giesick (Evt) 51.19; 300 hurdles-1. Hopkins (Evt) 39.07, 2. Schmidt (Stan) 39.84, 3. Sanderson (M-P) 40.53; 800-1. Goodman (Sno) 1:56, 2. Bywater (LS) 1:56.52, 3. D. Larson (LS) 1:57.59; 200-1. Hopkins (Evt) 22.36, 2. Molstre (LS) 22.65, Sepe (Casc) 22.66; 3,200-1. VanSanten (LS) 9:20.63, 2. Bywater (LS) 9:30.5, 3. Sutter (Mon) 9:36.91; 1,600 relay-1. Lake Stevens 3:27.31, 2. Stanwood 3:27.92, 3. Oak Harbor 3:29.78; Javelin-1. Lucke (Mon) 184-5, 2. Kurisu (LS) 175-7, 3. Seanoa 174-0; Discus-1. Anderson (Sno) 156-10, 2. Rodgers (Evt) 141-11.5, 3. Froland (Sno) 140-3; Triple jump-1. Jones (Evt) 46-2, 2. Johnson (Sno) 45-0, 3. Mack (Arl) 43-11; *Shot put-1. Anderson (Sno) 53-6.5, 2. Kurisu (LS) 52-8, 3. Hampton (Arl) 49-9.5; *High jump-1. Rumble (OH) 6-3, 2. Greene (M-P) 6-2, 3. Schmidt (Stan) 6-0; *Long jump-1. Abadam (M-P) 22-5.5, 2. Mack (Arl) 22-5, 3. Schmidt (Stan) 21-7.5; *Pole vault-1. Simunds (Stan) 14-6, 2. Cole (LS) 14-0, 3. Gibson (M-P) 13-0; 1,600 wheelchair-1. Howard (Stan) 5:24.73, 2. Cardenas (Evt) 6:16.16; 3,200 wheelchair-1. Howard (Stan) 9:35.36; Discus wheelchair-1. Cardenas (Evt) 21-11; Javelin wheelchair-1. Cardenas (Evt) 25-8.

*Events completed Wednesday

For complete results go to www.athletic.net.