Washington coaches look to bring down the hammer

By Aaron Coe

Herald Writer

Jackson track coach Eric Hruschka knows very well what a hammer looks like.

Not the kind used to pound nails. The ones some track and field athletes throw well over 200 feet.

Hruschka was competing in a steeplechase for the Naval Academy when a wayward hammer landed in front of him on the track.

Though he admits the event scares him a bit, Hruschka was one of the majority at a January track coaches convention in Everett who voted to push for the hammer to be an official high school state event.

Now coaches are trying to convince athletic directors and the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association, which governs state athletics.

For the moment, they will have to settle for the 16 events offered for the 2002 season that began recently.

Hammer competitions were held in some events last season, including Snohomish’s Eason Invitational.

For now, those events have been called off because of WIAA liability issues. Snohomish coach Tuck Gionet is attempting to gain a waiver which would allow Snohomish to hold the event for a third straight year.

At the Eason last year, hammer thrower Adam Midles of Capital High forced competition workers out into the blackberry bushes beyond the discus area. The field simply wasn’t large enough to contain his throws.

Gionet said Midles, who is the top high school hammer thrower in the nation, is hoping the hammer event will be held at the Eason, because he has nowhere else to throw.

Those against the hammer cite liability and facility issues. The type of hammer generally thrown in high school is 12 pounds. When it travels 200 feet, there is potential for catastrophe.

According to Gionet, the hammer may not be as dangerous as events such as the pole vault, which has claimed several lives nationwide in recent years. The only state to sanction the high school hammer is Rhode Island. Gionet says there has never been an insurance claim related to the hammer in the state, but there have been claims involving the pole vault and javelin.

Gionet would like to see the hammer in Washington.

“It’s the only sport we don’t have at the high school level that replicates something done at the collegiate level,” Gionet said. “It’s denying kids scholarship opportunities. If you throw it well, it could turn into a four-year full-ride scholarship. The event is scary because it’s misunderstood.”

Marysville-Pilchuck coach Randy Davis also supports the hammer. One of Davis’ former javelin throwers – James Phillips – was struck in the head by a javelin during warmups at the 1999 state meet. Phillips still suffers some lingering effects of the injury. He recognizes there is a risk, but believes it is no worse than other field events and contact sports.

“It’s a historical part of track and field,” Davis said. “I don’t see any reason not to have it. I do worry about who is going to be coaching it and how things are going to be run.”

Here’s a look at some of the top returning area athletes and teams:

Wesco South: Local sprint fans will have two years to watch two of the state’s best. Kamiak’s Derrick Bradley and Jackson’s Craig Chambers – both juniors – were the two of the three sophomores to run in state Class 3A or 4A 100-meter finals at Star Track in 2001. (O’Dea freshman Chancellor Young ran in the 3A final.)

Bradley and Chambers are both outstanding football players who will likely be recruited by major Division I programs in part because of their blazing speed.

Bradley, who finished fifth in the 4A 100 and third in the 200, could push Lincoln’s Craig Everhart, who won both events last season while running for A.C. Davis (Yakima) last season.

Chambers, who stands nearly 6 feet 5, finished seventh in the Class 3A 100. He suffered a bad start in the 200, which he considers his better event, and did not qualify for the final.

Though the two speedsters live only a few miles apart and compete in the same division, they will not run against each other in a dual meet this season. It is likely they will see each other at the April 20 Eason Invitational and at the division, district and state meets in May.

Jackson returns five individual event state competitors from last year’s team, but lost two who defected to the baseball team. With Chambers, who anchors a strong 400-meter relay team, the Timberwolves have an outside chance to bring home a trophy. Jackson coach Eric Hruschka says his deep group of distance runners may struggle with the move to 4A, which contains come of the nation’s best 1,600 and 3,200 competitors.

Cory Nuro finished fourth in the 3A 800 last year. Evan Wirkkala was ninth in the 3,200 and 12th in the 1,600. Caleb Knox, a sophomore this year, was 12th in the 3,200.

Wesco North: Arlington’s McKane Lee cleared 15 feet to win the Class 3A pole vault competition as a sophomore last season. With Arlington’s move to Class 4A, Lee will get stiff competition from University senior vaulters Tyson Byers and Eric Dormaier, who both cleared 15 feet, 6 inches at the 4A meet.

Lake Stevens, which was a title contender in 2000 and 2001, will likely drop back into the pack this year. Hurdler Kevin Hutchinson has run some impressive early-season times so far and could be a factor at state along with thrower Mike Johnson. Ryan Andrews has also posted some very good javelin distances so far.

Snohomish’s Warren Eickoff is the top returner from last year’s 4A high jump competition.

North Cascades: South Whidbey finished second at the 2001 Class 2A meet. Though the Falcons lost several key seniors from that team, they should contend for another conference title and perhaps a trophy at state. Joe Candelario, who finished fourth in the 400 and was a member of South Whidbey’s state meet record 1,600 relay team, has a shot at winning the 400 this year. Andy Willis, who also ran on the 1,600 relay team, ran in the 200 final at the 2001 meet. State competitor Brandon Bilyeu (800, 1,600) is also back.

Lakewood’s Cameron Hartman, who finished just ahead of Candelario at state, is the top returner in the 400. Teammate Jake Poeschel is the top returning discus thrower and stands a chance to place high in the shot put.

Ben Mitchell – one of only two juniors in last year’s 110 hurdle final – returns for Granite Falls.

Class A: King’s returns distance runners Adam Roe and Brandon Thompson, who finished second and third, respectively in the 3,200.