Moses Lake track sends eight to regionals

by Tony Vehrs<br>Herald Sports Reporter
| May 14, 2007 9:00 PM

YAKIMA — District shot put champion Tad Harman will lead a contingent of eight Moses Lake Chiefs' athletes who qualified for regionals at Friday's Columbia Basin League 4A Track Meet at Zaepfel Stadium in Yakima. The top eight individual finishers and top four relay teams from the CBL District Meet advanced to regionals this coming weekend at Spokane Falls Community College.

Harman, recently voted the CBL outstanding male field athlete of the year, lived up to his billing and earned first-team all-league honors with a throw of 52-02 in the shot. Harman beat out the Eisenhower Cadets' AJ Crews by more than 18 inches to win the title. The Chiefs' junior also finished fourth in the discus with a toss of 142-00 to qualify for regionals in a second event. While both marks were short of Harman's personal-bests this season, it was a trend seen throughout the district tournament.

"Everybody's district marks were lower than normal," Moses Lake coach Nicki Weiland said. "Not very many people hit their marks or exceeded them."

One glaring exception to that pattern was the Lady Chiefs' Kayla Chamberlain.

Chamberlain made it to regionals in the 400 dash, running a 1:00.49 to finish in fourth place. The Moses Lake sophomore also finished fourth in the triple jump with a 33-09 1/2 mark to advance to next weekend's regional competition. In both events, Chamberlain entered the district meet as the number nine seed based on regular season performances. The Moses Lake sophomore significantly improved upon her season-best 400 time and triple jump mark at the district meet. Chamberlain missed regionals in the 200 dash by four-hundredths of a second, finishing in ninth place in the CBL district meet with yet another season-best time.

"She had an outstanding track meet," remarked Weiland of Chamberlain.

Ann Noyes will be representing the Lady Chiefs in three events at regionals, having qualified in the long jump, the triple jump and the 100 hurdles. Noyes just missed making regionals in the 400 dash, as she came in nine-hundredths of a second behind the eighth-place finisher in the event.

Another Chief athlete expected to move on to regionals was Billy Matthews. The Moses Lake thrower did just that, finishing second in the discus and fourth in the shot put with solid throws in both events.

Spencer Fackrell also had a breakout performance at the district meet in the triple jump. Fackrell, seeded sixth in the event entering districts, added nearly a foot to his district qualifying mark to finish in second place with a 40-08 1/2 jump.

"Man, he's gonna go far in that event," said Weiland of Fackrell, who is just sophomore for the Chiefs. "We knew he had a 40-footer in him."

Josie Daschel was another Moses Lake athlete who had a good meet when it mattered most. Daschel finished fourth in the shot put to improve upon her number nine seed and earn a berth to regionals.

Grant Fish and Kelland Guerin also moved on to regionals, with Fish earning fourth in the javelin and Guerin taking fourth in the pole vault. Guerin cleared 12-06 in the pole vault, six inches better than his district qualifying vault.

Two Chiefs notably absent from the regional roster are Aaron Wafer and David Gilman.

Wafer, the defending 200 dash champion, was sidelined by a nagging leg injury that the Moses Lake senior has been battling since mid-season.

"He was there cheering everyone on," noted Weiland. "I'm sure it had to have been hard for him."

Gilman, just a freshman for Moses Lake, also was unable to compete at the district meet. Still recovering from the effects of pneumonia, Gilman's legs simply weren't under him enough to compete Friday.

"He thought he'd give it a try," said the Moses Lake coach. "Obviously, he's not over it."

Columbia Basin League 4A Championship

Boys Results:

1. Walla Walla, 180 points; 2. Richland, 144; 3. Eisenhower, 115; 4. Wenatchee, 67; 5. Davis, 59; 6. Moses Lake, 50; 7. Pasco, 39.

Regional Qualifiers:

Pole Vault - 4, Kelland Guerin, 12-06; Shot Put - 1, Tad Harman, 52-02; 4, Billy Matthews, 49-03; Discus - 2, Billy Matthews, 149-00; 4, Tad Harman, 142-00; Javelin - 4, Grant Fish, 156-00; Triple Jump - 2, Spencer Fackrell 40-08 1/2;

Girls' Results:

1. Richland, 225.5 points; 2. Wenatchee, 114.5; 3. Pasco, 111; 4. Walla Walla, 103; 5. Davis, 60; 6. Eisenhower, 38; 7. Moses Lake, 35.

Regional Qualifiers:

100 Hurdles - 4, Ann Noyes, 16.49; 400 Dash - 4, Kayla Chamberlain, 1:00.49; Long Jump - 4, Ann Noyes, 15-06; Discus - 4, Josie Daschel, 93-05; Triple Jump - 3, Ann Noyes, 34-01 1/2; 4, Kayla Chamberlain, 33-09 1/2.