The Pasco Invite is about who's got game, when it's game-on

Rodney Harwood

| April 17, 2018 1:00 AM

PASCO — The last time I saw Royal City senior Kay Lester was in the runner’s gathering area at the 1A state cross country championships back in November.

She was angry, disappointed and ready to chew nails and spit fire after finishing 22nd overall in the 1A state championships. She had bigger plans. Lester’s a runner and the good ones don’t take defeat lightly, even if it is top 20 in a 152-runner field.

I went to college with eight-time TAC national cross country champion Pat Porter. Pat went on to become one of the most dominant U.S. distance runners of the 1980s. He was a two-time U.S. Olympian in the 10,000 meters and set the world record for a road 10K with a time of 27 minutes, 31.8 seconds.

He once told me, “I don’t train to finish second.”

Kay’s cut from the same cloth. Her-all-or-nothing running style is what makes her great and I think she’ll go far at the next level. As she hunkered down in the gathering area, away from the rank and file coming in, she told me, “I’ll be back tenfold for track.”

I like a little spit and vinegar in distance runners, not arrogant, just confident. Confident in their training. Confident that they’ve put in the work. Confident because that what it takes to take charge.

Kay went into the Pasco Invitational one more time in her illustrious high school career to run with the big dogs. The Pasco Invite is a showcase. You have to meet the standard in your event just to get in to compete with the best of the Northwest. And like all elite track and field meets, there’s 10 other kids that can win. Run that race 10 times, you’re likely to see 10 different winners.

The Pasco Invite is a meet where stars are born. In its 52-year history, it has produced legends like pole vaulter Brad Walker (University of Spokane), the American record holder and 2007 world champion. Former University of Washington running back Ja’Warren Hooker (Ellensburg) used to dominate the sprints. Hooker, who has the Washington state prep record for the 100 meters (10.27), also owns the Pasco 100 record (10.44). He also torched a 21.40 to set the 200-meter record. Middle distance runner Christopher Lukezic (Auburn) was another kid that cut his teeth at the Pasco Invite on his way to the 2005 World Championships and the 2006 IAAF World Indoor championships.

Yeah, it’s a big kid meet and the WOW this year came in the boys high jump where Tyler Cronk of Kentridge cleared 7-feet, 3 inches. You heard me, 7-feet-3. I’ve covered college jumpers that haven’t gone seven feet. If that’s not enough, Tyler Trengove, Post Falls, Idaho, cleared 6-8 to finish second. Where 5-8 wins around here, 6-8 was second in Pasco.

The Columbia Basin kids held their own. Lester went into the meet coming off a tremendous showing at the first SCAC of the season where she won the 800 (2:34.41), the 1,600 (5:45.97), and the 3,200 (12:34.69). On Saturday, the Royal City senior was 22nd in the 1,600 meters (5:29.53) and 23rd in the 3,200 (12:08.88). You can’t do any better than run faster than you ever have. Both were personal best times.

Royal teammate Noelia Juarez had the race of her lifetime, making the podium with a fifth-place effort in the 400 meters (58.98 PR). She was also 19th in the 200 in 27.34. Ephrata hurdler McCall DeChenne stepped up her game in both events, finishing sixth in the 100-meter low hurdles (15.42) and seventh in the 300s (46.82). Interesting enough, her best race of the day was in the 100 hurdle prelims where she clocked 15.38.

Ephrata senior Anthony Evans is a track guy. Doesn’t run cross country, doesn’t shoot hoops, he runs the circle, and fast I might add. On Saturday in Pasco, he lit it up in one of the best meets of his career.

Evans took to the podium in the 400 meters with an eighth-place finish (51.32) in the 400-meter race where the top three guys were under 50 seconds. He was also 13th in the 200 (23.41). Tiger teammates Brad Flannigan (13th in the 110 hurdles) and Gavan Allen (13th in the discus) took on the best of the Northwest with their best stuff.

The Pasco Invite is about who’s got game when it’s game-on.

Rodney Harwood is a sports writer a the Columbia Basin Herald and can be reached at rharwood@columbiabasinherald.com