Hewitt nabs two state titles; goes for more today

BOISE - Clark Fork junior Bailey Hewitt went from scratched to champ Friday morning on an overcast day at the state track and field meet at Ed Jacoby Field at Boise State University.

Hewitt's forte is the hurdles, but she had to sprint across the infield after missing the 1A girls long jump final call. Pit officials had scratched her, but understood the confusion and allowed her to jump.

Hewitt, who's currently talking to the University of Idaho about a soccer scholarship, blasted a mark of 17 feet, 5 inches to win.

“It was a little nerve racking to begin, but it worked out,” said Hewitt, who also runs the 100 and 300-meter hurdles. “This is my first time long jumping since junior high.

“I'm just really happy, I didn't expect this at all.”

Where Hewitt was almost scratched in the long jump, by the triple jump she had 'em scratching their heads. She took her preliminary jumps in the pit, scooted across the infield, finished first in her prelim heat in the 100-meter hurdles, then raced back to the triple jump pit in time to take three straight runs.

Hewitt, also the leading scorer on the soccer team at Sandpoint High School, ripped off a triple jump of 35-5 to win her second state championship in the process.

“I just wanted to come down here and do my best. I did PR today, but I didn't expect my best to be the best,” Hewitt said. “I'm constantly talking to myself between the hurdles and the triple jump pit.

“Both events are so technical, opposite in fact, I have to constantly remind myself what I'm doing.”

Hewitt, the defending 1A state 100 and 300-meter hurdles champ, is on track to win four individual state championships if she can keep it up through the grueling 300-meter intermediates.

Adam Denham finished ninth in the 3,200, clocking a 10:44, and Brittany Drayton tossed the shot 29-7 to earn a 14th place finish to round out the Clark Fork placers on Friday.

Clark Fork is in 4th place as a team.