PRIEST RIVER TRACK AND FIELD PREVIEW: Spartans looking for newcomers to step up this season

Last season: BOYS – District 2A 1/2 runner-up, 11th place at state championship. GIRLS – District 2A 1/2 champions, 18th place at state championship.

Head coach: Jared Hughes, 20th season (26th overall)

Assistant coaches: Jessica Mortensen, 10th year; Pete Smith, 2nd year; Steffie Pavey, 5th year. 

Volunteer coaches: Walter Yohn and Rod Dosher.

Athletes to watch: DISTANCE – Brayden Lamanna, jr; Doug Ezell, jr.; Jacob Sateren, so.; Lizzie McCracken, jr. SPRINTS/HURDLES – Taylor Dahlstrom, so; Carter Korff, jr; Ian Lamanna, so.; Kylee Swoboda, jr. JUMPS – Carter Korff; Ian Lamanna; Kylee Swoboda; Chase Smith, so.; Rebecca Sedbrook, sr. THROWS – Niki Porinchok, so; Rebecca Sedbrook; Haley Braae, jr. POLE VAULT – Marley Burgess-Duquette, sr.; Ian Lamanna.

Newcomers/top prospects: DISTANCE – Gunnar Pettit, fr. SPRINTS/HURDLES – Luccas Simcox, jr; Jasmine Stark, fr; Skyler Simcox, jr.; Ashlyn Korff, fr. JUMPS – Jasmine Stark, Ashlyn Korff, Luccas Simcox, Gunnar Pettit. THROWS – Trinity Meyes, fr; Gavin Griesmer, so.

36 athletes have come out for Priest River's track and field team this year, only two of which are seniors. Last season, the Spartans had a school record 20 state qualifiers, but only nine return this year, five boys and four girls.

On the boys side, junior Brayden Lamanna will lead the distance crew. At last year’s district championship, Lamanna placed fourth in the 1600 and third in the 3200 and looks to be on track for a similar or better result this season. Sophomore Ian Lammanna, who placed second in the district last year in the pole vault, has already set a new personal best mark of 11 feet this year – a whole foot better than his best mark last season. 

Junior Carter Korff returns after being crowned the district champion in both the long and triple jump last year. His marks so far this season rank first in the district and he comes into the season with impressive personal bests of 20 feet and 8 ¼ inches in the long jump, 39 feet and 1 ¼ inch in the triple jump. Korff placed fourth in the long jump at last year’s 2A state championship. In throws, sophomore Niki Porinchok has already set a new personal best in the discus with a throw of 119 feet and 10 inches, over nine feet better than his best mark last season; his throw currently ranks second in the district.

For the girls, junior Lizzie McCracken is a familiar face in the 800, already starting out the season with a new personal record of 2:41.19. Last year, McCracken was second in the 800, fifth in the 1600 at the district championship. Senior Rebecca Sedbrook has also set a new personal season in the shot put, throwing 31 feet and six inches, good enough to be ranked fifth in the district so far this season.

In pole vault, senior Marley Burgess-Duquette returns after placing third at last year’s district championship; she will look to improve upon her personal best of 7 feet and hopefully grab the district title. Speaking of district titles, junior Kylee Swoboda returns after winning last year’s district high jump title. Swoboda comes into the season with a personal best mark of 4 feet and 10 inches and has already jumped 4 feet, 8 inches to claim third at the Bonners Ferry Invite earlier this year.

Head coach Jared Hughes says both teams will be fighting for top three finishes in the 2A Central Idaho League yet again. Last year, the girls were crowned district champions while the boys were runner-up.

“We lost a majority of our point scorers from last year and will need our newcomers to step up to fill the departing shoes,” Hughes said. “We lost five of our top six girl scorers and three of our top six for the boys. It may not be until later in the year before we see who steps up.”

Hughes said this year is going to be a challenging one, but is hopeful for the future of the program.

“While we lost seven athletes to graduation, we also lost five of our returning top 2023 scorers and five of our top incoming freshmen to the 2023 levy failing and the negative politics of last year, creating uncertainty in our athletic programs,” Hughes said. “That’s 10 athletes that used to be part of our junior high and high school programs that are competing for other area schools. Hopefully with a new superintendent, new board majority and successful levy vote in May, we can regain some stability in our program.”

Priest River will be back in action this Friday at the Glenn Wolf Invite hosted by Riverside High.