The Front Row with MARK NELKE May 2, 2013
Coeur d'Alene Press | UPDATED 12 years AGO
With another lopsided victory last week in Kellogg, the Timberlake High boys track team extended quite an impressive streak.
The Tigers beat Bonners Ferry 107-37 to finish 3-0 in Intermountain League duals, wrapping up their 11th straight IML title, and extending their dual-meet winning streak to 45 straight.
Timberlake will be vying for its 11th straight district title when the 3A District 1 meet unfolds next Friday and Saturday in Spirit Lake.
Earlier this season, Timberlake defeated Priest River 105-40 and Kellogg 109-37.
“The boys and I were expecting the results we got in those meets,” Timberlake coach Brian Kluss said. “We have a good group of boys this year, great numbers and young kids really starting to step up. It is great to watch them grow and improve.”
Timberlake’s girls also have an impressive run going. The Tigers also went 3-0 to win the IML for the sixth straight year, and they have won five straight district titles. Timberlake’s girls have now won 25 consecutive duals, though they did have a close call this year — a 73.5-72.5 squeaker over Kellogg in late March in Priest River.
“The girls got a great push from the frosh this year,” Kluss said. “Kellogg is a very good team that matches up real well against us so we feel a bit lucky to have won against them, but our girls have put in a lot of time to continue the traditions we have started over the last six years. We had great performances from Anna Gardom (freshman), Rachel Ward (senior), Ashly George (senior), Frances Smith (senior) and Natalie Herring (sophomore) to just name a few. I am extremely proud of both teams.”
You wouldn’t get him to admit it, but the one constant in all of this is Kluss, who, not coincidentally, became head coach in 2003 — when the Timberlake boys won the first of their long streak of IML and district titles.
SOFTBALL FANS in the Northwest know how dominant Lake City has been over the past three seasons. The rest of the nation is starting to take notice.
This week, the Timberwolves are ranked third in the nation in MaxPreps’ Xcellent 25. Lake City, 18-0 heading into Wednesday’s game at Post Falls, moved up from seventh last week.
The Timberwolves have four players who have either signed or verbally committed to NCAA Division I schools — seniors Casey Stangel (Missouri) and Lindsey Willmon (Hawaii), and juniors Vanessa Shippy (Oklahoma State) and Jordyn McCracken (Utah State).
IT WAS in early October that Coeur d’Alene High senior Johnny Dance suffered a broken leg in a freak collision with Post Falls senior Kyler Floch during a 5A Region 1 soccer tournament game. Floch also suffered a broken leg on the play.
This spring, Dance is back at it, playing varsity tennis for the first time. Last weekend, Dance teamed with Sloane Booterbaugh to reach the consolation finals at No. 1 mixed doubles at the Inland Empire tournament in Spokane — the premier tennis tourney in the region — before losing to a team from Sandpoint.
His play has impressed Coeur d’Alene High girls tennis coach Laura Taylor.
“His tennis strokes arent all there, but he’s a super athlete, he’s fun to watch, and he goes after everything,” Taylor said after watching him and Booterbaugh play last weekend. “You sit and watch him play and you wish you had him all four years. He’s one of those kids, he dives for balls in practice. He’s got some road rash from diving on the tennis court (during the tournament).”
Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached at 664-8176, Ext. 2019, or via email at mnelke@cdapress.com. Follow him on Twitter at CdAPressSports.