Published in the May 21, 2008 issue of The Omak-Okanogan County Chronicle

 Okanogan High School's girls' track team, powered by several first-place finishes, came in fourth at regionals May 16 at West Valley High School in Spokane.
     The top three boys and top four girls from regionals earned berths to state at Mount Tahoma High School in Tacoma May 23-24.
     Meka Townsend won the javelin (118-5) and finished third in the discus (100-9). She was sixth in the shot put at 31-10.75.
     Jennifer Widell qualified for state in three field events - shot put (third, 33-9), discus (fourth, 100-8) and javelin (second, 105-10).
     She was seventh in the long jump at 14-5.5.
     Kelly Downey won the 800 (2:21.67) and took third in the long jump (16-1), an event she started just two weeks ago, said coach Zach Spaet.
     The 4x400 relay continued to lower its time, coming within .3 of a second of the school record in winning at 4:12.73. The team included Kelly Downey, Nadine Downey, Britnee Grooms and Kristen Elsea.
     The girls' 4x200 relay, which had been second a week earlier at district, dropped the baton on an exchange and could not get it completed in the exchange box.
     Other girls included Sophie Danison taking eighth in the 1,600 in 6:09.72 and Katie Bonser taking sixth in the high jump at 4-6.
     Lakeside took the regional girls' team title followed by Chewelah and Cashmere.
     Top performances on the boys' side included Ben Navarro taking fifth in the javelin with a personal record by over 15 feet at 151-6
     The 4x400 relay (Jerid Peterson, Kylee MacLean, Dylan Zunie-Allen and Jed Mintzer) took seventh in personal record by eight seconds at 3:43.33.
     The 4x100 relay took seventh in the 4x100 relay (47.27). The team included MacLean, Ross Wood, Mintzer and Peterson), said Spaet.
     Jovan Lopez finished eighth in the 110-meter high hurdles (17.82).
     Wood was eighth in the long jump at 18-7.75.