U.S., Canada Prep Stars To Meet In Snohomish -- Eason Invitational Becomes One Of State's Premier Track Meets

Tuck Gionet, Snohomish boys track coach, will play the cordial host this weekend to his guests from Canada, even though they may leave with more than their share of medals and ribbons.

The sixth Larry Eason Invitational is Saturday at Snohomish High School. Field events and running preliminaries start at 11 a.m., with the running finals scheduled to start at 3 p.m.

As of yesterday, 63 teams and more than 1,300 athletes had committed to participate in the Eason Invitational, Gionet said. Those included seven strong teams from the Vancouver, B.C., area. Four Oregon schools also are scheduled to compete.

"We figured, `What the heck. It's better competition,' " Gionet said. "I know some Canadian schools come down here and compete in dual meets, so why exclude them from this meet? I'm really excited about it. They've got some great, great people up there."

Two of the top competitors should come from the Canadian contingent.

Angela Froese, a senior from Mouat Secondary School in Abbotsford, B.C., will be a runner to watch, Gionet said.

As a 16-year-old junior, Froese clocked a time of 4:19.6 in the 1,500 meters, the fastest time in North America for her age group, Gionet said. Froese also is the British Columbia high-school cross-country champion and the Canadian junior national 1,500-meter champion. Her 800-meter time of 2:07.7 is the fastest for secondary-school runners in Canada.

Froese, a 4.0 student, is considering accepting a track scholarship from the University of Washington, Gionet said.

Gionet will be busy during the meet, coaching the Panthers and making sure the events are running smoothly. Except when Froese is running.

"You're darn right I'm gonna watch her," he said.

Wes Boudreau of Abbotsford Secondary School will be tough in the throwing events. Boudreau was the top-ranked junior in North America in the hammer throw last season and was a silver medalist in the Pan-Am Junior Games. Boudreau, who'll compete in the shot put Saturday, is considering a scholarship offer from the University of Tennessee, Gionet said.

The Lynnwood boys and Redmond girls will be back to defend their respective team championships.

Gionet expects several events to be hotly contested.

The boys 800 field will have six runners who've clocked under 2 minutes this season. Lynnwood's Ben Lindsey and Sequim's B.J. Schade, who have both thrown over 170 feet this season, headline the discus. Interlake's Erik German, who has cleared 14-6, is among six pole vaulters to have gone over 14 feet this season.

Amy Teer of Abbotsford has run a 10:50 for the 3,200. Snohomish's Joleen Schwarzmiller, who was third in the 200 at last weekend's Pasco Invitational, is one of the quality sprinters in the girls events, Gionet said.

Newport's Farrah Fabien, who won the long jump at the Pasco Invite, will be among the favorites in that event at the Eason, which is becoming one of the more popular invitationals in the state.

"Other schools are starting to see we've got a good competition here," Gionet said. "Before, you had to go to either Pasco or Shelton. Now, they realize you can bring your whole team here and get some pretty good competition."

More than 100 volunteers will help conduct the meet, which is named after Larry Eason, former Snohomish track coach.

"If it wasn't for them, we'd never be able to run this thing," Gionet said. "They do a great job."

Admission is $3 for adults, $2 for senior citizens and students.