Prep Track -- Lindsey Breaks Two Eason Marks

SNOHOMISH - Ben Lindsey is just warming up.

Lindsey, a senior at Lynnwood High School, broke meet records while winning the shot put and discus yesterday at the eighth annual Eason Invitational track and field meet at Snohomish High School.

Lindsey, a two-time Class AA state discus champion, won that event with a throw of 191 feet, 10 1/2 inches, breaking his old meet record, set last year, of 188-6. He's won the Eason discus title four times.

Lindsey, who has accepted a track scholarship from the University of Washington, captured the shot put with a throw 64-5 1/4, breaking the meet record by nearly a foot. The old record of 63-6 was set last year by O'Dea's Kurth Connell, a friend of Lindsey's and a future UW track teammate.

Still, you should've seen what Lindsey did in warm-ups.

He had three discus throws of more than 200 feet, and one shot put effort of more than 67 feet.

Too bad throws in warm-ups don't count in competition.

"It was OK, but I didn't really throw what I wanted to," Lindsey said. "I had those better throws in warm-ups."

Even so, Lindsey was pleased with his performance, considering he's a few weeks away from really getting serious in his preparation for state.

"It was a good meet overall for me. I'm so far ahead of last year at this point, so I'm happy with that," Lindsey said. "But I'm a little disappointed because I thought I could've done a little

better."

Garfield's Candace Young, who set meet records while winning the 100 and 200 meters and ran on the Bulldogs' winning 400 and 1,600 relay teams, was voted the outstanding girl athlete.

Shane Niemi of Westsyde Secondary School in Abbotsford B.C., who won the 100 and 200, was voted outstanding boy athlete of the meet.

The boys team title was decided by the final event, the 1,600 relay. Defending Eason champion O'Dea, which tied for seventh place in the 1,600 relay, won the team title with 48 1/2 points, edging Spanaway Lake by 2 1/2 points. O'Dea entered the final event tied for first place with Spanaway Lake, which did not place in the 1,600 relay.

Led by Young and Nicole McRae, Garfield easily won the girls team title.

Spanaway Lake senior Sesilia Thomas broke her own meet records while winning the girls shot put (42-3 3/4) and discus (140-6). Spanaway Lake's Brian Merlett (long jump), O'Dea's Matt Pearson (800) and Mountlake Terrace's Francine Richardson (100 high hurdles) also broke their own meet records.

Merlett defended his title in the long jump with a leap of 24-3 1/2, the best mark in the state this season by 14 1/2 inches. His old meet record was 23-10 3/4.

ALLEN, LEONARD SHINE

LAKE STEVENS - Alex Allen of Blanchet and Rahmal Leonard of Renton emerged as the top stars of the Lake Stevens Invitational.

Allen won three events and also anchored a winning relay team. The Blanchet junior won the girls 100 in 12.96 seconds, the 200 in 26.09 and the 400 in 59.28. Her anchor leg on the 1,600-meter relay team rallied Blanchet to a victory.

Leonard won the boys 100 in 11.38 and the 200 in 22.7. He also ran a leg on Renton's winning 400 relay team.

Washington prevailed in a close race for the boys team title, totaling 88 points. Kennedy was second with 86 as only 10 points separated the top four teams in the field of eight.

Lake Stevens won the girls title with 114 points. Kennedy was second with 81.

Three meet records were set - Blanchet's John Hill in the pole vault (14-0), Kennedy's Robert Prescott in the 110 hurdles (14.67) and Blanchet's Alyssa Pagon in the 800 (2:20.4).