Track and field athletes from all four local high schools will join the springtime extravaganza this Thursday, Friday and Saturday, competing in the state championships.
Battling in the Class 4A meet will be Enumclaw Hornets and Sumner Spartans; Bonney Lake athletes will compete in the 3A ranks and White River’s contingent will test the 2A waters.
The three-day state championships will again be staged at Mount Tahoma High School in Tacoma.
WHITE RIVER
White River’s state-bound athletes earned their way during last week’s district meet at Renton Memorial Stadium, where the top six in each event advanced.
The Hornets are better represented on the girls side of the ledger.
A highlight came in the 4×400 relay, where the quartet of Chloe Mitchell, Chloe Anastasi, Emma Robbins and Kaitlan Larsen not only won the district title, but set a White River record in the process. Also qualifying for state, by placing sixth, was the 4×100 relay squad of Hannah McGinness, Robbins, Mitchell and Anastasi.
In individual events, Hornet girls headed to state are Robbins, who was third in the 400 meters; Mitchell, sixth in the 400 meters; Courtney Gelmini, second at 3200 meters and fifth in the 1600; and Kelsey Bunker, second in the javelin.
Among the White River boys, making a state trip are Spencer Hall, who qualified by placing third in the high jump and sixth in the long jump, and Greg Piontek, who was fourth in the pole vault.
SUMNER
The Spartans’ state-bound athletes qualified during a West Central/Southwest District meet at Kent-Meridian High School’s French Field.
In the Class 4A district meet, the top eight finishers in each event advanced to state.
Sumner High boys earning a state slot were Michael Russell, who placed fourth in the 400 meters and sixth in the 200 meters; Chase Skuza, seventh in the discus and eighth in the shot put; Dane Elwell, sixth in the high jump; Ethan Talley, eighth in the high jump; and David Davydenko, seventh in the triple jump.
In the 4×100 relay, the Sumner crew of Russell, Tre Weed, Connor Wedington and Derek Lee placed third to advance to state.
On the girls side for the Spartans, earning a state berth was Emma Sjolund, who won the 1600-meter run and placed second in the 800 meters. Also qualifying in two events was Rhaven Dean, who won the javelin and finished second in the discus.
BONNEY LAKE
A pride of Panthers earned slots into this week’s 3A state track and field meet by virtue of a Top 5 finish at the West Central District meet at Sunset Chev Stadium in Sumner.
Earning a state berth from the Panther boys program by winning events were William Glick in the 800-meters and Cody Miller in the 110-meter hurdles. Also qualifying for state in individual events were Mykel Fisher, fourth in the 800 meters; Isaiah Brooks, fourth in the 110-meter hurdles; Miller, who was fifth in the 300-meter hurdles; Caleb Davis, third in the discus; Jake Martin, third in the high jump; and Donovan Henderson, third in the triple jump.
Also making it to state, with a fifth-place finish, was the 4×400 relay team of Henderson, Miller, Martin and Trent Hiner.
Among Spartan girls, heading to state are Dreakeanna Adair and Kiana Schwendeman, both in the discus. Adair took first place at the district meet and Schwendeman was third.
ENUMCLAW
Enumclaw High’s athletes qualified for the state meet with a Top 8 placing at the West Central/Southwest District meet at Kent-Meridian High School’s French Field.
On the girls side, Enumclaw’s Hunter Storm qualified for state in two events, finishing second at 3200 meters and sixth in the 1600. Also, Emmie Neu earned a state berth by placing fourth in the high jump.
The Enumclaw girls are also sending a pair of relay teams to the 4A state meet. The quartet of Taylor Tandecki, Carli Boger, Nikole Schroeder and Taliah Olson placed third in the 4×200 relay; and, in the 4×400 relay, Tandecki, Boger and Olson were joined by Gracie Neu and placed fourth.
Headed to state from the Hornet boys program Connery McLaughlin, who placed fourth in the javelin; Brandon Barnett, fourth in the high jump; and Tim McCann, seventh in the 300-meter hurdles.
