EHS’ Olson places third in 400-meter, Burt sixth in high jump

Published 3:50 pm Monday, June 1, 2026

The best Class 3A track and field athletes from around the state converged upon Tacoma last week, all seeking individual glory and team honors.

Included among the group of runners, jumpers and throwers were Hornets from both Enumclaw and White River high schools. They joined their 3A peers for the season-ending state championships, staged May 28-30 at Tacoma’s Mount Tahoma High School.

Here’s a look at how the Plateau athletes – who had survived league and district meets – fared in Tacoma.

ENUMCLAW

Highlighting the EHS state meet effort was junior Cole Olson, who returned with third-place honors in hand. Competing in the preliminary 400-meter race that included a starting field of 24 runners, he clocked a time of 49.17 seconds to rank No. 4, plenty good enough to join the field of eight who advanced to Saturday’s finals.

On Saturday, Olson blazed his way to a time of 48.03, taking third-place state 3A honors.

He was one of just a few Plateau athletes who had qualified for state in two events. In a field of 34 sprinters in the 100-meter dash he posted a time of 11.01 seconds; that left him at No. 11 where only eight advanced to the finals.

Next best among the Enumclaw High contingent was junior Senna Burt, who tied for sixth place with a leap of 5 feet, 2 inches in the 3A girls high jump.

Another two-event state participant was senior Lillian Haas. Competing Thursday afternoon in a field of 20, she placed ninth in the girls 1600-meter run with a time of 5:06.81.

Haas returned the next day for the 800-meter preliminaries. Her time of 2:17.92 left her 11^th in the field where only the top eight advanced.

Senior Kaden Kranz clocked a time of 11.11 seconds in Thursday’s preliminary round of the 100-meter dash. In the field of 34 runners he placed No. 14^th and only the top eight made their way to the finals.

Enumclaw had qualified an entry into the 4×400 relay prelims where just eight teams advanced to the finals. The EHS foursome placed 22^nd with a time of 3:32.04. Making up the squad were Kranz, Jack Blair, Brody Harderson and Olson.

Pole vaulter John (JT) Elliott cleared the opening height of 11 feet, 6 inches but could no higher. The senior placed 18^th.

EHS sophomore Julia Michael competed Friday in the girls pole vault. She cleared the opening height of 9 feet but dropped from the field when the bar went to 9-6, finishing 17^th.

Zoey Roth, an EHS senior, tossed the javelin 90 feet, 9 inches. That landed her 16^th in the Class 3A competition.

WHITE RIVER

Paeton Poelman, a junior, was the only White River Hornet to qualify for state in two events.

She joined a field of 20 for the 1600-meter run, clocked a time of 5:12.01 and placed 15^th. In the 3200-meter race, she crossed the finish line at 11:25.22 and placed 13^th.

Senior Jorden Goethels capped his high school career by clearing 6 feet in the 3A high jump. That effort left him in a tie for 11^th place.

Junior Kaden Pierce competed Friday morning in the discus and cut loose with a throw of 122 feet, 7 inches. That left the Hornet junior in 19^th place.

Maddi Larson earned a state berth as a freshman, qualifying in the 3200-meter run. On Saturday, she clocked a time of 11:31.71 and placed 16^th.

Marcus Marlow, a junior, earned a Tacoma trip to compete in the pole vault. He was among those who did not make the opening height of 11 feet, 6 inches and did not advance.