The final step to get to the state 1A track &field meet was, as one coach called, a measure of highs and lows during the May 18 District IV 1A meet at Woodland High School.
Hoquiam’s boys finished second overall, edging Montesano by one point, and Elma was fifth. Montesano’s girls were third overall, with Elma fourth and Hoquiam sixth.
The top-three finishers in all events advance to the state meet next week at Roos Field in Eastern Washington University at Cheney.
Hoquiam’s Anthony Nash finished with three first-place marks, winning the 100m and 200m sprints for the second straight season and was a part of the winning 4x100m relay team (with Jonah Doll, Artimus Johnson and Chris Smith). Devin Marksick also picked up a win, hitting 6-4 in the high jump to claim the event victory.
Johnson finished second in two events — 300m hurdles and pole vault — for the Grizzlies.
For the Hoquiam girls, Courtney McCormick finished second in the high jump and Lizzy Capoeman was second in the triple jump to qualify for state. There were also a slew of third-place finishes to advance, but also a few heart-breaking fourth-place marks — Capoeman, third, long jump; Mercedes Pinnell, third, pole vault; Elyse Goulet, third, 400m; Savannah Lutz, third, 800m; Karllie Krohn, fourth, javelin, and two relays (4x100m and 4x400m), fourth.
“It is truly a meet of highs and lows,” HHS head coach Tim Pelan said. “You always get kids you expect to get in and you miss a few that you want to get in as well. It is a great competition. You are competing to get into the state meet and you are facing everyone at their best. Overall, it was a great meet.”
Montesano will send a sizeable group to Cheney as well, starting with five event wins at district. Senior Jordan Spradlin easily won the shot put and discus events, while Shayla Floch qualified in three events — a win in the high jump and second-place marks in the long jump and 200m sprint.
Hannah Barre was third in the 100m sprint and was a part of the third-place 4×100 relay with Madison Schupbach, Jamie Anthony and Hannah Hatcher.
Jake Mustard led the Montesano boys with a win in the 3200m and a second-place mark in the 1600m. Jordan Tibbitt won the 800m, Seth Dierkop took second in the shot put and Lyle Burbidge got third in the 110m hurdles.
“We have a solid group of kids going to state next week,” Montesano head coach Doug Schupbach said. “We got some warm weather, which was good. That played a part in how well the kids performed.”
For Elma, it’ll send a large group to state, beginning with two individual wins and a relay win for Jillian Bieker. Bieker won the 300m hurdles and the long jump, plus ran in the winning 4x200m relay with Jayla Mason, Beka Lensegrav and Maddie Clark.
The Eagles will have three relays in the girls meet, with the 4x100m relay taking second (Kayli Johnson-Lensegrav-Clark-Mason) and the 4x400m relay finishing third (Mason-Kaya Aiken-Cheyanne Jines-Clark).
Mason will be in one individual event to go with her relay work after finishing second in the 100m sprint. Holly Ray will join them after taking third in the shot put.
Ira Hartford led the Elma boys with three state-qualifying events, two of them in the relays — second in the 100m, third in the 4x100m relay with Tanner Krippelz, Cody Vollan and Brandon Butcher and second in the 4x400m relay with Jadyn Edenstrom, Vollan and Butcher.
Butcher will also have two individual events after taking second in the 400m and third in the 100m, with Vollan third in the 400m. A.J. Brown also got his berth into state by taking third in the discus.
“We qualified more kids than ever before and we have all five relays moving on,” Elma head coach Bryan Schneider said. “I’m very proud of how the kids competed. Hopefully, this carries over into next weekend.”
