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Tuesday, March 19, 2024
March 19, 2024

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Girls state track: Double titles for Merriweather twins (video)

Lofstead of Camas also a repeat champion

By , Columbian Sports Editor
Published:

TACOMA – Once was nice for four Clark County state track and field champions.

So why not twice?

Union twin sisters Dai’lyn and Jai’lyn Merriweather each defended their titles Saturday at the state track and field championships.

Camas senior Caleigh Lofstead repeated as state pole vault champion.

And Hudson’s Bay senior Erykah Weems won her second state title in two days, adding the 300 hurdles to her 100 hurdles championship.

The Merriweather twins have left many people seeing double during their three seasons in high school track and field. Now they each have double championships.

Jai’lyn Merriweather repeated as 4A champion in the 400 meters. She pulled ahead on the final corner and held her lead into a stiff headwind on the homestretch.

“It’s a great feeling,” she said. “All that hard work. All that training. When I crossed the line it was like ‘finally, I did it.’”

About an hour later, Dai’lyn Merriweather defended her title in the 200 meters.

Unlike last year, when she surged from behind in what she called “my out of body experience,” Dai’lyn led from the start. She credited that to running more 100-meter races this season.

“It helped me be a lot more explosive,” she said. “My strategy for the 200 was to get out fast. I did that really well today.”

Last year, the Merriweathers celebrated their twin titles with ice cream. What would they do for an encore?

“I heard a rumor about milkshakes,” Dai’lyn said. “Fingers crossed.”

Lofstead had her fingers crossed headed into the 4A pole vault Saturday. She strained a ligament in her back shortly before last weekend’s bi-district meet and barely practiced since then.

“I only made maybe four or five jumps this past week before coming up here,” Lofstead said. “I didn’t know what to expect, especially if it was going to rain or be windy.”

But Lofstead handled the windy conditions better than anyone. She won by clearing 12 feet, 3 inches, one foot higher than anyone else.

Lofstead tried to go two inches higher than her 4A meet record of 12-7.

“I’m a little disappointed to have not jumped the meet record, but it’s still awesome to be a two-time state champion,” she said.

Weems entered the state meet with the fastest 300 hurdles time among 2A athletes by almost one second.

After narrowly winning the 100 hurdles Friday, she completed the hurdles double in unsuspenseful fashion. Weems cruised down the final stretch with a comfortable lead, winning by .95 of a second.

“I worked really hard to get here,” Weems said. “I had great coaches to push me. My work ethic has improved by a lot. I always had a good one, but this year has been really strong.”

Woodland’s Julia Stepper was one of the meets busiest athletes. Saturday, she placed second in the long jump and 200 meters and fourth in the 100 meters.

She was a big reason Woodland placed fourth in the 2A girls team race.

Stepper’s long jump of 18 feet, 2.5 inches was a season best and behind only Shorecrest’s Wurrie Njadoe, who also won the 200 and 100 meters.

“I think I’m most proud of the long jump, Stepper said. “There’s some really good competition. My freshman and sophomore years, I didn’t do so well in the long jump. So coming out here and getting second place is really phenomenal.”

In Class 3A, Prairie’s Kaylin Sperley placed third in the 100 meters.

GIRLS TRACK AND FIELD

Class 4A State Championships

At Tacoma

Saturday’s Finals

Winner and local athletes

Team scores – 1, Issaquah 74; 2, Tahoma 61; 3, Curtis 41; 4, Central Valley 40.

100 meters – 1, Angela Cardon (Pasco) 12.36; 4, Dai’lyn Merriweather (Union) 12.57.

200 – 1, Dai’lyn Merriweather (Union) 24.75.

400 – 1, Jai’lyn Merriweather (Union) 55.01.

800 – 1, Sami Corman (Issaquah) 2:14.67; 5, Krystal Kaufman (Skyview) 2:16.26.

3200 – 1, Taylor Roe (Lake Stevens) 10:21.51.

300 hurdles – 1, Brandi Hughes (Skyline) 44.02.

400 relay – 1, Tahoma 47.39

800 relay – 1, Issaquah 1:39.71; 4, Union 1:42.13.

1600 relay – 1, Issaquah 3:51.75; 3, Union 3:54.66; 6, Skyview 4:01.06.

Discus – 1, Paris Watson (Decatur) 128-9; 9, Hailey Haggard (Union) 116-6.

High jump – 1, Amanda Chan (Mead) 5-6; 4, Madison Lord (Skyview) 5-3; Madison Peffers (Camas) NH.

Pole vault – 1, Caleigh Lofstead (Camas) 12-3; 6, Laura Shannon (Battle Ground) 10-9; Hannah Shirley (Skyview) 10-9; 10, Alyssa Smith (Evergreen) 10-9.

Class 3A State Championships

At Tacoma

Saturday’s Finals

Winner and local athletes

Team scores – 1, Lynnwood 55; 2, Kamiakin 48; 3, Mountlake Terrace 35; 4, Holy Names 33.

100 meters – 1, Assa Kaba (Chief Sealth) 12.58; 3, Kaylin Sperley (Prairie) 12.67; 6, Grayson Burke (Columbia River) 12.87.

200 – 1, Assa Kaba (Chief Sealth) 24.90; 5, Grayson Burke (Columbia River) 25.57.

400 –1, Lani Taylor (West Seattle) 55.74.

800 – 1, Jordan Oakes (Holy Names) 2:12.13.

3200 – 1, Yukino Parle (Edmonds-Woodway) 10:49.05; 15, Hannah Kneeshaw (Prairie) 11:34.94.

300 hurdles – 1, Madison Yerigan (Stanwood) 43.24.

400 relay – 1, Enumclaw 49.17.

800 relay – Kamiakin 1:43.19.

1600 relay – 1, Enumclaw 3:54.52.

Discus – 1, Dreakeanna Adair (Bonney Lake) 133-9; 5, Yaiydenn Lopez-Perez (Columbia River) 117-3; 12, Reilly Watts (Columbia River) 103-1; 16, Molly DeLeo (Fort Vancouver) 90-8.

Shot put – 1, Samantha Bourdeau (Bonney Lake) 41-11; 8, Yaiydenn Lopez Perez (Columbia River) 35-10.

Triple jump – 1, Chinne Okoronkwo (Mountlake Terrace) 40-7; 7, Tiarra Ringold (Columbia River) 35-10.25.

Pole vault – 1, Chinne Okoronkwo (Mountlake Terrace) 13-0; 7, Sarah Ellis (Columbia River) 10-0; 11, Lindsay Marshall (Columbia River) 9-6.

Class 2A State Championships

At Tacoma

Saturday’s Finals

Winner and local athletes

Team scores – 1, Shorecrest 60; 2, Burlington-Edison 55; 3, Olympic 47; 4, Woodland 35.

100 meters – 1, Wurrie Njadoe (Shorecrest) 12.17; 4, Julia Stepper (Woodland) 12.68.

200 – 1, Wurrie Njadoe (Shorecrest) 25.01; 2, Julia Stepper (Woodland) 25.59.

400 – 1, Madeline Liberg (West Valley-Spokane) 57.66.

800 – 1, Waverly Shreffler (Sequim) 2:19.11; 6, Chloe Lindbo (Ridgefield) 2:22.58.

3200 – 1, Brittany Aquino (East Valley-Spokane) 11:24.83; 16, Sophie Miller (Ridgefield) 12:29.32.

300 hurdles – 1, Erykah Weems (Hudson’s Bay) 44.25; 4, Alyssa Chapin (Hockinson) 46.29.

400 relay – 1, Olympic 48.86; 6, Woodland 51.20.

800 relay – 1, Granite Falls 1:45.38.

1600 relay – 1, Lynden 4:02.

Shot put – 1, Angel Nkwonta (Pullman) 43-6.75; 12, Kate Cochran (Woodland) 33-2.25; 16, Kiersten De La Rocha (Washougal) 29-2.75.

Long jump – 1, Wurrie Njadoe (Shorecrest) 20-0.25; 2, Julia Stepper (Woodland) 18-2.5.

Class 1A State Championships

At Cheney

Saturday’s Finals

Winner and local athletes

Team scores – 1, Naches Valley 55, 2, Cascade-Leavenworth 46.5; 3, Northwest 44.5; 4, Lynden Christian 42.5.

100 meters – 1, Lexi Rolan (Medical Lake) 12.46.

200 – 1, Lexi Rolan (Medical Lake) 25.58.

400 – 1, Maya Jackson (Northwest) 56.74.

800 – 1, Mikayla Shuler (Lakeside) 2:16.15.

1600 – 1, Erin Mullins (Cascade-Leavenworth) 5:07.31; 4, Jenna Melanson (La Center) 5:12.80.

100 hurdles – 1, Maggie Delay (Royal) 15.72.

300 hurdles – 1, Elli Kimes (Cashmere) 45.79.

400 relay – 1, Naches Valley 49.77.

1600 relay – 1, Cashmere 4:02.64.

Javelin – 1, Kaelyn Shipley (Kalama) 152-6; 4, Sierra Block (La Center) 129-2.

Discus – 1, Ellie Laizure (Lakeside) 118-7; 6, Shelby Vermeulen (La Center) 113-6.

Triple jump – 1, Summer Welch (Naches Valley) 38-2.25; 15, Kennedy Lake (Seton Catholic) 30-10.5.

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