The shot put facility at Columbia River High School was simply not built for the likes of Trey Knight.
Friday, the Ridgefield freshman didn’t just put a 12-pound metal sphere farther than the venue could hold.
Knight put it farther than any freshman has in state history.
Knight’s winning mark of 60 feet, 9 inches at the 2A District 4 meet broke a 40-year-old record by more than two-and-a-half feet. According to the Washington State Track and Field annual almanac, the previous freshman record was 58-1.75 by Mike Shill of Spokane Junior High in 1977.
Knight’s winning mark landed beyond the shot put venue’s sandy area that extended 60 feet from the ring, rolling down a grassy slope toward a ravine.
It came on his fifth of six attempts. On his third attempt, Knight set a then personal-best mark of 60 feet even, splintering a wooden border on the back end of the shot put venue.
Both times, Knight knew the mark would be good from the moment the shot left his hand.
“When it comes off the right way, you can just feel it,” Knight said. “When you know it’s going to be a pretty good one, it feels totally different from when you don’t do it right.
“When you hit it, it goes.”
Knight is used to setting records in the shot put. Last summer, he set a national record for 14-year-olds in winning the USA Track and Field Junior Olympics in Sacramento, Calif.
But surpassing 60 feet for the first-time with the heavier high-school shot put gave Knight a special thrill.
Now, he’ll turn his sights to next weekend’s state meet in Tacoma, where he’ll have the best mark in Class 2A by more than five feet.
“Going up to state, there are a few really good kids that will be right there,” Knight said. “It will be a lot of fun to have that.”
Knight also broke a district meet record that had stood since 1981.
He wasn’t the only athlete to break a meet record Friday. Columbia River senior Ellie Walker broke a 24-year-old meet record in the 100 meter hurdles, winning in 14.99 seconds.
Walker will head to state with the fastest time among 2A athletes.
“You have to keep pushing yourself,” she said. “You’re not necessarily in a comfortable place, because hurdles is hard. But I’m definitely focusing on little things like my starts. Those have always been my weakness.”
Julia Stepper showed no weakness in any of her events Friday. The Woodland senior won the 100 meters, 200 meters, long jump and was part of a victorious 400 meter relay team.
“I feel super ecstatic,” Stepper said. “I didn’t think I was going to compete this well because you don’t want to peak until state.”
Her 100-meter time was a personal-best of 11.95 seconds, the fastest in Class 2A this year and a school record. Her 200 time on 25.36 is second fastest and she owns the state’s best long-jump mark by seven inches.
Stepper placed second in the long jump and 200 meters last year at state. Her goal for next weekend in Tacoma?
“Just win,” she said. ” I’ve gotta get at least one.”
Ridgefield’s Silas Griffith also used Friday as a final tune-up for state. He won the 1,600 and 3,200, an event which he owns the state’s fastest time this year.
Griffith has been looking forward to the state meet since winning the 2A cross country state championship in November.
“You’re always grinding, always working,” he said. “State, here I come.”
Jacob Davis of Woodland won the 110 hurdles and 300 hurdles. He’s headed back to state, where he placed fourth and seventh, respectively, in those events last year.
“Going into next week, I’m going to have to use tunnel vision and block everyone else out,” he said.
Ridgefield won the boys team title. Woodland was second in the girls team race behind Tumwater.
