TACOMA — Minutes after winning the biggest race of his young career, Camas’ Daniel Maton had company on his post-race jog.
It was Jackson’s Matthew Watkins, who finished second behind Maton in Thursday’s Class 4A boys 1,600 meters. And Maton welcomed the friendly face he just beat with a strong kick in the final lap to the finish in 4 minutes, 11.24 seconds.
Funnily enough, the two have something in common, too. It’s the second time Watkins is a runner-up to a Camas runner. In the fall, he was second behind Yacine Germali at state cross country.
While Maton also runs in the 800 preliminaries Friday, Watkins runs in the 3,200 Saturday.
“We were having a good time,” Maton said. “Hopefully, he does good (Saturday). I like the guy.”
But it was all business during a senior-laden race won by the sophomore who’s been undefeated in the 1,600 all season. His winning time is just off his personal-best 4:10.64 mile time ran at last month’s Nike/Jesuit Relays, which is why Maton said he felt pressure at the starting line.
“I feel a lot of guys were gunning for me, even though I’m younger,” he said. “A lot of weight off my shoulders (after the win).
Maton was one of two local winners at the first day of the 2A, 3A, 4A state track and field championships at Mount Tahoma Stadium. Next was a surprise winner, Woodland high jumper Sarah Retter, whose personal-best 5-foot-4 landed her the 2A title.
A 12th-place finisher a year ago at state, she credited a mental breakthrough this spring to consistently jump over 5 feet — including going 5-3 in April — in all but two meets this spring.
Now, she’s a state champion.
“Something just change,” she said. “Once I was able to do that, I was able to jump and do what I know I can do and perform well.
“If you can’t break that mental barrier, you’re not going to perform as well,” she continued. “You’re trying to fight your head and trying to fight the height.”
Shot putters second
For Skyview’s Connor Jensen and Ridgefield’s Trey Knight, it wasn’t their day.
Each were considered favorites entering their respective 4A and 2A shot put competitions, and finished runners-up. After an up-and-down series of throws, Jensen uncorked his best throw of the afternoon on his sixth and final — 60-8 1/4 — but the day went to South Kitsap’s Nolan Van Amen, who had four throws over 60 feet, including a 61-2 1/4 , to win his first shot put title.
He’ll go for his fourth discus title Friday.
While second place is the highest finish for Jensen at state, he knows if he performed to his abilities, it could’ve resulted differently against a thrower like Van Amen who brings out the best in Jensen every competition.
“It sucks when I lose to him,” Jensen said, “but I love competing against him. He’s a great competitor. It just sucks that I did not compete to the best of my ability.”
For Knight, his first title was within reach. Just a week ago, he set a state freshman record when he threw 60-9 at the district meet, but couldn’t throw farther than 55-10, which came on his first throw Thursday.
“Stuff wasn’t clicking,” Knight said. “Just wasn’t pushing through.”
Still, he led the entire competition — by three-quarters of an inch — through five throws, until defending state champion Ben Malquist’s six throw of 57-6 3/4 surpassed Knight’s top mark.
Knight’s final throw likely would have surpassed Malquist again, but he fouled over the toeboard.
Afterward, he congratulated the repeat state champion on a title that was close to being his.
“It hurts,” he said, fighting back tears.
Around the track
Prairie freshman Meri Dunford finished second in the 3A girls 1,600 meters, lowering her personal-best time to 4:59.64. … Union’s 800 and 1,600 relay teams of Logan Nelson, Makayla Woods, and Jai’lyn and Dai’lyn Merriweather, ran the top preliminary times of the day. … Woodland’s Jacob Davis ran a school-record 14.73 in the 2A boys 110 hurdles, the second-fastest preliminary time.
