Even Sterling Reynolds, running the 100 meters for the third time in his high school career, was surprised by the outcome.
“I was in lane 8; I was supposed to take seventh or eighth,” the Mountain View High School junior said.
Instead, Reynolds won the 100 meters Wednesday at the Class 3A Greater St. Helens League district track and field meet at McKenzie Stadium. Reynolds finished in 11.47 seconds, well ahead of runner-up Terrence Joshua of Columbia River (11.57) and third-place Grayson Anderson of Mountain View (11.59).
As if that weren’t enough, Reynolds added a title in the 400 meters and has the top qualifying time for Friday’s 200 meters. The meet concludes Friday after a day off today.
But it was Reynolds’ victory in the 100 that was unexpected.
“I’m very surprised,” he said. “I expected to be close to the pack, but not in front of it.
“I’m not confident in the 100. I didn’t know I was a fast guy, I thought I was more of a 400 guy.”
That’s because Reynolds is a relative novice when it comes to the 100. He focused on the 400 prior to this season, added the 200 this year, and dabbled in the 100.
“It takes some training; it was something I had to work on,” he said.
His favorite race, now that he has two district titles and is looking to add a third?
“I would say the 200,” he said. “The 200 feels good. The 100 is over and done real fast.”
In other highlights from Wednesday’s Class 3A meet:
• Through the first day of competition, the boys team race is a nail-biter. The top five in the standings: Prairie 50, Mountain View 48, Kelso 46, Columbia River 42, Camas 38.
In the Class 3A meet, the top five finishers in each event advance to next week’s regional competition in Tacoma, which will determine berths to the state meet.
• A malfunction with the starting gun caused a delay in the girls 100. Two competitors remained in the starting blocks while the others ran down the track about 60 meters before being called back.
The race, which was then postponed until after the 4A girls 100, eventually was won by Megan Kelley of Camas in 12.44.
• Kelley also won the 400 in 57.12, more than three seconds ahead of runner-up Jessica Bottelberghe of Columbia River. Kelley has the best time in the state for any classification this year with a mark of 56.88.
• Bottelberghe later won the 800, kicking past Lynelle Decker of Mountain View down the stretch.
“I felt like I had some kind of kick just because of the insane workout we had last Saturday,” Bottelberghe said. “It paid off mentally.
“I wasn’t completely sure I wanted to kick at the end. It was one foot in front of the other.”
• Columbia River’s Anna Adamko and Prairie’s Johna McEllrath exchanged the top places in the girls javelin and discus. Adamko won the javelin, while McEllrath was second, and the finish was reversed in the discus.
McEllrath and Adamko also have the top two qualifying marks in the 3A shot put, which will be contested Friday.
• The boys pole vault, along with the 4A boys pole vault, was postponed because of adverse conditions. The 3A event was rescheduled for 10 a.m. Friday.
• Jon Lawson of Prairie won the shot put by nearly 13 feet. His winning mark was 57 feet, while Richard Carter of Hudson’s Bay was second at 44 feet, 1 inch.
