Prairie’s Phillips on track for state meet

A series of eight hurdles stood before James Phillips as he settled into the starting blocks.

The next 300 meters, however, were only his first hurdle in a longer journey.

Phillips won the 300 meter hurdles at the Greater St. Helens League 4A/3A district Track and Field Championships on Wednesday at McKenzie Stadium.

But for the Prairie senior and a handful of the area’s top athletes, Wednesday marked when the track season turns into the home stretch.

Districts, which continue today, and next week’s regionals are stepping stones to the state meet May 29-31 in Tacoma.

“This is postseason now,” Phillips said. “Our coaches train us all year to peak at this time.”

Phillips’ time of 38.50 seconds Wednesday is the state’s fastest Class 3A time in the 300 hurdles and a season best by 0.64 seconds.

He also has the state’s fastest time in the 110 hurdles, which takes place today.

Since last season, Phillips has cut nearly two seconds off his 300 time and seven-tenths off his 110 time. He credits his coaches and teammates for his improvements.

“We push each other day in and day out,” Phillips said of his teammates. “That happens out of practice as well. You see what they’re eating and the extra workouts they do. It inspires you.”

Two Columbia River sprinters also have their sights beyond Wednesday’s finish line. Marcus Gaylor and Emily Morgan each have the second fastest 100 meter times in Class 3A statewide at 10.74 and 12.10, respectively.

Both won their races Wednesday with an eye toward peaking in two weeks. Gaylor ran mostly unchallenged, winning by more than a half-second in 11.05.

“This is the time when everything gets dialed in,” said Gaylor. “You’re just making micro-adjustments. I’ve been working on my start, since that’s been the weakest part of my race.”

Morgan won in 12.44, one-tenth of a second ahead of Mountain View’s Danica Person, who owns the sixth-fastest time in Class 3A.

“Danica and I are always neck and neck,” Morgan said. “She’s a great competitor.”

The top four finishers in each event qualify for the regionals Thursday and Saturday in Sumner.

Class 4A: Evergreen’s swift sisters

It might have looked like a blur, but spectators actually did see double during the Class 4A girls 400.

Identical twins Jai’Lyn and Dai’Lyn Merriweather finished about three seconds ahead of everyone else.

Jai’Lyn’s winning time of 55.90 is the fastest yet this season in Class 4A statewide. Dai’Lyn’s 56.70 Wednesday ranks third.

The Evergreen freshmen have competed in organized track since third grade.

“It’s good that we can be in the same race without getting too competitive and shoving each other out of the lane,” Dai’Lyn said, laughing. “It’s good when you have someone to push you.”

Camas junior Alexa Efraimson had nobody to push her Wednesday, but that’s par for the course for the reigning Gatorade National Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year. The defending state champ in the 800 and 1,600 won the 800 in 2:07.96. That improved her state-best time by nearly a second.

Skyview’s Aubrey Ward-El also has state-title ambitions. She has the best 4A marks statewide in both javelin (153-8) and shot put (43-8).

Wednesday, Ward-El won the javelin in 135 feet even. The shot put takes place today.

“I would say shot is my favorite,” Ward-El said. “It’s pure strength, where javelin is super technical.”

The top three finishers in each event qualify for regionals Friday and Saturday in Kent.

BOYS TRACK AND FIELD

Class 4A GSHL District Meet

At McKenzie Stadium

Team scores — Skyview 82, Camas 67, Heritage 61, Union 44, Evergreen 42, Battle Ground 13.

Regional qualifiers (top 3)

100 — 1, E’Lon Mack (H) 10.99; 2, Cole Zarcone (C) 11.21; 3, Josh Ryan (C) 11.36.

400 — 1, Keaton Spiller (H) 50.59; 2, Kelsey Gardner (BG) 51.01; 3, Adam Ryan (C) 51.14.

800 — 1, Keaton Spiller (H) 1:56.66; 2, Said Guermali (U) 1:57.43; 3, Dustin Zimmerly (C) 1:57.73.

3200 — 1, Riley Hein (C) 9:47.64; 2, Kaden Harbertson (S) 10:05.30; 3, Chanse Gilbert (S) 10:09.34.

300 hurdles — 1, William Ephraim (C) 41.08; 2, Adam Peterson (C) 42.42; 3, Marquis Sampson (E) 43.00.

400 relay — 1, Heritage 42.67; 2, Camas 42.99; 3, Evergreen 43.50.

Shot put — 1, Bailey King (U) 49-6; 2, Conner Jensen (S) 47-5; 3, Brody Bagnall (E) 46-6.

Triple jump — 1, Devin Murphy (H) 43-6.5; 2, Marcus Lord (S) 41-9.5; 3, Peyton Fredrickson (S) 40-11.

Pole vault — 1, Aaron Yewman (S) 13-1; 2, Noah Bonner (S) 12-1; 3, Matt Gaylor (S) 12-1.

Class 3A GSHL District Meet

At McKenzie Stadium

Team scores — Kelso 75, Columbia River 73, Prairie 72, Mountain View 39, Hudson’s Bay 11, Fort Vancouver 8.

Regional qualifiers (top 4)

100 — 1, Marcus Gaylor (CR) 11.05; 2, Jose Leyva (MV) 11.62; 3, Jacob Ringold (CR) 11.65; 4, Nathaniel Hawthorne 11.67.

400 — 1, Sonny Chhim (K) 51.74; 2, Tyler Fulton (K) 52.40; 3, Aryn Poulsen (K) 52.65; 4, Marquis Taylor 54.28.

800 — 1, Ron Leaf (K) 1:59.89; 2, Doug Paresa (P) 2:00.25; 3, Sam Garvin (MV) 2:01.18; 4, Adam Olson (K) 2:03.05.

3200 — 1, Austin Blankenship (CR) 9:57.23; 2, Nick Mounier (K) 10:15.72; 3, Daniel Nhnevaj (CR) 10.23.49; 4, Magnus Wichman (K) 10:26.90.

300 hurdles — 1, James Phillips (P) 38.50; 2, Michael Schmidt (P) 41.06; 3, Nikita Sheviakov (MV) 41.41; 4, Jordan Scrivner (K) 41.66.

400 relay — 1, Columbia River 42.99; 2, Prairie 43.47; 3, Mountain View 45.56; 4, Kelso 45.59.

Shot put — 1, James Niemela (CR) 52-8 1/2 ; 2, Jason Bracken (P) 51-9; 3, Ethan Tonder (MV) 50-5; 4, Tanner Williams (K) 45-9.

Triple jump — 1, Somit Chhim (K) 42-1; 2, Jacob Ringold (CR) 41-11; 3, Ayrrius Presley (HB) 40-7; 4, Isaiah Conley (P) 39-10 1/2 .

Pole vault — 1, Aleksandr Salfetnikov (P) 13-9; 2, Luke Middelstadt (P) 13-3; 3, Peter Zalk (P) 13-3; 4, Collin Mead (CR) 12-9.

GIRLS TRACK AND FIELD

Class 4A GSHL District Meet

At McKenzie Stadium

Team scores — Skyview 91.75, Camas 67, Union 54.75, Evergreen 47.5, Heritage 25, Battle Ground 22.

Regional qualifiers (top 3)

100 — 1, Rachel Shirley (S) 12.51; 2, Jamilah Harper (E) 12.78; 3, Chamerea McGee (H) 12.79.

400 — 1, Jai’Lyn Merriweather (E) 55.90; 2, Dai’Lyn Merriweather (E) 56.70; 3, Chisom Eke (S) 59.24.

800 — 1, Alexa Efraimson (C) 2:07.96; 2, Alexis Fuller (U) 2:14.10; 3, Molly Beaman (S) 2:18.30.

3200 — 1, Alissa Pudlitzke (C) 11:33.34; 2, Grace Eversaul (S) 11:36.86; 3, Marley LeFore (C) 11:54.84.

300 hurdles — 1, Jordan Davis (C) 44.69; 2, Madison Lanford (S) 46.09; 3, Tamaki Murata (C) 46.61

400 relay — 1, Evergreen 49.53; 2, Skyview 50.34; 3, Heritage 50.41.

Javelin — 1, Aubrey Ward-El (S) 135-0; 2, Jossilyn Blackman (BG) 122-7; 3, Tuileisu Anderson (U) 117-11.

Discus — 1, Guadalupe Mendoza (H) 136-9 1/2 ; 2, Nicole Corbett (C) 124-7; 3, Jossilyn Blackman (BG) 116-7.

High jump — 1, Kameron Schalk (U) 4-11; 2, Madison Lord (S) 4-11; 3, Hannah Shirley (S) 4-9.

Triple jump — 1, Nicole Carlson (U) 35-6; 2, Emily Wilson (U) 35-3; 3, Nattali Baiar (BG) 35-2 1/2 .

100 Wheelchair — 1, Yen Hoang (E) 21.44.

400 Wheelchair — 1, Hoang (E) 1:23.34.

Class 3A GSHL District Meet

At McKenzie Stadium

Team scores — Columbia River 99, Kelso 70, Mountain View 52, Prairie 45, Hudson’s Bay 31, Fort Vancouver 12.

Regional qualifiers (top 4)

100 — 1, Emily Morgan (CR) 12.44; 2, Danica Person (MV) 12.54; 3, Emma Walton (MV) 13.14; 4, Karen Nguyen (FV) 13.29.

400 — 1, Grayson Burke (CR) 59.85; 2, Jamilee Iddings (K) 59.94; 3, Karen Nguyen (FV) 1:00.11; 4, Neesha Godbole (MV) 1:02.26.

800 — 1, Lindsay Asplund (P) 2:19.59; 2, Taylor Hallquist (CR) 2:25.26; 3, Alanni Wingert (K) 2:26.92; 4, Nicole Tompkins (P) 2:29.97.

3200 — 1, Michaela Bruns (P) 11:52.04; 2, Lauren Mahnke (MV) 11:57.93; 3, Jamie Ferris (P) 12:03.15; 4, Melissa Starr (K) 12:15.35.

300 hurdles — 1, Erykah Weems (HB) 46.50; 2, Ellie Walker (CR) 47.92; 3, Brianna Sorensen (K) 48.50; 4, Savanna Craig (MV) 49.24.

400 relay — 1, Mountain View 49.1; 2, Columbia River 50.66; 3, Kelso 51.0; 4, Hudson’s Bay 51.35.

Javelin — 1, Kortney Crawford (K) 115-3; 2, Mariah Horton (K) 111-9; 3, Liliana Delgadillo (CR) 109-4; 4, Annika Collins (CR) 106-3.

Discus — 1, Jordan Hunter (HB) 117-4; 2, Meghan Whitney (K) 99-1 1/2 ; 3, Mariah Horton (K) 98-4; 4, Reilly Watts (CR) 94-5.

High jump — 1, Evi Wilson (CR) 5-1; 2, Hailey Hartley (MV) 5-0; 3, Ellie Walker (CR) 5-0; 4, Danae Lee (HB) 5-0.

Triple jump — 1, Brooke Williams (CR) 35-2 3/4 ; 2, Marion Lilly (CR) 34-3.75; 3, Katherine Schaefer (P) 33-7 1/2 ; 4, Kimberly Schaefer (P) 33-2.