State track: Ward-El wins shot put title, Zalk second in hurdles

TACOMA – Aubrey Ward-El knew it was good the moment it left her hand.

The Skyview senior was locked in a close battle with Arlington’s Lyndsay Leatherman in the Class 4A shot put Friday at the state track meet.

“She was coming close.” Ward-El said. “I knew I needed a big one to keep that buffer between the two of us.”

Ward-El knows a few things about big shots, but in another sport. She’ll play Division-I basketball next season for the University of San Diego.

On her next-to-last effort, Ward-El sunk a dagger. Her mark just shy of 45 feet, 2 inches won the state title by 3 feet, 2 inches.

“It’s like a basketball shot when you know it’s going in,” she said, describing how her personal-best mark Friday felt.

Battle Ground junior Jossilyn Blackman placed third with a mark of 39 feet, 6 inches.

Ward-El will be favored to become a double state champion Saturday at Mount Tahoma High School. She has the best javelin mark this season among 4A competitors by more than four feet.

She said shot put, in which she also was the pre-meet favorite, is more of a crap shoot.

“In shot put, anyone can pop a big one at any time,” Ward-El said. “It’s so much closer than javelin is typically.”

Blackman was happy to see her Greater St. Helens League rival win.

“She’s always cheered me on and given me little pointers,” Blackman said. “I feel good because the two ahead of me are seniors. They deserve it.”

Zalk’s repeat bid falls just short

Peter Zalk admits that he’s a perfectionist.

Therefore, finishing second in the 3A 110 hurdles Friday wasn’t a reason to celebrate for 2013 state champion. His time of 14.62 was behind only Bellevue’s Sam Richmond (14.58).

“You’re here to have fun, but you’re here to win,” Zalk said. “It was rough. There were just a lot of fast kids. That was a great race.”

The Prairie senior will continue his pursuit of perfection at Western Oregon University next season.

“I’ve been running hurdles since fourth grade,” Zalk said. “I’m still not where I want to be, but I’m closer than I was yesterday.”

Other notable performances

Alexa Efraimson of Camas cruised into the 800 meter finals one day after setting a national high school record in the 1,600. Hardly looking burdened, she stayed with the lead pack in her preliminary heat. Her qualifying time of 2:14.41 was second fastest in the preliminaries. In Saturday’s finals, she’ll aim to surpass her meet-record time of 2:08.17, set last year.

Evergreen twins Jai’lyn and Dai’lyn Merriweather were the two fastest qualifiers for Saturday’s 4A 400 meter finals. They ran 56.42 and 56.49, respectively.

River sprinters Marcus Gaylor and Emily Morgan each qualified for Saturday’s finals in the 100 meter and 200 meters. After winning his 200 heat, Gaylor helped carry Marysville-Pilchuck sprinter Austin Joyner, who pulled up lame and hopped the final 100 meters to the finish line.

Skyview’s Peyton Frederickson placed third in the 4A high jump. He cleared 6 feet, 6 inches, matching his season high.

Washougal’s Adam Thomas placed third in the Class 2A pole vault, clearing 14 feet, 6 inches.

Mountain View junior Lexington Reese placed fourth in the 3A javelin with a throw of 174 feet even.

Union sophomore Bailey King placed fourth in the 4A discus. His throw of 157-1 was less than four feet behind the winning mark of 160-10.

BOYS TRACK

Class 4A State Championships

At Mount Tahoma High School, Tacoma

Friday’s finals (winner and local athletes)

110 hurdles – 1, Eric Simpson (Rogers-Puyallup) 14.16.

Triple jump – 1, Tyson Penn (Federal Way) 49-2.

High jump – 1, Tyson Penn (Federal Way) 6-9; 3, Peyton Fredrickson (Skyview) 6-6; 14, Aaron Yewman (Skyview) 6-0.

Discus – 1, Nolan VanAmen (South Kitsap) 160-10; 4, Bailey King (Union) 157-1; 10, Brody Bagnall (Evergreen) 146-6.

Pole vault – 1, Larry Still (Richland) 15-9; Aaron Yewman (Skyview) NH.

Friday’s preliminaries

Local athletes (q-qualified for finals)

100 – E’Lon Mack (Heritage) 10.87.

800 – Keaton Spiller (Heritage) 1:57.37q; Said Guermali (Union) 1:59.67.

300 hurdles – Ryan Guther (Camas) 39.49q.

400 relay – Camas (Ryan Gunther, Josh Ryan, Hunter Brittain, Cole Zarcone) 43.04q; Evergreen (Marquis Sampson, Noah Geist, Ray Green, Kobey Eaton) 44.06; Heritage (Devin Murphy, Wyatt Luedecker, Joseph Gandarillas, E’Lon Mack) DQ.

Class 3A State Championships

At Mount Tahoma High School, Tacoma

Friday’s finals (winner and local athletes)

110 hurdles – 1, Sam Richmond (Bellevue) 14.58; 2, Peter Zalk (Prairie) 14.62.

Discus – 1, Winston Hallam-Eames (Nathan Hale) 173-06; Ryker Gilbert (Mountain View) 148-0; 8, Jason Bracken (Prairie) 144-0.

Javelin – Carlos Riojas (Mount Spokane) 185-0; 4, Lexington Reese (Mountain View) 174-0.

High jump – 1, Tyson Penn (Federal Way) 6-6; 2, Peyton Frederickson (Skyview) 6-6.

Long jump – 1, Austin Joyner (Marysville-Pilchuck) 23-5.5; 6, James Phillips (Prairie) 21-4.75; 16, Jacob Ringold (Columbia River) 19-4.5.

Friday’s preliminaries

Local athletes (q-qualified for finals)

100 – Marcus Gaylor (Columbia River) 10.78q.

200 – Marcus Gaylor (Columbia River) 21.89q.

800 – Sam Garvin (Mountain View) 2:04.30.

300 hurdles – James Phillips (Prairie) 39.22q.

400 relay – Prairie (Peter Zalk, Reuvim Ponomarenko, David Tran, James Phillips) 44.03q; Columbia River (Jeffrie Ringold, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Jacob Ringold, Marcus Gaylor) DQ.

Class 2A State Championships

At Mount Tahoma High School, Tacoma

Friday’s finals (winner and local athletes)

110 hurdles – 1, Andrew Stich (Lakewood) 14.74.

Triple jump – 1, Ryan Chase (Capital) 46-7.75.

High jump – 1, Jaysen Yoro (Orting) 6-8; 7, Jack Klodt (Hockinson) 6-2.

Javelin – 1, Jensen Lilliquist (Ellensburg) 198-0; 9, Quintin Sills (Hockinson) 160-0.

Shot put – 1, Mitch Moe (R.A. Long) 52-10.25.

Pole vault – 1, Blaise Black (Sehome) 15-6; 3, Adam Thomas (Washougal) 14-6.

Friday’s preliminaries

Local athletes (q-qualified for finals)

400 – Nick Barclay (Hockinson) 51.06q.

800 – Thomas Normandeau (Washougal) 1:58.50q.

400 relay – Ridgefield (Nathan Eggleston, Brady Petitt, Anthony Bruno, David Causey)

45.24.

GIRLS TRACK

Class 4A State Championships

At Mount Tahoma High School, Tacoma

Friday’s finals (winner and local athletes)

100 hurdles – 1, Mariyah Vongsaveng (Federal Way) 14.24; 8, Jordan Davis (Camas) 15.45.

Long jump – 1, Catherine Jackson (Curtis) 18-1.5; 7, Tayler Troupe (Union) 16-11.75.

Shot put – 1, Aubrey Ward-El (Skyview) 45-1.75; 3, Jossilyn Blackman (Battle Ground) 39-6; 10, Nicole Corbett (Camas) 36-0.75.

Mixed 800 Wheelchair – 1, Michael Hoyt (Mount Spokane) 2:43.13; 2, Yen Hoang (Evergreen) 2:43.75.

Friday’s preliminaries

Local athletes (q-qualified for finals)

100 – Rachel Shirley (Skyview) 12.36.

200 – Dai’lyn Merriweather (Evergreen) 24.92q.

400 – Jai’lyn Merriweather (Evergreen) 56.42q; Dai’lyn Merriweather (Evergreen) 56.49q; Chison Eke (Skyview) 58.79.

800 – Alexa Efraimson (Camas) 2:14.41q; Alexis Fuller (Union) 2:14.68q; Molly Beaman (Skyview) 2:19.92.

300 hurdles – Jordan Davis (Camas) 44.90q; Madison Lanford (Skyview) 46.94.

400 relay – Evergreen (Jamilah Harper, Saydi Dozark, Dai’lyn Merriweather, Jai’lyn Merriweather) 49.11q; Skyview (Rachel Shirley, Caroline Iverson, Chisom Eke, Madison Lanford) 49.66; Heritage (Kaitlan Belocura, Brooks Stawn, Chamerea McGee, Emily Anderson) 50.94.

Class 3A State Championships

At Mount Tahoma High School, Tacoma

Friday’s finals (winner and local athletes)

100 hurdles – 1, Maria Blad (Enumclaw) 14.83; 7, Ellie Walker (Columbia River) 15.79.

Long jump – 1, Chinne Okoronkwo (Mountlake Terrace) 18-2.5; 16, Julie Williams (Mountain View) 15-2.

Discus – 1, Elisa Grandemange (Kamiakin) 144-11. 12, Reilly Watts (Columbia River) 103-3.

Friday’s preliminaries

Local athletes (q-qualified for finals)

100 – Emily Morgan (Columbia River) 12.01q; Emma Walton (Mountain View) 12.67.

200 – Emily Morgan (Columbia River) 24.98q; Emma Walton (Mountain View) 25.84.

400 – Karen Nguyen (Fort Vancouver) 1:01.30.

800 – Lindsay Asplund (Prairie) 2:19.21q; Taylor Hallquist (Columbia River) 2:22.48.

300 hurdles -Erykah Weems (Hudson’s Bay) 46.42q; Ellie Walker (Columbia River) 47.24.

400 relay – Columbia River (Sarah Landers, Tiarra Ringold, Taylor Hallquist, Emily Morgan) 49.24q; Mountain View (Hanna Walton, Emma Walton, Neesha Godbole, Danica Person) 50.06; Hudson’s Bay (Sierra Jones, Emily Soelberg, Mariah Davis, Erykah Weems) 51.55.

Class 2A State Championships

At Mount Tahoma High School, Tacoma

Friday’s finals (winner and local athletes)

100 hurdles – 1, Brooke Feldmeier (Tumwater) Tumwater 14.45.

Javelin – 1, Elisha Allred (East Valley-Spokane) 135-7; 5, Mackenzie Pfeifer (Washougal) 124-1.

Shot put – 1, Nike McClure (W.F. West) 43-10.25.

Triple jump – 1, Peyton Russell (Tumwater) 39-7.75.

High jump – 1, Marla Melling (Anacortes) 5-3.

Pole vault – 1, Kirsten Webber (Squalicum) 13-0.

Friday’s preliminaries

Local athletes (q-qualified for finals)

200 – Raigan Page (Ridgefield 26.06.

400 – Raigan Page (Ridgefield) 59.79q.