State track: Johnson now shoulders a state title

TACOMA – Kedrick Johnson’s shoulder had just popped out of joint.

But as the Hockinson senior writhed in the sand of the long jump pit, he was mostly thinking about his legs.

Specifically, had they launched him far enough to cap his state title with a flourish?

“I was like ‘oh crap this hurts,’ he said. “But to be honest, I was more worried about whether I had jumped 23 (feet) or not.”

Johnson leapt exactly 23 feet on his last jump at the state track and field championships Thursday at Mount Tahoma High School. That gave him the Class 2A state title by four inches over of R.A. Long’s Ethan Sterkel.

Johnson was among three Clark County athletes to finish in the top three during the first day of the state track and field championships. Washougal’s Josh Bischoff placed second in the 2A discus and Mountain View’s Savanna Craig was third in the 4A 1600 meters.

Though he led Sterkel by two inches heading into his final jump, Johnson wanted to hit 23 feet for the third time this season.

As he threw his arms forward just before landing, Johnson felt his right shoulder pop out. He lay on his chest for at least a minute while medics attended to him. He then sat in a chair for another three minutes before his shoulder was relocated.

But 20 minutes later, Johnson was all smiles. Though he has done track since seventh grade, this was the first year he tried long jump.

“I’ve been dreaming of this moment ever since I started track,” he said. “This is my first year of long jump. So to have progressed that much in such a short time feels great.”

Once week ago, Johnson leapt three feet shorter and placed third at the district meet. But he credited the Notorious B.I.G. song “Juicy” for keeping him in tune mentally.

“The last couple weeks I’ve had trouble thinking too much,” he said. “Last week I jumped 20-something because my steps were off.  This week I practiced just staying relaxed and mentally calm.”

Washougal’s Bischoff wasn’t rattled despite a gusty wind that made the discus anything but routine.

“If it had too much height it would carry it off to the side,” Bischoff said. “It was very difficult. You had to work on keeping it flat. Often times that would make it go into the ground early.”

His best throw came during a rare moment of calm wind. His mark of 158 feet, one inch was his second-best of the season and earned his second consecutive second-place finish at the state meet. Repeat champion Jakob Chamberlain of Bellingham won with a throw of 177-4.

“I’m very proud,” Bischoff said. “I’m glad I could show that I could do the same throws I did last year and keep second place.”

This year’s state meet was anything but the same for Mountain View’s Craig. The junior didn’t even qualify last year.

But Craig escaped a tightly bunched pack midway through the 1,600 meter race and placed third. Her time of 4:58.82 was a personal best and eight seconds behind runaway winner Taylor Roe of Lake Stevens.

“Usually the last lap is a rush,” Craig said. “But I was already feeling the pain of the last lap before it even started, so I wasn’t as powerful as I hoped. But I really wanted to maintain third.”

Camas freshman Rachel Blair also reached the podium in the 1,600 by placing seventh.

The 4A Greater St. Helens League was well-represented in the boys shot put with three athletes in the top seven. Skyview’s Connor Jensen finished fifth, Union’s Bailey King was sixth and Mountain View’s Ethan Tonder was seventh.

Skyview’s Mason Scheidel finished sixth in the 4A boys 1600, which was the only track event to have its finals on Thursday. The meet continues Friday and Saturday at Mount Tahoma.

Class 1A

La Center senior Jenna Melanson placed sixth in the 3200 meters on Thursday in Cheney. Her time of 11:23 was 34 seconds behind winner Erin Mullins of Cascade-Leavenworth.

BOYS TRACK AND FIELD

Class 4A State Championships

At Tacoma

Thursday’s Finals

Winner and local athletes

1600 meters –1, Jack Yearian (Bellarmine Prep) 4:07.68;  6, Mason Scheidel (Skyview) 4:16.41; 9, Yacine Guermali (Camas) 4:22.72; 12, Daniel Maton (Camas) 4:22.72.

Shot put – 1, Deszmon Humphries (Tahoma) 59-9; 5, Connor Jensen (Skyview) 55-1; 6, Bailey King (Union) 54-4.25; 7, Ethan Tonder (Mountain View) 52-6.

Preliminaries (top 8 to finals)

110 hurdles – 7, Carter Clay (Union) 14.86.

1600 relay – 1, Camas (Cade Greseth, Luke Albert, Dustin Zimmerly, Adam Ryan) 3:21.56; 6, Skyview (Zeke Oien, Jefferson Kiyasu, Mason Scheidel, Jack Thomas) 3:24.47; 14, Battle Ground (NA) 3:28.92.

Class 3A State Championships

At Tacoma

Thursday’s Finals

Winner and local athletes

1600 meters – 1, Justin Janke (North Central) 4:07.69.

Pole vault – 1, Zach Shugart (Bishop Blanchet) 16-3; 10, Michael Schmidt (Prairie) 13-6; 11, John Marshall Niemela (Columbia River) 13-6.

Preliminaries (top 8 to finals)

110 hurdles – 10, Michael Schmidt (Prairie) 15.48.

Class 2A State Championships

At Tacoma

Thursday’s Finals

Winner and local athletes

1600 meters – 1, Brigham Cardon (Selah) 4:17.32; 9, Silas Griffith (Ridgefield) 4:26.93.

Discus – 1, Jakob Chamberlin (Bellingham) 177-4; 2, Joshua Bischoff (Washougal) 158-1; 9, Aubrey Kraft (Washougal) 134-3.

Long jump – 1, Kedrick Johnson (Hockinson) 23-0.

Preliminaries (top 8 to finals)

110 hurdles – 3, Jacob Davis (Woodland) 15.19; 13, Stephen Chan (Hudson’s Bay) 15.88; 13,Matt Rotundo (Washougal) 16.14.

Class 1A State Championships

At Cheney

Thursday’s Finals

Winner and local athletes

1600 meters – 1, Tibebu Proctor (Northwest) 4:20.65.

Preliminaries (top 8 to finals)

300 hurdles – 8, Jeremy Scott (La Center) 42.54.

GIRLS TRACK AND FIELD

Class 4A State Championships

At Tacoma

Thursday’s Finals

Winner and local athletes

1600 meters – 1, Taylor Roe (Lake Stevens) 4:50.34; 3, Savanna Craig (Mountain View) 4:58.82; 7, Rachel Blair (Camas) 5:04.64; 13, Emma Jenkins (Camas) 5:08.30.

Triple jump – 1, Brittany Woke (Kentwood) 38-5.25.

Preliminaries (top 8 to finals)

800 relay – 7, Union (Jai’lyn Merriweather, Dai’lyn Merriweather, Makayla Woods, Emily Wilson) 1:42.66.

1600 relay – 3, Union (Jai’lyn Merriweather, Dai’lyn Merriweather, Makayla Woods, Vanessa Nicacio) 3:56.44; 7, Skyview (Krystal Kaufman, Presley Timmons, Taylor Irwin, Molly Beaman) 4:00.51.

Class 3A State Championships

At Tacoma

Thursday’s Finals

Winner and local athletes

1600 meters – 1, Jordan Oakes (Holy Names) 4:46.80.

Javelin – 1, Mikayla Pivec (Lynnwood) 147-0.

High jump – 1, Madison Yerigan (Stanwood) 5-6; 14, Giovanna Rhoads (Columbia River) 4-10.

Preliminaries (top 8 to finals)

100 hurdles – 12, Ellie Walker (Columbia River) 15.87.

Class 2A State Championships

At Tacoma

Thursday’s Finals

Winner and local athletes

1600 meters – 1, Abby Johnson (Sehome) 5:07.05; 11, Lexie Rutherford (Ridgefield) 5:18.88; 16, Natalie Biddix (Woodland) 5:31.47.

Preliminaries (top 8 to finals)

100 hurdles – 2, Erykah Weems (Hudson’s Bay) 15.51; 4, Alyssa Chapin (Hockinson) 15.84.

1600 relay – 13, Hudson’s Bay (Claire Kieswether, Diana Stelmakh, Mattea Buhrmaster, Erykah Weems) 4:16.01.

Class 1A State Championships

At Cheney

Thursday’s Finals

Winner and local athletes

3200 meters – 1, Erin Mullins (Cascade-Leavenworth) 10:49.51; 6, Jenna Melanson (La Center) 11:23.25; 11, Megan McDaid-O’Niell (Seton Catholic) 12:11.39.

Preliminaries (top 8 to finals)

300 hurdles – 12, Sarah Turcic (King’s Way) 49.16