TACOMA — Daniel Maton did what he does best to win his second state title in as many days.
Silas Griffith left everything out there in his final high school race to win his first.
Maton, a Camas High School sophomore, followed up his 1,600 state title from Thursday by winning the 800 final in Saturday’s final day of the Class 4A state track and field championships at Mount Tahoma High School.
A sweet double victory, after posting a winning 800 time of 1 minute, 53.46 seconds, was made sweeter, he said, by teammate Cade Greseth finishing fourth.
For a while, it was Maton and Greseth with 300 meters to go, as they chased Lake Stevens’ Noah Wallace.
“That was our plan — to go at 300,” Maton said.
It work, and before long, it was a two-runner race with Maton taking the edge in the final meters to earn his second win in 48 hours. and it was a two-runner race with Maton taking the edge down the stretch to get his second win in 48 hours.
“This feels good,” he said.
For Griffith, a Ridgefield High senior, the 2A 3,200 was a redemption race; he wasn’t happy with his 1,600 from Thursday, so even though temperatures reached the low-80s by race time early afternoon, the race strategy was elementary: give it everything, but first, have fun.
“This was going to be it,” he said.
And there was no doubt. Griffith led start to finish to win in 9:31.69 for his first title on the track.
Like Maton, it’s a double. Not in a championship weekend, but in a school year. Griffith was the 2A state cross country champion in the fall, making the end to his senior season on a high note.
“It was a very successful year as a whole,” he said.
Griffith’s team points were a big boost for the Spudders in the team race. Ridgefield finished with 48 points, sharing the boys team title with Cheney, which also had 48.
The Spudders had 20 of their 48 team points Saturday. Eight came from Trey Knight’s second-place showing in the discus, and two apiece came from its 400 relay and Conner Bell (100 meters), which each placed seventh.
But it was Friday’s showing in the triple jump that was the surprise, Bell said. Bell was part of a trio of Spudders who made Friday’s 2A finals and a 4-5-6 placing by Bryan Tavera, Nick Jenkins and Bell was unexpected, but not something they couldn’t reach, Bell said. They accounted for 12 team points.
“We all knew we had the potential to podium,” he said.
This is Bell’s first year out for track since eighth grade, and called being a part of a state title-winning track and field program “the best feeling I can have.”
“It’s not like football or basketball or any other sport I’ve done,” he said. “It’s a different team bond; I’ve never felt it with any other team.”
Stradley wins javelin
Curtis Stradley felt the pressure.
Not only because of his credentials as 4A’s top javelin thrower, but how the slight winds were, at times, in throwers’ favor, the Battle Ground senior felt the pressure.
“It’s a lot to put on,” he said.
Still, Stradley came through, to earn his first state title. His third throw of the preliminaries — 207-3 — held up. He was one of three throwers to have throwers 200-plus feet.
“It’s a good feeling to be the best in the state and compete with all these great competitors,” he said. “A lot of those kids threw PRs.”
With a state title in hand, he looks toward his future. He said Saturday he was released from his national letter of intent for football at Western Oregon and opened his recruiting up for track and field.
Around the track
Union’s Bryce Tyger (14-6) and Trevor Bushman (14-0) finished second and fourth in the 4A boys pole vault. … Evergreen’s Orin Johnson was seventh in the 3A boys 400 (50.40). He also anchored the Plainsmen’s eighth-place finish in the 4×400 relay. … Griffith’s first-place in the 2A 3,200 was one of three 2A GSHL runners on the podium; Hockinson’s Kyle Peterson and Washougal’s Gabriel Dinnel were sixth and seventh.
