Girls state track: Merriweathers go out in style in Union’s record-setting day

TACOMA — Championship Saturday of the state track and field championships started with jubilation, triumph when Dai’lyn Merriweather, Union High School’s 4×200 girls relay anchor, crossed the finish line, baton high in the air after the day’s first race.

One minute, 37.89 seconds. New meet record, smashing Garfield’s 1983 record of 1:39.12.

It was the start of a memorable day of victories and look-at-the-clock moments for the Titans.

After that was six heat-induced hours that included two more individual state titles for Dai’lyn and Jai’lyn Merriweather, Union’s senior sprinters bound for Maryland next season. But perhaps no race was more telling than the herculean effort of Jai’lyn Merriweather for the day’s final race — the 4×400 relay — and the final leg, ran by Jai’lyn, to bring down one of the meet’s oldest records.

Her right hamstring was heavily wrapped after tweaking it during the 200 final earlier in the day, and while she admitted to being scared, there was no doubt.

It’s run or bust.

“The strength came,” she said, “and I got on the line.”

Merriweather persevered to help the Titans close the meet like they opened it: winning a relay state title and setting a new meet record.

Their time: 3:46.36 surpassing one of the meet’s oldest records. Sammamish held the previous 4×400 meet record since 1978.

Emotion poured out from the record-setting quartet, including lead-off runner Makayla Woods and second-leg Brooklyn Johnson, and the Merriweathers couldn’t fight back the joyous tears.

“To reach a goal you set months ago,” Jai’lyn said, “and finally reach it and break that record is surreal. It’s so amazing. It’s been an amazing three days.”

In-between relays, the Merriweathers repeated as state champions individually. Jai’lyn won the 400 for a third time (55.36), as did Dai’lyn in the 200 (23.73). Different this time, though, was Jai’lyn right beside her in the 200, finishing second in 24.10. Dai’lyn also was runner-up in the 100 (11.72) as one of five runners with sub-12-second times.

Union was second in the 4A girls team race with 56 points. Tahoma won with 91 points.

STEPPER, PEFFERS GET THEIR FIRST TITLE
One thing was missing from Julia Stepper’s athletic resume was a state title.
In an accomplished prep career that includes school record times and marks in the sprints and jumps, the Woodland High School senior said she wouldn’t have been satisfied without that elusive first-place.

That came Saturday when she captured the 2A girls 100 meters.

Even better? A personal-best 11.89.

“This day can’t get better,” she said.

Stepper also was second in the 200 Saturday, clocking in at 24.55. She was third in the long jump Friday.

For Camas’ Madison Peffers, she called winning the 4A girls high jump a dream.

She no-heighted at state last year as a sophomore, so Peffers did the ultimate thing Saturday: win a state title.
She jumped a personal-best 5 feet 6, improving on her own school record she set earlier in the season.

“I came here wanting to be on the podium,” she said. “To be first and PR, breaking the school record again this year, is amazing.

“Dead last to first. It’s mixed emotions.”

AROUND THE TRACK: Four Clark County athletes had top-8 finishes in field events: Evergreen’s Alyssa Smith (fourth, 3A girls pole vault), Prairie’s Abigail Brotherton (3A girls shot), Hockinson’s Shiane Oerding (sixth, 2A girls javelin), and Ridgefield’s MacKenzie Sparks (eighth, 2A girls javelin). Oerding’s teammate, Alyssa Chapin, followed up her Friday 100 hurdles third-place finish with a fifth-place showing in the 300 hurdles.

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RECORD-SETTING RELAYS
Union’s 4×200, 4×400 meet-record relays
4×200 (1:37.89): Logan Nelson, Makayla Woods, Jai’lyn Merriweather, Dai’lyn Merriweather
4×400 (3:46.36): Makayla Woods, Brooklyn Johnson, Dai’lyn Merriweather, Jai’lyn Merriweather