Ridgefield’s Trey Knight signs with USC track and field

Perhaps one of the best track and field throwers Clark County has ever produced has signed with one of the nation’s elite track and field programs. 

Ridgefield senior Trey Knight signed a letter of intent this week with the University of Southern California, a track and field program that won its recent NCAA title on the women’s side in 2018. The heavily sought-after recruit told The Columbian last month he narrowed his college choices to USC, Penn State and LSU. He recently took official visits to all three schools. 

Knight is a four-time Class 2A state champion in the shot put and discus, and set a 2A state meet record in 2019 — 187 feet, 6 inches — when he repeated as the state discus champion. 

But Knight’s best event isn’t sanctioned by the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association.

Knight holds several national age-group records in the hammer throw. At a July meet, his throw of 256-6 climbed him to fifth-best all-time for high school boys. The all-time mark is 260-5 set in 2013 by Rudy Winkler, a 2016 Olympian.

Knight comes from a rich family of successful throwers. His mother, Heather (Gambill) Knight, aunt Johanna (Gambill) Lawson, and cousin Jon, all were state champions. In 1995, the sisters nearly won Battle Ground’s girls team title by themselves scoring 47 points. Jon Lawson, a 2011 Prairie High graduate, won three state titles between 2010 and ‘11.

Knight also earned all-league honors in football this fall as a first-year defensive end for the state playoff-qualifying Spudders.

More BIG News coming in… Welcome TREY KNIGHT to the Trojan Family✌🏽❤️💛 Fight On! #YouMayNowPutOnTheShield pic.twitter.com/RMkxJOo8s6

— USC Track & Field (@USC_Track_Field) November 19, 2019