Ridgefield’s Trey Knight made track and field history on Saturday.
The 18 year old broke the national high school record in the hammer throw during a Super Thrower Track Club meet at the Concordia University Throws Center in Portland.
Knight uncorked a throw of 261 feet, 7 inches during his fifth of six attempts on Saturday. That broke the old record of 260-5 held since 2013 by Rudy Winkler, who won the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials.
Knight’s record-setting throw was his best of the day by almost 10 feet. He won the event against 11 other high school athletes by 69 feet, 6 inches.
Knight’s throw was observed by multiple USATF officials, according to Ridgefield High track and field coach Gregg Ford. Knight’s hammer was weighed on Sunday to authenticate the record.
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.
Knight holds several national age-group records in the hammer throw. Knight’s previous personal best was 256-6, which ranked fifth-best all-time for high school boys when he set the mark last July.
Knight will compete for the University of Southern California next season.
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.
