4A/3A/2A classifications

Where: Mt. Tahoma High School, Tacoma

When: Today 4:30 p.m., Friday 9:30 a.m., Saturday 9:30 a.m.

4A outlook

 The Kent-Meridian boys and Kentwood girls captured state championships last year. Mead’s boys finished second, four points behind K-M. Mead has won two of the last three titles and is favored this weekend. The Mead and Central Valley girls hope to contend for trophies.

 The lone returning area champ is Ferris junior Damon Unland in the discus.

 Lewis and Clark senior Josh Syrotchen is ranked No. 1 in the state for all classifications in the discus (185-10), as is Mead junior Courtney Hutchinson in the shot (47-5).

 Senior Wes Bailey of Mead is tied for first in the 100 (10.64) and leads in the 400 (48.04) in 4A. Bailey will go head to head with Wenatchee sophomore Isaiah Brandt-Sims, the reigning champ in the 100 and 200. Brandt-Sims’ qualifying time of 21.24 in the 200 is two-hundredths of a second faster than the state-meet record set by Darrell Robinson in 1982.

• Check it out: Several area athletes will challenge for titles. They are: Bailey in the three sprints; Bailey with senior Evan Maack, junior Austin Stone and junior Gunnar Kayser in the 400 relay; Unland in the discus and shot; Syrotchen in the discus; Hutchinson in the shot; junior Andrew Gardner of Mead in the 1,600 and 3,200; and senior Conor McCandless of Gonzaga Prep in the 3,200.

3A outlook

 The North Central boys and the Holy Names girls captured state titles last year. NC’s string of four straight titles will come to an end. Kamiakin’s girls, dominant at regionals, should easily win a title. No area teams will likely challenge for trophies.

 No area individual champs return. Shadle Park senior Nathan Weitz and junior Katie Knight of NC are ranked No. 1 overall in the state in the 3,200. Weitz’s season best is 8:56.84 and Knight’s is 10:20.11. Mt. Spokane senior Gianna Damiano is ranked first in the javelin in 3A.

• Check it out: Weitz will challenge for state titles in both distance races and Knight will battle Amy-Eloise Neale, the defending state champ in the 1,600. Neale, a junior from Glacier Peak, is also the reigning champ in the 3,200 but she skipped that event for the 800 and the 1,600 relay. Junior Jay Alexander of University will contend in the pole vault.

2A outlook

 Renton’s boys and Sehome’s girls are defending champions. Deer Park’s boys and Cheney’s girls hope to contend for trophies.

 Junior Sanne Holland of Cheney is the lone returning area state champ. She won in the 3,200 and was third in the 1,600.

 Clarkston senior Jamie Weisner is ranked No. 1 overall in the state in the javelin (143-2).

 Pullman senior Adam Mahama is ranked first in the discus (177-7) in 2A along with teammate Anna Guo, a junior, in the long jump (18-1½).

• Check it out: Other area title hopefuls are junior Janessa Day of Cheney in the 400, Weisner in the javelin, 100 hurdles and high jump, Pullman freshman Lauren McCluskey and junior Brittany Dugger of East Valley in the 100 hurdles and Cheney freshman Katie McGourin in the 300 hurdles.