Freeman sprinters speed to wins; VC takes 1B boys title

Quinn Robinson saved his best for last on Saturday at the State 1A/2B/1B track and field meet at Eastern Washington University’s Roos Field.

The Freeman senior successfully defended his 400-meter championship, posting a time of 49.46 seconds in the final – more than a second faster than his nearest competitor. But the time left him unsatisfied.

“I really wanted to go faster, but I just didn’t have it,” he explained. “I think I actually ran faster (Friday) in the prelim, but I shut it down in the final 15 yards and coasted, thinking that I would save myself for today, but it didn’t help.”

So in the final event of the day, the boys 1A 1,600 relay, Robinson let it all go for one final lap.

Sophomore Max Axtell ran a stellar opening leg, handing off to junior Christian Dresback with a lead that extended by the time sophomore Connor Rubright took the baton. With a 20-yard lead and a broad grin on his face in the final 20 yards, Rubright handed off to Robinson for the final lap and the senior was at full speed by the time he left the exchange area.

Robinson brought home a season-best time of 3:25.33 by almost two full seconds.

“My teammates did a great job – I love these guys and I am going to miss them,” Robinson said. “This means more to me than you can possibly know. It means more than winning the 400. It’s always better to win as a team.”

Newport’s Aaron Castle of Newport broke his own meet record in the shot put with a 64-4½. He won the event with a 63-1 mark a year ago. The Grizzly senior won the discus Friday with a 165-11 – 16-feet farther than his nearest competition.

“I feel pretty good with what I did,” Castle said. “I’ve been dealing with some injury issues this year. This was a good way to finish.”

Castle’s two wins, along with sophomore Braden Berranco’s win in the pole vault (14-3), gave Newport three gold medals.

Chewelah’s Zack Schneider won the 110 high hurdles by two-hundredths of a second, turning in a time of 15.12 to edge Kalama’s Jared Nieman’s 15.14.

Hoquiam was the overall team winner with 55 points. Kalama was second at 48, with Charles Wright Academy third at 47 and Freeman fourth at 44.

2B

 Northwest Christian got gold-medal performances from two athletes Saturday.

The Crusaders’ Christian Meyer opened the day by winning the 100 meters in a time of 11.01. Reuben Clark capped the day by clearing 6-5 in the high jump to edge Justin Berarducci of Colfax, who cleared 6-4.

Joey Dunning of Davenport won the 110 hurdles in 14.97, and Nick Wales of DeSales won the 300 hurdles by running 38.87.

Waitsburg-Prescott’s Eshom Estes won the shot put with a mark of 50-4½ in the finals.

Riverside Christian captured the team title with 48 points, a single point ahead of both LaConner and Davenport, with Waitsburg-Prescott at 46.

1B

Valley Christian’s Grand Marchant won gold in both the 800 and 3,200. In the 800, he turned in a winning time of 2:01.91 with teammate Richard Nyambura, who won the 1,600 Friday, second in a time of 2:05.09.

The pair were big scorers as the Panthers captured the team title, edging Crescent, 85-83.

“Having Richard as a teammates has made me so much better,” the sophomore said of his senior teammate after his 800 victory. “This is his first year with us and he’s pushed me all year long to be better. We’re really the only two distance runners we have on the team, so having him there to push me every day in practice has made us both better.”

Nyambura entered the 3,200 final with the fastest personal best time, but it was Marchant who took control midway through the race and ran away to post a winning time of 10:11.60 while his teammate faded to a fourth-place finish.

Columbia sprinter Dominic Marquez won the 100 and 200.

The senior won the 100 in 11.65, nosing out Tory Knebel of Pomeroy, who was second with the same time. Marquez won the 200 in 23.37.

Brandon Eberley of Curlew won the 400 with a time of 52.85. Hayden Hendrick of Wilbur-Creston won the javelin with a throw of 159-10.