Northport’s Guglielmino captures fourth straight sprint triple

As Kassie Guglielmino stepped atop the podium Saturday morning after winning her fourth state 1B 100-meter dash title, the announcer tried to put it all in perspective.

“That’s one of only – I don’t know how many – to do that,” he said, and wisely let the crowd take it from there.

It got even better for Guglielmino, a senior at Northport High School who later won the 200 and 400 titles at the State 1A/2B/1B track and field meet at Eastern Washington University. It’s a rare triple, but not for Guglielmino, who’s been doing this for four straight years in the 1B meet.

That’s right: 12 titles, three each year. But if titles are better by the dozen, they’re definitely not cheaper: Since sixth grade, Guglielmino has toiled on the “rugged facilities” at Northport, the one she left behind for good at Thursday’s practice.

“It was pretty sad, because there’s been a lot left on our little dirt track, a lot of pain, too,” Guglielmino said. “I’m going to miss it a lot.”

Northport coach Jim Goodwin appreciated her talent long ago.

“We pulled her in at sixth grade, and we normally don’t do that – she was that good,” said Goodwin of Guglielmino.

Indeed, Guglielmino’s season bests in junior high would have put her on the state high school awards stand. Her smooth, fast-striding motion have made her the class of the 1B field; she’s been competitive against the bigger schools as well, finishing in the top three in all three sprints at this year’s Riverside Invitational.

Not that the competition is lacking at the 1B level.

Guglielmino trailed Carla vanRooyen of Mt. Vernon Christian before taking the lead with 20 meters to go. VanRooyen fought back for a photo finish.

“I thought I had it,” said Guglielmino, whose time of 12.94 seconds was four-hundredths of a second better than van Rooyen’s.

After her final race, the 200, Guglielmino’s four-year feat was announced to the crowd, which gave a big cheer.

“That made me tear up a little,” said Guglielmino, who will ascend to another podium next month as Northport’s valedictorian. This fall, she will major in equine studies at Montana Western University.

“She’s been a great role model for all the kids,” Goodwin said.

1A

Cedar Park Christian of Bothell took the team title with 67 points, and Riverside (44) and Lakeside took the next two spots.

Arielle Walden of Newport won the 100 high hurdles in 15.55 seconds – her third straight title in that event – and later won the triple jump.

In the 100 final, Medical Lake sophomore Amarah Nicholson lost out to freshman sensation Abi Kim of Seattle Christian, even though both sprinters were timed in 12.68 seconds.

“I thought maybe I won,” said Nicholson, who set a personal record and later finished second in the 200, again to Kim.

2B

Northwest Christian of Lacey ran away with the title, scoring 121 points, well ahead of Pe Ell (72) and Asotin (47). Colfax finished seventh with 31.25.

Olivia Pakaootas of Tekoa-Oakesdale finished second in the high jump with a leap of 5-6.

In the 1,600, Northwest Christian-Colbert senior Anna Henry took a brief lead over Anna Brooks of Northwest Christian-Lacey, but finished second despite a valiant dive at the finish line.

1B

Mt. Vernon Christian racked up 88 points, outdistancing Entiat (59) and Mt. Rainier Lutheran (45). Odessa-Harrington took the 400- and 800-meter relays, the former by almost 1½ seconds over Pateros, and finished fifth with 42 points overall. Northport finished ninth with 31.

Georgie Shafer of Selkirk won the 300 hurdles.