Hawkins Runs Nation’s Fastest 3,200 In Victory At Arcadia

Just when the cold spring seemed like it would never end, Isaac Hawkins warmed things up.

The Ferris senior escaped the near-frozen north to run the fastest 3,200 meters in the nation this year.

Hawkins ran 8 minutes, 58.47 seconds, to win the prestigious Arcadia (Calif.) Invitational on Saturday.

“I think it’s about time. I think it’s way overdue,” said Hawkins, the defending state AAA champion in the 1,600 and 3,200. “I was unsure if it was going to be a fast race … there’s always some uncertainty. I knew the time was in me, it was a matter of getting it out.”

He figures, after running negative splits - a 4:33 first mile and 4:26 second - he can go lower.

“It was totally my fault. I hesitated too much on the first two laps, I didn’t get into it,” he said.

“My fitness is pretty good right now. It’s still kind of base shape. Obviously, I’m in pretty good race shape but I haven’t done much speed work.

“It makes my confidence go sky high. When you run something like that and know what your workouts have been … I’m looking forward to running much faster … in all the events I do.”

With all the championships in hand, including last fall’s state cross country title, Hawkins is looking at more personal accomplishments this spring before continuing his career at Stanford.

“This season is time-based for me,” he said. “I know if I take care of time, the place comes for me.”

In Saturday night’s race, Mead’s Jason Fayant was seventh in 9:13.37, with Shadle Park’s Casey Perry four spots and 2 seconds back and Mead’s Morgan Thompson another six spots and 2 more seconds behind.

Mead’s Ryan Wiser ran the 1,600 in 4:19.28 to finish eighth.

On the girls side, Missy Blackshire of Ferris was 14th in the 800 with a time of 2:19.61 and Emily Hawkins of Ferris was 15th in the 3,200 in 11:14.54.

While Hawkins was strong, JaWarren Hooker was fast.

The Ellensburg speedster won the 400 in 46.23 at Arcadia, the second-fastest time by a Washington prep, then set a state record less than 90 minutes later in the 200. Hooker, who has signed to play football and run track at UW, went 21.2 in the 200, but was second.

Hooker’s 400 time is second only to Darrell Robinson’s national record of 44.69, but he passed Robinson’s 1982 time in the 200, which was 21.26.

Just a week earlier, Hooker ran 10.53 into a slight headwind at Yakima for the fastest 100 in state history. Ron Jackson ran a 10.54 in 1980.

The 36th annual Pasco Invitational, the largest track meet in the Northwest, will be held Saturday in Edgar Brown Stadium. Mead’s boys and girls are the defending champions.

Field events begin at 10 a.m., the running preliminaries an hour later. The final race is scheduled for 6:05.

Cornwell replaces Emmil

Colville has hired Randy Cornwell to replace Ken Emmil as head football coach.

Cornwell, the school’s girls basketball coach, arrived in Colville four years ago after Montana state-championship football stints at Ennis and Troy. Cornwell has coached junior high, freshman and junior varsity football in Colville. He continues as girls basketball coach.

“We hired Randy in the middle of March,” said Colville athletic director Randy Russell. “He’s putting his staff together. He’s really excited.”

Colville will play in the eight-team 2A Great Northern League next year.

Emmil, football coach for eight years, will continue as principal at Colville’s Panorama Alternative High School.

Panorama’s bid to join the Class B Panorama League was recently rejected 9-3 by the league.

Lead foots it

Leon Lead, who brought Willapa Valley to this year’s boys State B basketball tournament, has accepted an assistant coaching position at Grays Harbor Community College in Aberdeen, Wash.

Lead, 25, was 50-25 during three years with the Vikings.

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